Review of mVAM programme: novel application of mobile technologies for food security monitoring

Mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping, or mVAM, is an evolving and expanding programme of the World Food Programme (WFP) that leverages cell phone technologies to conduct high frequency data collection and monitoring. mVAM represents a proof of concept for the application of mobile technologies to food security monitoring, particularly in contexts characterized by limited access for face-to-face interviews. mVAM has great potential to impact the way in which monitoring data is collected in humanitarian and development contexts. This review was commissioned by the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) unit of WFP to articulate strategic learning that may inform future deployments and scale-up of activities, as well as to document the experiences of applying the mVAM approach in two pilots and a full-scale deployment.