Review of mVAM programme: novel application of mobile technologies for food security monitoring, August 2015

Mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping, or mVAM, is an evolving and expanding programme of the World Food Programme (WFP) that leverages cell phone technologies to conduct high frequency data collection and monitoring. mVAM represents a proof of concept for the application of mobile technologies to food security monitoring, particularly in contexts characterized by limited access for face-to-face interviews. mVAM has great potential to impact the way in which monitoring data is collected in humanitarian and development contexts. 

This review was commissioned by the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) unit of WFP to articulate strategic learning about the value added of mVAM to traditional VAM face-to-face food security and vulnerability assessment and monitoring work and existing data products, and to inform future deployments, scale-up and adaptation of activities to WFP’s information needs. The review also documents the experiences of applying the mVAM approach in two pilots and a full-scale deployment.