Monitoring, evaluation & data collection for NGOs
Field data collection, national health information systems and dashboarding are three different jobs. Here's which tool does which, what it costs, and how to protect the people whose data you're collecting.
Last updated August 2026. Pricing changes often, so always confirm on the vendor's page.
Field data collection: which tool for which job
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| KoboToolbox | Single-org field surveys. The most widely used humanitarian data tool, formally partnered with UN OCHA and UNHCR. | Free up to 5,000 submissions/month and 1GB storage, restricted to nonprofits, government, UN bodies and education. Paid tiers for higher limits or commercial use. | Visit KoboToolbox |
| ODK (Open Data Kit) | The open-source substrate Kobo itself is built on. Maximum control and self-hosting freedom for orgs with technical capacity. | Free and open-source to self-host (ODK Central + ODK Collect). Managed hosting available via ODK Cloud, priced separately, so confirm directly. | Visit ODK (Open Data Kit) |
| CommCare (Dimagi) | Longitudinal case management, tracking one client or patient across repeat visits over time, not one-off surveys. | Limited free testing tier (5 users). Standard $100/month, Pro $500/month, Advanced $1,000/month, Enterprise from $4,000/month. | Visit CommCare (Dimagi) |
| ActivityInfo | Multi-partner coordination reporting, the humanitarian "4W" (who's doing what, where), rolling many field partners into one shared database. | Paid only, no free tier. Solo from €545/year, Programme from €3,700/year, Enterprise custom (minimum 250 users). | Visit ActivityInfo |
A category of its own: DHIS2
DHIS2 sits between field collection and dashboarding, in a category of its own. It is a free, open-source national health information system used as the official HMIS in 70+ countries, with each country or org self-hosting its own instance. It is not a tool your NGO would typically adopt for its own programme data. It is the platform ministries of health run at national scale, funded by a coalition including UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and Gavi.
Learn more about DHIS2Dashboarding & analysis
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power BI | Orgs already inside the Microsoft ecosystem (365, Teams, SharePoint, Excel). | Pro from $14/user/month commercially. A reduced nonprofit rate is available via TechSoup, so confirm the current rate and administrative fee directly. | Visit Power BI |
| Tableau | Orgs wanting the stronger freeform visualisation and exploratory-analysis engine, at a steeper price. | Standard commercial tiered pricing. The Tableau Foundation nonprofit programme has historically donated free licences, but excludes schools, healthcare, government and religious organisations, so confirm current eligibility directly. | Visit Tableau |
Protecting beneficiary data
Consent is genuinely contested
Classic "meaningful consent" often is not achievable when a person has no real choice but to accept data collection to receive aid. Leading humanitarian-data guidance points to layered information-provision and alternative legal or ethical bases, not consent alone as the sole safeguard.
Data minimisation
Collect only what the response actually needs. The IASC Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action is the system-wide reference for balancing data needs against risk across the full data lifecycle.
Dignity and communication
The Core Humanitarian Standard requires informed consent for any communication representing affected people, and that organisations share data-rights information in accessible, contextually appropriate language.
Data residency
Consider where beneficiary data physically sits, especially under donor or host-government requirements. DHIS2's every-country-hosts-its-own-instance model is one concrete way sector tools have designed for this.
Want help choosing and setting it up?
We help you shortlist the right data-collection or dashboarding tool for your programme, set it up with beneficiary data protection built in, and turn what you collect into evaluation-ready insight.