METHODOLOGY

Researching the impact tracker tech involved three main stages:

First, we spent countless hours browsing their websites to fully understand and appreciate their features, usage, and pricing.

Second, from a full list of market available technologies, we applied several layers of filters. Below are the diagrams detailing the filtering process.

Third, to cross-check our desk research findings, we sent out a questionnaire to the selected technologies. When the questionnaire was not completed by the developer, Kopernik did our best to fill it out accurately. Comparison across similar technologies was also conducted to ensure a more robust assessment.

Fourth, we conducted skype interviews with select tech developers. These conversations were very informative and helped us understand, for example, how and why these tools were developed, what challenges developers faced, how developers understand their competition, and who uses these technologies.

Last but certainly not least, we tested most of the tools ourselves to better understand their user friendliness and experience. The insights gained from the testing are captured in the ‘best feature comments’ within the feature comparison pages.

We iterated our methodology for this update by taking account of the latest trends and target audience. We spent time observing improvements made by industry leaders. We focus on three criteria for this year's update: Accessibility, Affordability, and Usability. Below are further details for the three.

1. Accessibility: Refers to the ease of setting up, operating, and managing the technology (e.g. user role management, open source availability, user guides).
2. Affordability: Refers to the level of cost-effectiveness and value for money for the technology purchasing/subscription
3. Usability: Refers to the basic and advanced features of the technology, including form design, data processing, and the variation of data types that can be captured in the field.

In the questionnaire that we sent to the technology developers, we have dissected each criteria into components and sub-components to ensure rigour and objectivity our assessment. For simplicity's sake, only the high-level scores for each criteria and the overall rating are displayed in the catalog.

We understand that the ICT4D industry is rapidly evolving and constantly updating. Our catalog is therefore a snapshot of impact tracker tech at a certain timeframe and subject to necessary update. We welcome correspondence from technology developers who wish to update their technologies.