---
id: "coronavirus-smarter-crowdsourcing:recommendations/data-and-innovation"
type: "GovLab policy recommendation"
title: "Data and innovation"
url: "https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/recommendations/data-and-innovation"
summary: "Use data and innovations like crowdsourcing to optimize messaging development, reach, and uptake."
source: "The GovLab (coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org)"
licence: "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)"
---

# Data and innovation

Use data and innovations like crowdsourcing to optimize messaging development, reach, and uptake.

- Part of: [Smarter Crowdsourcing in the Age of Coronavirus](https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/), [all recommendations](https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/recommendations)

## Strategy 1

Governments should develop strategies for testing different messages and delivery methods to understand what is the best combination to deliver specific messages to specific groups.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Academia, Civil Society
- Type: Research, Data, Communications, Partnerships
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/governments-should-develop-strategies-for-testing-

### Actions governments should take (strategy 1)

1. Develop messages that use different informational frameworks but that communicate the same facts or public health guidance.
2. Use online or digital tools, such as SMS, online advertising, or emails to experiment with messaging frameworks in a data-rich and cost-effective way.
3. Test different messaging frameworks with focus groups of specific demographic and social groups.
4. Partner with private sector firms who have expertise in randomized control trials or A/B testing in advertising or marketing, such as internet services companies or telecom companies. These firms can provide guidance and support for running effective testing strategies and methodologies. [Google Ads](https://ads.google.com/intl/en_us/getstarted/?subid=us-en-ha-awa-bk-c-co!o3~Cj0KCQjw28T8BRDbARIsAEOMBczMiuY2ZTH8km9o-EiCWTSQHh0-2f5GkGTUSCJQi6eCdv7S70h9_UMaAuQpEALw_wcB~76351050606~kwd-12340353~6466339383~445804224654&gclid=Cj0KCQjw28T8BRDbARIsAEOMBczMiuY2ZTH8km9o-EiCWTSQHh0-2f5GkGTUSCJQi6eCdv7S70h9_UMaAuQpEALw_wcB) has offered support to the [WHO and various national](https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/commitment-support-small-businesses-and-crisis-response-covid-19/) and local governments to support targeted messaging on the pandemic.
5. Test frequently and in manageable or small sample sizes. This will save costs and increase efficiency of messaging expenditures as the government will be able to direct funds to scaling the most effective message for specific populations instead of a “one size fits all” approach.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 1)

1. [The Behavioral Insights Team conducted an online experiment to test the efficacy of how different messages and infographics contribute to individuals wearing facemasks correctly. Their experiment randomly assigned participants to one of 4 groups, each receiving a different message or a control of no message. The experiment revealed that 82% of participants recalled the information from WHO/BIT infographics compared to 77% for people in the control groups.](https://www.bi.team/blogs/how-to-wear-a-facemask-results-from-an-experiment-with-4099-uk-adults/)

## Strategy 2

Governments should understand the preferences of their constituencies and use tools that populations are most comfortable with. For example,live streams on social media platforms like facebook- which people use regularly and have fewer barriers to access-- tend to be more popular then webinars or conversations on platforms like Zoom or WebEx.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Civil Society
- Type: Research, Communications
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/governments-should-understand-the-preferences-of-t

### Actions governments should take (strategy 2)

1. Produce content for open television networks, the radio, newspapers and magazines, as well as posters for local administration to post.
2. [Follow Rockefeller Foundations rules of thumb for clear language: 1) Create emotional reactions, 2) Sound familiar and easy to understand, 3) Evoke visual images in the mind, and 4) Be easy to retain and repeat (use word-of-mouth)](https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CovidTestingTracing_Handbook.pdf)
3. Work with local artists, such as comedians and musicians, especially in smaller towns.
4. [Capitalize on the countless tech tools available to streamline and improve messaging and communications processes. Chatbots, APIs, data visualization, better website design can all help get the message across more effectively and efficiently, thus reducing the burden on valuable public servants.](https://covid-websites.usdigitalresponse.org/)
5. [Measure and monitor the success of specific tools through collecting data on engagement, clicks (bit.ly), participation, etc.](https://bit.ly/)

### Examples from around the world (strategy 2)

1. [The Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, with support from global, regional and country based experts, in addition to parents, caregivers, teachers and children in 104 countries, developed a children's book “My Hero is You” to help families and children understand and cope with COVID-19. This is an example of segmenting messaging to specific populations to increase the reach and specificity of the message.](https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/2020-04/My%20Hero%20is%20You%2C%20Storybook%20for%20Children%20on%20COVID-19.pdf)

## Strategy 3

Governments should capitalize on local knowledge and talent through hackathons and other contests that bring together problem solvers from civil society to create innovative solutions to specific challenges.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Civil Society, Organized Civil Society, Nonprofits
- Type: Technology/Innovation, Communications
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/governments-should-capitalize-on-local-knowledge-a

### Actions governments should take (strategy 3)

1. Create an online challenge where teams can submit innovative solutions or ideas to solve specific problems. Offer financial, reputational, or institutional support as incentives.
2. Ensure problems that need to be solved are well defined and have a clear, articulated goal for participants to achieve
3. [Host the challenge or hackathon on an open and accessible forum, such as Your Priorities.](https://yrpri.org/domain/3)
4. If offering a prize, ensure that the prize is commensurate with the intended goal/outcome. Make sure it is culturally or otherwise appropriate for the participants of the challenge.
5. [Recruit a diverse representation of participants through targeted advertising, recruitment, and outreach.](https://yrpri.org/domain/3)

### Examples from around the world (strategy 3)

1. [The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hosted a series of challenges to empower the public to take action on the COVID-19 crisis. This “MIT COVID-19 Challenge.” MIT has run these challenges for specific audiences and specific groups of innovators, including for Latin American, African and Indian contexts.](https://covid19challenge.mit.edu/)

## Strategy 4

Governments should analyze what physical barriers make it more difficult or increase the perceived effort of following preferred behaviors,and minimize or remove these barriers. The fewer steps and the less thought a preferred behavior requires,the more likely people are to follow it.

- Timeframe: 3-6 Months (medium)
- Audience: Academia, Civil Society, Healthcare Providers, Government Workers
- Type: Research, Data, Technology/Innovation
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/governments-should-analyze-what-physical-barriers-

### Actions governments should take (strategy 4)

1. Identify the problem that needs to be addressed or the behavior that is preferred.
2. List the physical barriers that are preventing individuals or communities from solving that problem or performing the preferred behavior.
3. Design interventions that specifically address individual barriers.
4. Test alternative interventions through experimental design to validate optimal interventions.
5. Scale interventions that are most effective.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 4)

1. According to the [World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls), the second most common cause of unintentional injury deaths is injuries related to falling. To address falls on stairs, researchers developed the “dead person silhouette” which was painted at the bottom of staircases in office buildings to nudge people to use the handrail on the staircase to avoid accidents. [A review of the intervention](https://inudgeyou.com/en/applying-behavioural-science-to-ensure-stairway-safety/) showed that the nudge increased handrail usage by 9.2 percentage points.