Published Reports & Research Papers that Mention engageSPARK
Find below some of the project reports and research papers that our NGO and university customers published about work they did at least in part using the engageSPARK platform.
2026
Process evaluation via RCT for WASHmobile’s PICHA7 program (ICDDR,B and JHU)
This study demonstrates the feasibility of delivering the WASHmobile PICHA7 program in eastern DRC and provides important insights for delivering WASH mHealth programing in low‑ and middle‑income countries
globally.
engageSPARK serves an important role implementing the mHealth part of the program. Read more about WASHmobile at our dedicated solutions page.
Source: Sanvura, P., Endres, K., Bisimwa, JC. et al. Process evaluation for the delivery of a water, sanitation, and hygiene mobile health program: randomized controlled trial of the WASHmobile PICHA7 program. Trop Med Health 54, 15 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00881-8
2025
IVR screening increases rural representation in Malawi phone mortality survey (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and others)
The study evaluated whether a fully automated interactive voice response (IVR) survey could efficiently identify rural mobile-phone users for a national mortality survey in Malawi and compared outcomes with unscreened numbers.
engageSPARK was used to run the IVR survey as a pre-screening step and to place follow-up CATI surveys.
Source: Tlhajoane M, Muthema F, Chasukwa M, McCain K, Luhar S, Romero Prieto JR, Saikolo J, Manhica C, Walters S, Dulani B, Reniers G. (2025) Interactive voice response surveys as a method for increasing the representativeness of rural respondents in a mortality mobile phone survey: Findings from Malawi. Tropical Medicine & International Health 30(9):937–945. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.70005
IVR to collect dietary data in sub-saharan Africa (University of Greenwich, Kyambogo University, and more)
This study validates the use of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to collect dietary data from digitally marginalized rural women in sub-Saharan Africa.
The engageSPARK Communications Platform was used for the IVR calls. Our colleagues Avner and Christine also got acknowledged by name, which we’re proud of. 🙂
Full title: A novel automated participant-recorded dietary data collection method using low-cost mobile phones and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) with low-literacy women: a validation study in rural Uganda
Authors: Lydia O’Meara, Kate Wellard, Joweria Nambooze, Patrick Ongora, Paula Dominguez-Salas, Elaine Ferguson
2024
Teaching at the Right Level (MIT, J-PAL)
Full title: Teaching at the Right Level: Learning how to improve mentoring and monitoring support to teachers at scale in African government systems
Authors: Daniele Ressler, Dr. Andreas de Barros, Dr. Kodjo Aflagah, Dennis Kyalo, Jacqueline Mathenge
The engageSPARK Communications Platform was used for data collection via WhatsApp.
Comparing IVR and CATI as alternatives to household surveys in Bangladesh (Johns Hopkins University)
The study compared the representativeness and prevalence estimates of interactive voice response (IVR) and computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) with a nationally representative household survey in Bangladesh.
engageSPARK was used for IVR surveys and CATI surveys.
Source:
Kibria GMA, Ahmed S, Khan IA, Fernández-Niño JA, Vecino-Ortiz A, Ali J, et al. (2023) Developing digital tools for health surveys in low- and middle-income countries: Comparing findings of two mobile phone surveys with a nationally representative in-person survey in Bangladesh. PLOS Glob Public Health 3(7): e0002053. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002053
Tobacco cessation study in (University of Southern California, Makerere University, and others)
The study compared various interventions to help people with HIV quit smoking, including Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and short messaging service (SMS)-based tobacco cessation interventions.
The engageSPARK Communications Platform was used for the SMS intervention.
Full title: A phone-based tobacco use cessation program for people living with HIV in Uganda and Zambia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Heather Wipfli, et al.
WhatsApp and IVR for migration-related surveys (IOM)
Compares WhatsApp and IVR for surveys of migrant populations in Senegal & Guinea.
The engageSPARK Communications Platform was used for the WhatsApp and IVR Surveys.
Full title: Effectiveness of WhatsApp for measuring migration in follow-up phone surveys – Lessons from a mode experiment in two low-income countries during COVID contact restrictions
Authors/Org: International Organization for Migration (IOM) and collaborators
Recruiting hard-to-reach populations for mobile phone surveys in Colombia
The objective of the study was to investigate factors that influence the perceived acceptability of a RDS recruitment method for mobile-phone surveys involving people over 45 years of age living in Colombia.
The engageSPARK Communications Platform was used to run the IVR and CATI surveys.
Title: Recruiting hard-to-reach populations via respondent driven sampling for mobile phone surveys in Colombia: a qualitative study
Authors: Solorzano-Barrera, C., Rodriguez-Patarroyo, M., Tórres-Quintero, A., Guzman-Tordecilla, D. N., Franco-Rodriguez, A. N., Maniar, V., … Ali, J.
Publication: Global Health Action, 17(1).
2023
Collecting health data in Colombia using RDD (Johns Hopkins University, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana)
This study aimed at comparing the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents of an MPS on non-communicable disease risk factors to a household survey in Colombia.
The engageSPARK Communications Platform was used to run the IVR surveys to the mobile phones.
Full title: Examination of the demographic representativeness of a cross-sectional mobile phone survey in collecting health data in Colombia using random digit dialling
Authors: Deivis Nicolas Guzman-Tordecilla, Andres I Vecino-Ortiz, Angélica Torres-Quintero, Camila Solorzano- Barrera, Joseph Ali, Rolando Enrique Peñaloza-Quintero, Saifuddin Ahmed, George W Pariyo, Vidhi Maniar, Dustin G Gibson
IVR with evidence-based audio messages to increase vaccine uptake in Colombia (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), and others
This article describes the methodology used to co-design evidence-based audio messages to be deployed in a cohort of individuals through an interactive voice response (IVR) mobile phone survey intervention, aimed towards increasing vaccination uptake in an adult population in Colombia.
Full title: Improving COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a message co-design process for a national mHealth intervention in Colombia
Authors: Aya Pastrana, N., Agudelo-Londoño, S., Franco-Suarez, O., Otero Machuca, J., Guzman-Tordecilla, D. N., López Sánchez, M. C., … Vecino-Ortiz, A. I.
Journal: Global Health Action, 16(1). 2023
Airtime incentives in Colombia and Bangladesh (Johns Hopkins University)
The researchers assessed whether airtime incentives can improve cooperation and response rates for a noncommunicable disease interactive voice response survey in Colombia and Tanzania.
engageSPARK was used for the IVR surveys and incentives in Colombia.
Full title: Airtime top-ups as incentives for mobile phone surveys in Colombia and Bangladesh
Authors: Vidhi D Maniar, Dustin G Gibson, Alain B Labrique, Joseph Ali, Andres I Vecino-Ortiz, Angelica Torres-Quintero, Stephanie Puerto-García, Camila Solorzano-Barrera, Honorati Masanja, Frank Kagoro, George W Pariyo
Read the full paper (Oxford Open Digital Health)
2022
Text4Father trial (Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, Kennedy Krieger Institute)
The text4FATHER program engages fathers, especially racial/ethnic minority underserved fathers, during maternity care by providing high quality content to them.
The content is delivered with SMS campaigns—that’s where engageSPARK came in.
Full title: Protocol for the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy Trial of text4FATHER for Improving Underserved Fathers’ Involvement in Infant Care
Authors: Marcell AV, Johnson SB, Nelson T, Labrique AB, Eck KV, Skelton S, Aqil A, Gibson D.
Journal: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2021;32(3):1110–1135.
2021
Almasi: HIV testing among YMSM in Kenya (YLabs, Maaygo, HOYMAS)
Full title: Increasing Access to HIV Services Among Young Men who Have Sex with Men in Kenya – Almasi Pilot Report
Authors/Org: YLabs with Maaygo & HOYMAS
The pilot used an automated messaging platform to coordinate outreach, testing, and follow-up.
2020
COVID Info Line IVR – Rohingya, Cox’s Bazar (International Organization for Migration)
Full title: COVID Info Line: Enhancing information flows through Interactive Voice Response technology – Bangladesh
Authors/Org: IOM Bangladesh
IOM’s CwC team operated an IVR “Info Line” and used it to seed later phone surveys of callers; engageSPARK powered the hotline IVR.
Read the article
First infographic/report (May 5, 2020): overview (PDF)
Second infographic (May 18, 2020): archived PDF
Third infographic (June 1, 2020): archived PDF
NPM-IVR needs assessments – Rohingya (International Organization for Migration)
Full title: Needs and Population Monitoring COVID-19 NPM-IVR Needs Assessment – July 2020; Round 2 – September 2020
Authors/Org: IOM (with ACAPS)
Follow-up IVR phone surveys of people who called the Info Line; analyses of needs during COVID-19 restrictions.
July 2020: overview | Sep 2020 (Round 2): overview
Remote Surveying in a Pandemic (IPA – Innovations for Poverty Action)
Full title: Remote Surveying in a Pandemic: Handbook
Authors: Steve Glazerman, Michael Rosenbaum, Rosemarie Sandino, Lindsey Shaughnessy (IPA)
Includes tool and platform guidance for CATI/IVR/SMS; engageSPARK appears among platforms used in remote data collection.
Remote Survey Toolkit (60 Decibels)
Full title: Remote Survey Toolkit
Authors/Org: 60 Decibels
Guidance for rapid remote data collection; references industry tools for IVR/SMS and phone surveys.
Countering Violent Extremism – evaluation in Indonesia (RAND Corporation)
Full title: Countering Violent Extremism in Indonesia: Using an Online Social Media Campaign to Promote Tolerance and Reduce Support for Violence
Authors/Org: RAND Corporation
Evaluates a digital campaign’s impact using randomized exposure; includes lessons for messaging at scale.
2019
FarmerLink program – Philippines (Grameen Foundation)
Full title: FarmerLink Evaluation Report
Authors/Org: Grameen Foundation
Program evaluation of the FarmerLink initiative, which used mobile tools (including IVR/SMS) to support smallholder farmers.
WomenLink program – Philippines (Grameen Foundation)
Full title: WomenLink – Empowering women through financial inclusion in the Philippines (Phase 1) – Final Report
Authors/Org: Grameen Foundation
Financial literacy messages were sent using the engageSPARK automated messaging platform to reach low-income women at scale.
Adolescent mothers’ mental health – Nepal (People in Need)
Full title: Nepalese Adolescent Mothers Challenging Harmful Social Norms
Authors/Org: People in Need
Overview of the Hello Saathi project supporting adolescent mothers, including mHealth components for mental and infant health.
2018
The Financial Heuristics Training (ideas42, NGO)
Subtitle: A proven mobile-based tool for teaching business lessons that stick
Ideas42 created a mobile-based training product to simplify financial management best practices into easy-to-implement rules of thumb.
IVR calls were made using the engageSPARK Communications Platform to deliver these lessons at scale.
2017
Typhoon Haiyan: humanitarian comms & IVR usage (Mercy Corps project context)
Full title: Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines: implications of convergent technologies on disaster journalism (contextual article referencing IVR information flows)
Authors: UMass & De La Salle University collaborators
Discusses how mobile/IVR and convergent tech were used around Haiyan response; engageSPARK powered IVR components in related Mercy Corps activities.
2016
Scoping review of SMS/text platforms for mHealth (University of Washington)
Full title: Scoping review and evaluation of SMS/text messaging platforms for mHealth projects or clinical interventions
Authors: Sarah J. Iribarren, Wendy Brown, Rebecca Giguere, et al.
Reviews available SMS/voice platforms used in mHealth; engageSPARK is listed among the evaluated tools.
Goldilocks Deep Dive: A Mobile in Every Pocket (IPA)
Full title: GOLDILOCKS DEEP DIVE – A Mobile in Every Pocket: What Does it Mean for M&E?
Authors/Org: Innovations for Poverty Action
Discusses measuring and evaluating programs using mobile channels; references commonly used platforms for SMS/IVR.
2014
Sustainable Fisheries in Ghana (University of Rhode Island)
Full title: Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) – Communications & stakeholder strategies
Authors/Org: Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island
Project documentation references mobile/SMS/IVR for stakeholder engagement.