Listen.
Participate.
Amplify.
Empowering crisis-impacted communities through digital engagement and accountability.
Participation Revolution in action
People affected by crisis situations are the best to identify their problems, needs, and solutions. However, decisions affecting their lives are often taken out of their hands, made on behalf of them and not with them.
At the same time, the humanitarian sector faces increasing challenges due to rising protracted crises and fewer resources. To ensure the most efficient and effective use of precious resources to reduce the needs and to have a greater impact, those affected by crises need to be included in decision making processes about the aid they receive.
Continuous two-way engagement
Upinion actively engages with affected populations around the globe to include their perspectives in decision making. We purposefully work with them in shaping programs and policies that affect their lives and communicate their needs and recommendations to decision makers. Our continuous two-way engagement is participatory and has at its core information exchange, leading to informed and empowered communities.
By amplifying their voices, we support NGOs to deeply understand the situation at hand and implement interventions that directly address the unique needs of the community.
Proudly partnered with and supported by
Connecting through messaging apps
Upinion operates by harnessing the power of real-time, digital engagement to connect with communities affected by crises. We engage with communities in crisis areas the same way they connect with their friends and families using social messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
Our engagements are more than just surveys; they’re interactive exchanges designed to build trust, provide updates and insights to our community in the languages they prefer. We keep the dialogue flowing and the connections strong, letting us communicate with the same individuals over time, even if they move places, painting a vivid picture of long-term trends and showcasing the impact of their voices.
Communities first
In order for communities to communicate safely with us and make their voice count, we promise the following:
Worldwide
A free and easy accessible Digital Engagement Platform (DEP) for communities to raise their voice, worldwide, anywhere, anytime
Real-time engagement
Real-time engagement between communities and decision-makers.
Omnichannel approach
An omnichannel approach to connect via social messaging apps and/or browser.
Private mode
Safe and secure access (ISO27001 certified), ‘Private mode’ to disable tracking on any device.
No download requirement
No requirement to download any applications, fast and on-the-go engagement made easy.
Language
Always in the language of the communities.
Independent and neutral
We are independent and neutral.
Transparent
Digital accountability and transparency in following communities’ insights and progress.
Engagement in action
We engage with our communities to increase their visibility and make their voices count. We amplify voices in the following ways:
Gather insights & share back
Upinion gathers insights of communities by using a mixed-method design, which involves both quantitative (perception studies, satisfaction surveys and impact measurements) and qualitative approaches (online Focus Group Discussions, in-depth interviews via voice messaging and tailored questionnaires to specific target groups).
These insights allow us to better understand the communities, and to raise awareness among humanitarian aid actors and authorities.
Image: Youth in Mali giving their opinions using Upinion’s Platform
Real-time involvement
By inviting our communities to high-level stakeholder meetings about topics that concern them, we provide them a seat at the decision-making table and create a space for equitable dialogue.
Image: Lebanese and Yemen community live involvement during CDAC event
Co-creation
In order to push for change, we co-design advocacy campaigns and interventions with our communities that are timely, inclusive and relevant to their situation.
Image: Community midwives in Yemen participating in the development of an e-learning platform.
Our services
At Upinion, we provide partners with a comprehensive suite of tools for digital community engagement and research. Here’s what we deliver:
Digital Engagement Platform (DEP): At the forefront is Upinion’s DEP, available to NGOs through a monthly licence. This GDPR compliant platform can be offered as a full-service package (including platform setup, engagement, analysis, and sharing) or as a DIY package, and anything in between.
Monitoring framework: We offer a monitoring framework for documenting trends, perceptions, and changes over time. This enables NGOs to tailor their services for better alignment with target groups and influence policy more effectively.
Real-Time Involvement: Our platform facilitates real-time engagements with communities, allowing them to share their narratives and be part of your process, creating a true participatory experience.
Feedback mechanism and community management: We maintain a feedback mechanism, operated 24/7, to facilitate the exchange of comments and concerns between the community and designated stakeholders.
Visualisation and dissemination: The platform supplies tools to visualise data, making it simpler to disseminate evidence in an accessible manner and reach a broader audience. Complex data is translated into easy-to-understand formats.
Longitudinal data and trends analysis: The DEP facilitates a longitudinal approach, allowing partners to observe and adapt to evolving trends and perceptions over time.
With Upinion, partners are equipped to make data-driven decisions that resonate deeply with the communities they serve, ensuring that every intervention is informed by the voices that matter most.