Citizen Generated Data plays an essential role in empowering communities to advocate for social change in their local settings. It also helps local communities to participate in decision-making processes on issues impacting them.
Development partners are increasingly recognizing Citizen Generated Data as a vital complement to official statistics, particularly in areas where conventional data is outdated, insufficient or entirely missing.
Vocalise Africa is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of research integrity while using Citizen-Generated Data. This includes adhering to clearly defined data collection protocols and ensuring data is timely, credible, and easily interpretable. These quality benchmarks are essential for enhancing the reliability and utility of CGD in research and policy-making.
Our research typically begins with an in-depth literature review that helps contextualize key issues, examine past interventions, and identify existing knowledge gaps. Through inclusive co-design workshops, we engage a diverse group of experts, opinion leaders, and community influencers to collaboratively develop radio content aligned with the project’s overall objectives.
In collaboration with community radio stations, Vocalise Africa broadcasts interactive programmes that invite listener participation. Audiences can contribute in real time by calling in or sending SMS feedback via a toll-free shortcode which is captured in our Data Infrastructure. Our research team transcribes and analyzes this feedback to capture a wide range of public voices and perspectives on the issues being discussed.
Following each broadcast, we facilitate small, community-based Radio Dialogue Groups (RDGs), led by trained moderators. These sessions often bring to the limelight key insights and learning moments, which are carefully synthesized into actionable reports that inform future programming and policy recommendations.
