Who are “the uncounted poor”?

Why does the data matter?

How does Mobile Metrix work?

Why do companies want this data?

How do you help companies better target this market?

How do you ensure that the data is not misused?

Who are “the uncounted poor”?

More than 1 billion people in 120 developing countries have no official record of their lives. Without documentation , these “uncounted poor” can’t work legally, can’t access many aid programs, can’t obtain loans and can’t register to vote. They work in the “informal” economy as street vendors, domestic servants, or in drug trafficking. In myriad ways, they remain invisible to the public, companies, and local governments. No one knows the size of these impoverished communities. Information we have is mostly based on estimates derived from outdated projections. How can we expect to support these people in moving out of poverty or improving their health if we don’t have information about local income, job skills, or specific disease rates? We can't. Mobile Metrix provides a solution to this challenge by providing reliable and timely information, which can link these communities that need resources to those who have them.

top of page

Why does the data matter?

This data provides transparency (a window into the lives of marginalized people) and accountability (a call to action for communities and governments).

First, the simple act of counting allows the uncounted poor to step into their rights as citizens: voting, legally working, access to schools, healthcare and other social services.

Second, these communities’ reality is often quite different from the commonly asserted conclusions based on faulty, outdated projections. Reliable demographic information empowers community leaders to approach NGOs and outside resource providers to ask for assistance, to develop projects, and to initiate partnerships. The data helps local governments properly apportion public services and aid.

Finally, data drives investments and markets. For the uncounted poor, the accurate story of their condition will spur a more commensurate investment from the private sector to reach these consumers. It will also set market solutions in motion that provide jobs, services and pathways out of poverty.

top of page 

How does Mobile Metrix work?

Local governments, NGOs, and/or corporations hire Mobile Metrix to gather specific information on an overlooked community. Mobile Metrix works with our partners to develop sound and customized survey instruments to ensure that the survey captures the information that the client needs, while protecting the privacy of those surveyed. This can range from basic demographic information (e.g., to inform a government on where to locate new schools) or client specific information (e.g., per capita mosquito net adoption and reasons why some households have nets and others don’t).

Mobile Metrix identifies leaders in these impoverished communities who can spearhead the local Mobile Metrix operation. Once a local leader is chosen, we hire teams of local youth to be MobileAgents™, who conduct door-to-door surveys of their own communities using digital handheld computers. Mobile Metrix trains the MobileAgents™ in professionalism, computing skills and surveying techniques. This community-based digital data collection is the cornerstone of Mobile Metrix’s value and success.

Once the data is collected, it is analyzed, stripped of identifying information, and shared with the client and the community itself. We provide timely, accurate data that captures the reality of these overlooked communities so that resources can be customized to meet their needs.

top of page  

Why do companies want this data?

The 4 billion people in the world whose annual incomes are less than $3,000 per year represent a $5 trillion dollar market (World Resources Institute). Some powerful examples exist of selling mobile phone services or personal products, like laundry soap, to the poor. But for the most part, companies have yet to dive into serving this population. Why? Because they don’t have accurate demographic data to understand this customer or their needs. The report calls this information “a critical step toward market-based solutions.”

top of page 

How do you help companies better target this market? 

We help companies define this new market.
The “Base of the Pyramid” (BoP) market is very different from traditional markets in terms of purchase habits, distribution channels and product desires. We reduce the time companies spend on market research by providing them with accurate data.

We help companies measure their impact.
Companies want credit for the economic development they spark. Mobile Metrix is designed to capture unique information for companies to measure the direct and indirect results that their products and services have on consumers. Indicators of impact can include customer satisfaction, job creation, income increases or health improvement.

We help companies scale their services effectively.
Companies targeting the BoP need to capture significant share of that market to get a profitable return on investment. An in-depth understanding of the needs and geographic extent of a customer base is crucial to securing sufficient scale. We can help companies grow as we grow.

top of page

How do you ensure that the data is not misused?

As the surveyor saves data on the handheld device, the data is automatically encrypted, so it can’t be read, either by the MobileAgent™, or anyone else who might access the device. Most of the data we collect is simple demographic information without personal details attached. Therefore, there is nothing to identify or any link to private details about the person who took the survey.

Some of our government contracts do ask for personal information (as do all census polls), which is why we choose to operate only in countries verified by Human Rights Watch that are free of widespread human rights abuse.

top of page