Future is our daily business

Mainstreaming Digital Solutions

ECOs experience is used to assist in the development of innovative and comprehensive digital tools that suit the partners needs and capacities. Where appropriate and possible we opt for networking/integration via cloud systems to allow for a more efficient knowledge sharing and management as well as taking into account data security and accessibility aspects.

For ECO, the focus is not on creating a single digital product but rather, we are concerned with initiating and accompanying a process that clearly defines the personnel, spatial and temporal responsibilities from data collection to data analysis to information dissemination.

We aim at keeping procedures and techniques as simple, yet as effective as possible. Pragmatic and generally accepted approaches have priority over scientifically ideal solutions.

Data collection – processing – analysis and presentation

Where possible, ECO develops digital solutions used for data collection, processing, and analysis to reduce collection and processing time as well as to support the planning and decision-making.

 

Development of mobile data collection tools
Data processing
  • Relational databases
  • Spatial databases
  • Data flow – inter operability – integration (technical and access management/permissions)
Data analysis and presentation
  • Interactive Power BI reports and dashboards (GPC III, PAGE2, ProPFR, ProSol, short-term assignments)
  • Excel & HTML-Dashboards
  • Infographics and data visualisation


GIS, remote sensing

ECO assists projects and partner institutions in building effective spatial data and information management capacity commensurate with their needs, where possible making use of open-source software and open access data.

  • Implementation of GIS solutions
  • Mobile GIS tools NaCSA engineers in Sierra Leone collect spatial data via tablet PCs (Sierra Leone GPC-III)
  • Remote sensing and analysis of satellite imagery forest cover in Madagascar derived from Sentinel 2 imagery
  • Cartographic documents (atlas, thematic maps, interactive web maps, etc.) (Niger PEP, Benin ProEDUC)

Information systems and tools

At ECO, we understand information as an asset and strive to make the best possible use of it by developing purpose-built information systems, including mobile solutions jointly with and for our clients.

  • Development of monitoring information systems
  • Development of information tools for mobile devices (e.g. application for cadastral information - ProPFR)
  • Market information and tracking system as well as marketplace (Cameroun ProFE; Bioeconomy and Value Chains in Brazil)
  • Platform to search for information on timber concessions, sustainable production, certificates, transformation, traders etc. (Cameroun PPECF)
  • Development of agricultural knowledge platform (www.duddal.org) and development of a prototype of an offline access (data cup + tablets)

Information management and sharing

ECO has a long history in decentralised collaboration among its national and international staff supported by advanced data sharing and cloud services and we offer this experience to projects and clients.

  • Inhouse at ECO: deployment of SharePoint for decentralised project management and digital communication via Teams
  • Financial project management tools
  • Full set-up for digital, remote trainings at the ECO HQ