IASO

Geo microplanning and monitoring for data collection

Overview Key features Benefits

Ensure data quality through clear responsibilities and strong error prevention.

Iaso is an open source platform for planning and monitoring data collection.

It supports management of a master list of facilities and regions with geographical information, which are then used to structure planning, data collection, and monitoring by sub regions.

It supports highly structured data collection based on hierarchy, which prevents errors and ensures clearer responsibilities.

Iaso aims to prevent data fragmentation and lack of standardisation that can lead to duplicative efforts, imprecise metrics, time consuming data integration efforts and errors. This lack of data accuracy can have devastating effects during for example outbreaks.

Iaso is used in more than 10 countries by ministries of health, NGO and international agencies in support of data collection efforts improving health information systems. It has a strong integration with the commonly used DHIS2 software for health data monitoring, especially to help maintain an up to date master facility list.

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Key features

Georegistry – Microplanning – Data Collection

Iaso provides a number of core features in support of data collection: data collection based on the xlsform format through an offline working mobile application, an advanced web dashboard, application programming interfaces (APIs) usable for data science and bi-directional integration with DHIS2.

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The data management platform has three main components:

Central georegistry

That is used to manage, update and validate multiple master lists of org. units, including their geographical features, through the unification of multiple data sources.

Data collection tool

That supports structured data collection based on the well know standard XLSForm popularized by ODK. 

Microplanning

The tool supports planning of activities based on location, for example to assign health centers to visit to teams of external monitors for annual review.

Benefits

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Managing as many referential lists as you want
Iaso has the ability to store and support the management of an indefinite number of master lists. This allows users to load different versions of master lists and support their matching. The tool then creates links between the various lists, allowing it to build a master reference list out of several fragmented data sets.
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Facilitating the continuous data management of the master lists
The tool provides interfaces so that authorized users can propose new data through mobile devices, web interfaces or data uploads. This data can then be selected and validated by other users, following standard validation processes. The system keeps track of all the changes and change requests made by the different users.
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Leveraging routine data collection
A strength of Iaso is that its data collection tools can be used to support surveys and routine data collection processes. Its seamless integration with DHIS2 makes it a very attractive instrument for supporting programs supported by DHIS2. The result of this is that the geo-registry is continuously enriched by data coming from routine data collection carried out by health programs.
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Easy to use by multiple teams in parallel
Iaso facilitates the continuous distributed management of master lists by different teams in different locations. Field workers have user friendly offline mobile interfaces to propose updated data. The validation work can be distributed by geographical sub-area and administrative entities.
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Data sciences in support of georegistry management
The tool provides interfaces that makes the data accessible to data scientists. Data scientists can then provide and define algorithms for better master list management and validation. An example of this is to include the development of algorithms for the selection of a geographical reference when multiple points and references exist for an object.
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Fine grained geography based accesses and traceability
Ensure that each use only have access to the data that is relevant to its own field of responsability in the health system and that changes are traceable to each individual contributor.

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