The Hidden Potential of Call Detail Records in The Gambia
Aggregated data from mobile network operators can provide snapshots of population mobility patterns in real time, generating valuable insights when other more traditional data sources are unavailable or out of date. The COVID-19 pandemic has highli...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/441811621603673380/The-Hidden-Potential-of-Call-Detail-Records-in-The-Gambia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35628 |
| Summary: | Aggregated data from mobile network
operators can provide snapshots of population mobility
patterns in real time, generating valuable insights when
other more traditional data sources are unavailable or out
of date. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the value of
remotely collected, high-frequency, localized data in
inferring the economic impact of shocks to inform decision
making. However, proper protocols must be put in place to
ensure end-to-end user confidentiality and compliance with
international best practice. This paper demonstrates how to
build such a data pipeline, for the case of The Gambia,
channeling data from mobile network operators through the
national regulator to the analytical users, who in turn
produce policy relevant insights. The aggregated indicators
analyzed offer a detailed snapshot of the decrease in
mobility and increased out-migration from urban to rural
areas during the COVID-19 lockdown. Recommendations based on
lessons learned from this process can inform engagements
with other regulators in creating data pipelines to inform
policy making. |
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