Data Science

In 2025, MASAE Analytics was commissioned by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) to empower the Government of Tanzania in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Our goal was to create an accessible, user-friendly platform that would allow government departments across Tanzania to visualise climate risks and integrate this information with their own data for smarter decision-making.

In 2022, MASAE provided strategic advisory services to the European Investment Bank (EIB) by analysing the job market impact of the Boost Africa programme across the continent. The study aimed to evaluate how venture capital funding influences employment growth in targeted sectors.

MASAE, in partnership with GIZ and Altai Consulting, supported the Tunisian Central Bank and the Financial Inclusion Observatory (OIF) in defining financial inclusion indicators and in developing a dedicated platform to collect and display data, and make it available to sector stakeholders.

MASAE was commissioned by CGAP to support Banca de las Oportunidades in Colombia with comprehensive training on financial inclusion mapping. The project focused on equipping teams to collect and geolocate financial agents, enabling a better understanding of cash-in and cash-out (CICO) networks across the country.

UNICEF Mozambique commissioned MASAE in 2022 to conduct a Child Centred Risk Assessment (CCRA) alongside a Climate Change Vulnerability Analysis (CCVA). The project aimed to map the risks and vulnerabilities faced by children, including those linked to climate change, and to provide actionable recommendations for minimising impact and mitigating risks.

In 2021, MASAE partnered with GIZ to assess the impact of irrigation network restoration efforts in Anbar governorate, Iraq. The project focused on evaluating the effectiveness of rehabilitated irrigation canals in supporting agricultural productivity and local livelihoods.

In 2021, MASAE was commissioned by the World Bank and the IFC to help a leading Mobile Money Operator (MMO) in Madagascar strengthen its distribution network. The project focused on analysing agent locations and identifying areas with unmet demand, supporting the expansion of financial services in underserved regions.

MASAE was commissioned to develop the GOGLA Investment Dashboard—a digital platform designed to visualise and query trends in the global off-grid solar energy industry. The dashboard enables stakeholders to access up-to-date information on investment flows, supporting strategic decision-making and sector growth.

Towards the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, East Africa faced devastating locust swarms that wreaked havoc on crops and fields. MASAE Analytics responded by employing data science, GIS, and mapping to estimate the extent of the damage using satellite imagery.

In 2020, Mercy Corps contracted Altai Consulting and MASAE to support the PERMA consortium in Iraq, focusing on research and evaluation for agricultural development. The project aimed to provide robust research partnership and technical support to PERMA’s agricultural initiatives.

In 2020, MASAE partnered with AFD to assess deforestation in the Sahel region, with a focus on Niger. The project aimed to monitor forest resources using advanced satellite data and ground truthing techniques, providing vital insights for sustainable land management.

In 2018, MASAE Analytics supported the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Somalia by mapping the trajectories of demobilised fighters as part of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme. The project aimed to better understand the movements and reintegration prospects of former Al Shabaab soldiers.

UNHCR tasked Altai Consulting and MASAE Analytics to evaluate the contribution of cash-based interventions to the prevention, mitigation, and response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Lebanon. The project combined data science and ground truthing to assess the effectiveness of these interventions in supporting vulnerable populations.

In 2018, MASAE Analytics was commissioned by AFD to build the Sahel Alliance Open Data Portal—a comprehensive database and dashboard for managing project portfolios and results data. The platform was designed to support more than 500 projects, representing a budget of nearly €1.8 billion, and to provide stakeholders with transparent, accessible information on development activities across the Sahel region.

In 2017, MASAE Analytics, in partnership with Altai, was contracted by UNDP to operationalise the Fragility Index Maturation Model in Jubaland, Somalia. The goal was to model how macro-economic parameters influence socio-economic outcomes and to quantify the impact of interventions in fragile contexts.

MASAE Analytics 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 Analytics 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.

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 provided granular geomarketing insights for mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile money providers in East Africa. The project aimed to help operators better understand where they could acquire customers, optimise staffing, and boost usage, despite often having only regional-level statistics on their users.

MASAE Analytics conducted a pioneering study to detect and estimate the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence. The project addressed the challenge of monitoring informal settlements in a context where many refugees live outside official camps.

MASAE Analytics delivered a data science training programme for technical teams at a leading Iraqi mobile operator. The training aimed to build in-house capacity for data analysis and business intelligence, supporting the company’s growth and innovation.

MASAE Analytics was contracted by AFD to organise and collect monitoring and learning information for the Minka Middle East fund. This €409 million fund is implemented across 36 projects and 49 implementing partners in four countries, supporting peace building and resilience in the region.

MASAE supported the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in monitoring its four-year migration programme in Ethiopia. The initiative aimed to address the challenges of irregular migration by providing stakeholders with a unified platform for tracking activities and outcomes.

MASAE collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and partners to develop web platforms targeting cash-in/cash-out (CICO) agents in underserved regions. The project focused on identifying and addressing “white spots”—areas with no CICO agents—in countries including Congo, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, and Malawi.

MASAE was commissioned by a leading Iraqi mobile operator to deliver a comprehensive customer segmentation analysis. The goal was to better understand user behaviour and optimise marketing strategies using advanced data science techniques.

MASAE supported the Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme (ARCAN), a transformative initiative addressing interconnected climate, ecological, and socio-economic challenges across Africa. At the heart of this effort is a custom dashboard designed to synthesise and visualise critical data, empowering stakeholders to track progress and make informed decisions at continental scale.

MASAE partnered with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to empower their staff with geospatial skills critical for addressing urban development and infrastructure challenges. This online training programme equipped non-technical teams with the tools to harness geospatial data, enabling smarter decision-making in projects worldwide.