Using KoboToolbox and Power BI for Low-Cost MEL Systems
A lean digital workflow can help teams collect field data, check quality, and visualize progress without enterprise software budgets.
Digital MEL does not need to start with a large platform procurement. Many organizations can build a dependable first system with KoboToolbox for collection and Power BI for analysis and visualization.
Design the Form Like a Data Product
A Kobo form should be easy for enumerators and useful for analysts. Use constraints, skip logic, standardized option lists, and required fields where missing data would damage interpretation.
Build Quality Checks Into the Workflow
Review submissions daily during active collection.
Flag duplicate records, missing GPS points, and impossible ages or dates.
Document corrections so the audit trail remains clear.
Let Dashboards Support Conversations
Power BI is most useful when dashboards answer management questions: where are activities happening, who is being reached, what is changing, and where does the team need to investigate further?
The dashboard is not the learning system. The learning system is the meeting where people use the dashboard to make better decisions.
