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Open Data Kit (ODK)

An Open-Source Tool lets your organisation build powerful offline forms that collect data in serverless zones. 

ODK is an open-source mobile-user-friendly data collection platform that can be used by nonprofits to collect data offline which will then upload when you’re online. This data can then be used to measure the success of nonprofit initiatives, enable data-driven decision making, and track progress and outcomes. It also provides powerful data cleaning, analysis, and visualisation tools. It is a secure, reliable, and scalable platform that is suitable for organisations of all sizes

It supports the collection of a wide range of file extensions that can include text, images, audio and video clips. 

Features of the tool

  • Build powerful forms.
  • Collect data offline.
  • Analyse with ease.
  • Community support.
  • GPS tracking.
  • Open-source software.

Benefits for NPO’s

  • ODK can use powerful forms to easily collect data from their donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries. These forms can include photos, locations, skip logic, calculations, external datasets, and multiple languages. This allows them to streamline their data collection process and ensure accuracy. Additionally, can use these forms to capture repeatable data, play videos, and scan barcodes. All of these features are designed to make data collection easier and more efficient.
  • All of this works entirely offline. NPOs (nonprofit organisations) can use the mobile app or the web app. Forms and submissions are synced in the cloud till they’re in a coverage area..
  • Once the data is collected, it’s easy to analyse. Connect tools like Excel, Power BI, Python, or R directly to ODK, quickly build live-updating dashboards and reports. 
  • It is proven to be an effective tool for use in public health, global development, crisis response, climate monitoring, and more.
  • ODK is trusted by more than 2 million people to handle their data collection and analysis needs, and is used to send over 200 million submissions every year from all over the world.
  • The open-source software gives NPOs complete control of data collection, with the ability to use  as-is or customised to your specific needs.

Reasons to use ODK

  • Its an open source tool
  • Easy to use and understand.
  • No internet connection required.
  • Compatible with all devices.

Graphical Representation:

Fig. 1. ODK form builder interface.

ODK form builder is a powerful tool to quickly and easily create forms for collecting data. With this, one can create forms that are tailored to their needs and can be used to collect data on the field with the ODK Collect App. This data can then be used to track activities, measure outcomes, and inform decisions. It can also be used to create surveys, allowing one to plot feedback according to demographics from those they serve to make data-driven decisions.

Fig. 2. ODK Main Menu mobile Interface.

These shortcuts allow you to quickly and accurately collect, manage, and analyse data to help NPOs make informed decisions.

Fig. 3. ODK Form mobile view

ODK Forms is a free and open-source mobile data collection tool, making it an ideal solution for NPOs with limited budgets. Additionally, the mobile view feature allows users to easily access and update information from anywhere, allowing for more efficient data collection in the field.

Conclusion:

Overall, ODK is an excellent open-source tool to easily collect and analyse data. It is secure, reliable, and scalable, making it ideal for organisations of any size. It allows for the collection of a wide range of data types and provides powerful data cleaning, analysis, and visualisation tools. It is trusted by millions and used to send over 200 million submissions every year. With ODK, NPOs can easily collect data from their donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries and use it to measure the success of their initiatives, make data-driven decisions, and track progress and outcomes.

 

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