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#21 MEL Digital Transformation | In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Aasit Nanavati, Chief Strategy Officer at DevResults. Together, they discuss what digital transformation actually means in foreign assistance and why 2025 felt like an inflection point for the entire sector.

Data collection, impact measurement, and survey research are often described as complex, expensive, or impossible to get right, especially at scale. In this special December compilation episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, we revisit some of the most thought-provoking conversations from across the year, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and technologists who are pushing the boundaries of how impact is measured, validated, and trusted. From the challenges of sampling households without reliable census data to the hidden risks of poorly designed survey instruments, and the growing demand for data transparency in carbon markets, this episode highlights one recurring theme: meaningful decisions depend on evidence you can trust.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa goes solo to break down three critical non-sampling survey errors — enumerator effects, nonresponse errors, and response errors — while providing practical, actionable solutions for each. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Alexa Kneale, a Researcher and Account Executive at PowerSolve Technologies, a custom software solutions provider and bespoke MRV tools developer for seamless data management and ER calculations.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Jeremy Taylor, Chief Research and Evaluation Officer at The Possible Zone. Together, they explore how social-emotional learning (SEL) and STEM education intersect with cutting-edge data collection, unpacking why surveys still matter, but also why they're not enough, especially when you're trying to measure complex skills, teamwork, and problem-solving.

If you think expertise alone rules the technical training game, you’ve got it all wrong! In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Maulik Chauhan, Founder of Trestle Research and India Lead at SurveyCTO, to understand what it really takes to drive successful digital transformation. Together, they explore the crucial elements of training teams for digital data collection. From practical strategies for teams with varying tech proficiency to creating effective training approaches through empathy, gradual learning paths, and organizational preparation, this episode is the guide you need if you’re looking to build sustainable and accessible data collection.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Dr. Mark Pagell, Professor of Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the University College Dublin. Together, they share how adopting a people-centric approach transforms data collection within sustainable supply chains, challenging traditional models that prioritize economic growth over social and ecological well-being.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Douglas Johnson, a Senior Statistician on the Technical Team at IDinsight. Together, they share groundbreaking approaches to survey sampling that balance rigor with cost-effectiveness, especially in regions where traditional census data is unavailable or unreliable.

In this special episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by SurveyCTO’s Business Development Manager, Maria Pervova, and Associate Account Executive Catherine Kendall. Together, the three navigate insights coming from the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) Conference & Exhibition in Dubai, a leading event on humanitarian aid and development. This year’s theme, "Humanitarian Aid and Development in a Polarised World," sparked powerful conversations and left us thinking deeply about the role of data, collaboration, and innovation in humanitarian work.

In this greatest hits episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Maulik Chauhan, Founder and Managing Director of Trestle Research. They dive into the importance of digitizing data, the challenges and benefits of transitioning from paper-based to digital data collection methods, and what it takes to smoothly transition to digital data collection.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Dr. Angela R. Pashayan, an expert in International Development, Experiential learning, Leading Int'l trips, and Intercultural Communication. Together, they explore the ethics of field research in vulnerable communities. Drawing from her research in Nairobi, Dr. Pashayan shares valuable insights on navigating unexpected challenges in data collection, adapting research methodologies to local contexts, and preparing students for fieldwork.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa goes solo to address the most pressing questions from over 700 SurveyCTO users about crafting effective survey questions, from avoiding bias to ensuring cultural relevance.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Dr. James O'Donovan & Dickson Mbewe, who represent the Community Health Impact Coalition. Together, they explore the need for fair representation in the community health worker space, bringing to light a recent study that shines a blaring spotlight on the lack of fair recognition of their work and the workers’ valuable role in the data collection process for research in global health studies.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa is joined by Amelia Burke-Garcia, Director of the Center for Health Communication Science at NORC at the University of Chicago, to dive into the transformative role of data in health communication, the integration of AI in messaging, and the importance of inclusivity in public health campaigns.

In this special Christmas episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa shares key insights from our guests about the transformative role of data in empowering communities and driving impactful change, featuring Paul Nzerebende, Maulik Chauhan, Andrew Gerhardt, Lara Mikhail, Mohammad Malik, and Yahya Hussein.