ChatGPT & AI: We’re incorporating AI into engageSPARK.

Case Study: IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a global research and policy non-profit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems.


Background

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a global research and policy non-profit organisation that discovers and promotes effective solutions for global poverty problems. Sustainable growth requires the management of scarce natural resources, such as water.

In countries such as Zambia, which has an arid climate, water management is an extreme problem. One of the hurdles that need to be overcome is lack of education among affected people on how best to manage the scarce water supply.

Results

IPA researchers used engageSPARK to conduct a survey in Zambia to assess whether improved information and incentives can help households better manage their water usage. Research participants were contacted via automated SMS text messages and automated phone surveys or IVR.

The researchers used engageSPARK to create and launch the campaigns that supported a program to improve water management by households. They sent SMS text messages and IVR calls to survey participants. Over the course of 10 months, researchers used the engageSPARK platform to engage 13,383 recipients with more than 13,000 SMS and Automated phone call interactions.

Conclusion

By leveraging the tools of the engageSPARK platform, the researchers were able to show that targeted education can indeed help households manage their water usage. The automated messaging and calls were an ideal complement to the rest of the tools the researchers used to inspire participants to engage actively with the survey. This helped the researchers to truly understand what incentives would be most effective in bringing about change and motivating households to conserve water.

How It Works: