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Due to the rising cases of Covid-19 within the areas in which we operate, we are writing to you as a partner and friend of Busara to keep you updated on the current status of our work. We want to outline measures we have put in place to keep our staff and respondents safe, as well as ensure that we get feedback on the best practices we can incorporate to complement those already in place.
Over the past few weeks we have implemented various policies which are playing a key role in stemming the tide of transmission by minimizing staff and respondent exposure. These include limiting international travel, restricting partner visits and cancelling events with over 20+ individuals.
As the situation and cases of incidence escalate, we have now put into place two significant operational changes across our global operations that we want to share with you, as they will impact our projects and certain components of our day to day operations.
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To start, we have instituted a mandatory work from home policy for the next 30 days. All our country offices will therefore remain closed starting today 16th March 2020 until 15th April 2020, at which time we will reassess the situation and avail and outline a way forward. We recognize that a healthy and productive remote team will only be possible if everyone feels comfortable with their personal living situation. This policy allows staff to make their own assessment regarding where they will be best able to continue to effectively execute their responsibilities. To be clear, aspects of our work which can be undertaken remotely will continue as we move to collaborate virtually, as we have always done with our partners and clients.
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As an extension of the above, we have also suspended all in-person data collection activities and lab research. We grappled with this for some time as some of our work is directly informing health related programming, however we feel the risk to our staff and the respondents we are surveying is now too high. We have been thinking through a number of creative ways to continue to conduct relevant experimentation and data collection through mobile channels, for which we welcome feedback, perspectives, and ideas.
During this period of transition, we recognize these steps may lead to certain delays in projects. We however, believe it is crucial to safeguard our staff and respondents over the coming weeks as various governments and key health organizations have outlined early action as a necessary step to prevent the spread of this virus. We are fortunate that many of our operating countries have only identified a few cases to date, and commend the public health community for taking significant, proactive steps to prevent the virus from spreading more extensively.
At this time, more than ever, we know that behavioral interventions are critical to help solve this public health crisis. We are committed to pursuing this important work wherever possible, and have been developing a number of alternative, digital approaches to measurement and testing, for which we welcome any additional input, ideas, and collaboration.
We will continue to monitor the latest developments and update our response to ensure we are doing everything to support our teams, as well as acting in the best interest of the public. Feel free to reach out to any Busara team member, or contact me directly, if you have any questions, concerns, or recommendations.
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