Sampling Households from Satellite-Derived Data in Ethiopia

MASAE was engaged to develop a geographic sampling frame for a large-scale community survey in Ethiopia, focusing on rural and host communities around 10 refugee camps across four regions. The project utilised remote sensing and data science to remotely sample 900 dwellings, ensuring representative and efficient data collection.

Why This Matters

Accurate household sampling is crucial for effective humanitarian response and development planning, especially in regions with limited ground access. By leveraging satellite-derived data, MASAE enabled stakeholders to reach remote populations and gather essential information for programme design and evaluation.

Our Approach

  • Remote Sensing:
    Used high-resolution satellite imagery to identify and map dwellings in target areas.

  • Data Science:
    Applied advanced sampling techniques to ensure a robust and unbiased selection of households.

  • Operational Efficiency:
    Enabled remote sampling, reducing the need for extensive fieldwork and improving safety and cost-effectiveness.

Results and Impact

The project provided a reliable sampling frame for community surveys, supporting evidence-based decision-making and resource allocation in humanitarian and development contexts.

MASAE supported a mobile money operator in building monitoring dashboards to track agent performance. The project aimed to help the operator grow its business, reach new customers, and optimise its network by providing the right incentives and monitoring tools for agents.

MASAE supported a mobile money operator in building monitoring dashboards to track agent performance. The project aimed to help the operator grow its business, reach new customers, and optimise its network by providing the right incentives and monitoring tools for agents.

MASAE, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), pioneered the use of mobile operator Call Data Record (CDR) data to detect and map rural markets in Uganda, Madagascar, and Tanzania. The objective was to support vaccination and development programmes by providing accurate, up-to-date information on rural population gatherings.

MASAE, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), pioneered the use of mobile operator Call Data Record (CDR) data to detect and map rural markets in Uganda, Madagascar, and Tanzania. The objective was to support vaccination and development programmes by providing accurate, up-to-date information on rural population gatherings.