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CASE STUDY

Navigating Crisis: UNDP's Socio-Economic Support to Cambodia's Informal Workers

Discover how UNDP Accelerator Labs leveraged data to support Cambodia’s informal sector during the COVID-19 crisis, guiding effective policy decisions and community interventions.

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Use Case

Measure and analyze the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on informal workers and MSMEs in Cambodia, enabling UNDP to tailor responsive policies and interventions.

Industry

Non-Profit/Organizational Research

Region

Cambodia

Products

Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, Social Listening, Data Analytics Dashboard, Custom Development

The Challenge

Assessing COVID-19 Impact on Cambodia's Informal Sector

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The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted socio-economic structures globally, with informal workers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) among the hardest hit. In Cambodia, these groups are crucial to the national economy, often operating without formal support systems, making them particularly vulnerable. UNDP Cambodia recognized the need to understand, in real-time, how these communities were coping with the pandemic, adapting to new economic conditions, and identifying their emerging needs.

Despite the urgency, gathering nuanced and actionable data was challenging due to:

  • The dispersed and informal nature of the target groups.
  • Limited access to technology among the target demographic.
  • Rapid changes in the socio-economic landscape requiring timely data collection and analysis.

The Solution

Creating a Dashboard for Real-Time Insights

To effectively address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on informal workers and MSMEs in Cambodia, UNDP Accelerator Labs collaborated with Standard Insights to create a comprehensive, user-friendly, and accessible online dashboard. This interactive web platform was designed to provide real-time socio-economic insights and facilitate responsive decision-making. Here’s how we structured our approach:

1. Data Collection:

  • We conducted extensive social listening across major digital platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Google, focusing on capturing a wide range of public sentiments and discussions related to the pandemic’s impact.
  • This effort was complemented by direct surveys and interviews, targeting both informal workers and MSMEs to gather qualitative and quantitative data. These surveys were designed to explore various themes, including employment, health, economic conditions, and education.

2. Data Integration and Dashboard Development:

  • The collected data from diverse sources was meticulously integrated and analyzed. We utilized advanced analytics to synthesize the information into actionable insights.
  • The interactive dashboard was developed to display real-time visualizations of critical indicators such as job losses, fluctuating MSME revenues, and shifts in consumer behavior. The dashboard features dynamic filters allowing users to view data by demographic categories, geographic locations, and specific economic sectors.

3. Targeted Analysis:

  • The dashboard was engineered to provide granular insights by allowing users to segment the data based on variables like age, gender, location, and specific industry sectors. This functionality enables stakeholders to pinpoint the effects of the pandemic on particular demographic groups or economic activities.

4. Ongoing Monitoring and Accessibility:

  • To ensure the relevance and timeliness of the data, we implemented mechanisms for continuous data collection and dashboard updates. This feature supports ongoing monitoring and allows for the rapid dissemination of new insights.
  • The dashboard was made freely accessible online, empowering not only decision-makers but also the general public. Users can interact with the platform, explore various data layers, and apply filters to obtain customized views that meet their informational needs.

The Results

Data-Informed Policy and Action

The deployment of this interactive web platform dashboard brought about significant positive outcomes:

  • Informed Policy Making: The availability of real-time, segmented data enabled the Cambodian government and UNDP to develop precisely targeted policies and support measures that directly addressed the urgent needs of affected populations.
  • Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement: With its interactive features, the dashboard served as a crucial tool for various stakeholders, including NGOs, community service organizations, and policymakers, facilitating informed discussions and collaborative strategies for recovery.
  • Increased Public Awareness and Engagement: Making the dashboard publicly accessible helped increase awareness about the pandemic’s widespread socio-economic impacts. This transparency and accessibility likely improved public compliance with safety measures and participation in community support programs.
  • Dynamic and Adaptive Response: The platform’s capability for continuous updates and real-time data tracking allowed stakeholders to respond adaptively to evolving challenges, ensuring that interventions remained effective as the situation developed.

This project not only demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating advanced data analytics and social listening in managing crisis situations but also set a standard for transparency and public engagement in socio-economic recovery initiatives.

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