Mobile Monitoring Technology Project

Project Initiation Document

Project name: Mobile Monitoring Technology

Project owner: Erik Johnson
Project manager: Priscilla Chomba Kinywa
Version: 2.1

Date: 04-04-2015

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Documenthistory:

Versio Date Changed by Change (What is Approved by

n changed)

1.0

1,1 23.06.1 Erik Johnson

5

1.2 24.06.1 Priscilla

5 Chomba

2.1 05.08.1 Martin Meraner

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1 Management summary
Over the last few years, using mobile monitoring technology for data collection has become
more commonplace in humanitarian and development organisations as they seek to improve
their transparency and accountability, both to donors and beneficiaries. Technology can be used
in most aspects of the M&E cycle to improve the quality and speed of data collection,
aggregation and analysis, while also reducing the costs involved.

DCA has a vision of using technology in project processes to improve outcomes for
beneficiaries through better data collection and reporting. This project is co-sponsored within
DCA but the Humanitarian and Program Policy and Advocacy departments with the objective
of addressing problems of the current paper-based monitoring system through the
implementation of digital mobile monitoring.

Overall, the use of mobile monitoring technology is intended to enable partners to respond
more effectively and efficiently to beneficiary needs, thereby improving the quality of the
assistance provided by DCA partners.

Specifically, DCA seeks to:

 Reduce the workload involved with compiling and submitting ‘pen and paper’ reports,
 Improve the aggregation and analysis of data to get a holistic picture of the project
progress;
 Enable partner and DCA staff to respond quickly to key data on project performance;
 Enable cross check monitoring of data with other sources of project information, such
as complaints.

While the impetus for this project has been advances in technology to enable real-time
monitoring of projects, this project is best seen as a change project, as technology tools are
simply an enabler in the quest to change processes and behaviours.

An agile approach to development will be taken, with stakeholder involvement being valued at
every stage. Frequent iterations will be made to the software system in particular, based on
clear evidence-based feedback from the various end users and at different stages of the projects.

Technology tools selected for this project will be based on open-source standards that are also
interoperable with other protocols and data standards being used in the humanitarian and
development sectors. This is in part to ensure long-term sustainability and scalability of DCA’s
solution.

Due to the nature of DCA’s field work data protection will be given the utmost consideration
and rigorous Service Level Agreements signed with all service providers in order to protect the
beneficiaries as best as possible and instill confidence in DCA’s integrity and professionalism.

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 Learning and information sharing will be placed at the centre of this project’s implementation
in order to build capacity of DCA’s partners as well as other organisations looking to use
technology in a similar manner.

2 The project
2.1 Background
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have great promise to reduce poverty,
increase productivity, boost economic growth, and improve accountability and governance.
Nearly 5 billion people in developing countries now use mobile phones, up from 200 million at
the last decade‘s start, and the number of Internet users has risen ten-fold.1

Efficient and precise data collection is an integral component of Monitoring and Evaluation of
projects. Currently DCA and partners use paper-based mechanisms and on-site monitoring to
collect project data. Data collected in this way is difficult to aggregate and analyse, may be
prone to errors and does not enable partners to respond quickly to key data on project
performance, compile and submit reports with a minimal amount of workload and in a timely
manner, analyse data to get a holistic picture of the project progress and cross-check monitoring
data with other sources of project information.

Recent advances in mobile monitoring technologies have provided solutions to address these
challenges, and promise to provide additional benefits. This project will realise DCA’s vision of
using technology in project processes to improve speed and quality of data collection and
reporting. By putting near real-time information on projects on the ground in the hands of
stakeholders, better decision-making can take place and resources can be efficiently allocated as
necessary, thereby accelerating the achievement of results in the field.

DCA has already been piloting some technology platforms for data collection. In Kenya, three
partners are piloting the mFieldWork platform using mobile phones with promising results.
Similar work is being conducted in the Cash Transfer programme in South Sudan, with market
assessments and post distribution monitoring data being collected using tablets running
ViewWorld’s data collection software.

2.2 Purpose

The 2015 – 2018 International Strategy identifies innovation as a strategy to be included in all
focus countries by including information on innovative projects, methods or initiatives in DCA
supported activities. DCA is already embracing Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) as a key driver for innovation and tools will continue to be piloted systematically in
selected areas of monitoring and evaluation systems and in cash transfers.
1
The World Bank: ICT for Greater Development
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/Resources
/WBG_ICT_Strategy-2012.pdf

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 This project will realise DCA’s vision of using innovation – and in particular technology – in
project processes to improve speed and quality of data collection and reporting. By putting near
real-time information on projects on the ground in the hands of stakeholders, better decision-
making can take place and resoures can be efficiently allocated or reallocated as necessary.

2.3 Project objectives

Overall Objective: Design a mobile monitoring system that enables DCA and partners to
quickly contextualize data collection tools for use among populations affected by or recovering
from disaster and conflict, thereby giving access to real-time information for improved decision
making.

Specific Objectives:

Mobile monitoring technology platforms are rolled out to six projects in six countries in order to:
1. Enable DCA project stakeholders to save time in the data collection process
2. Allow fornear real-time aggregation and on-demand analysis of data from the field
3. Enable DCA project stakeholders track project activities and create feedback loops that
allow partners to react to the situation on the ground.
4. Increased transparency and accountability to project beneficiaries and stakeholders
through central data storage and evaluation
5. Increased knowledge and experience among DCA staff and partners in applying mobile
monitoring technologies to their specific contexts

2.4 Main project deliverables

Deliverable 1:

A modern and responsive software applicationthat has, at a minimum, the following features:

 Ability to run on android devices

 User authenticationfor security purposes

 Validation rules to eliminate errors and ensure quality

 Question routing (skip logic)i.e ability to change what question or page the surveyor sees
next based on the answer given to the current question.

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 Deliverable 2:

Software application with a user-friendly Graphical User Interface that is accessible by partner
and DCA staff and features:

 Ability to create own context-specific forms as end user

 Dashboards with visualisations

 Customisable reports

 Real-time updates

Deliverable 3:

Business Object Layer that allows for:

 Inter-operability with other data collection systems using similar standards

 Linkages to GIS maps &specialised analytical tools

 Authentication and permission system to enable stakeholders access appropriate

information.

Deliverable 4:

Training including:

 Training materials/packages for end users

 In-person training sessions for staff and/or partners, including the identification offocal
point(s) who will serve as liaison between the partner and DCA.

 Refresher training for focal points. This will be in person, online sessions (via platforms
such as Adobe Connect) or self-learning using training materials, based on practicality.

 User manuals in English, to be translated to the appropriate language based on country-

specific needs. The manuals will contain simplified instructions and associated images and
diagrams.

 System documentation in English and translated into appropriate language where necessary.

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  OnlineBlog Forum that will serve as a platform to exchange ideas and share
experiencesusing the mobile monitoring platforms in the field as well as serve as a
community of practice for DCA, partners and the broader humanitarian community.

3 Effect/benefit
Many benefits are envisioned from the deployment of the software, among them:

 Quick Deployment: Deployment to any android device should be instant and

updates/changes to forms can be made fairly quickly as opposed to when using paper. The
setup cost of buying tablets or phones is one-time and eliminates the need to print forms
every time a survey has to be conducted.
 Centralised information management: the system will store all data in one location and
eliminates the problem of having information in different locations
 Improved decision making: Instant overview of progress on Key Performance Indicators and
alerts will give managers the ability to monitor activity in the field and quickly access
information, thereby enabling them to make quick and informed decisions. Performance
metrics can be measured in real time and appropriate feedback given to staff in the field.
 Increased efficiency: intuitive graphical data visualisations, detailed maps overlayed with
real-time data and customizable reports will make it easier for staff to work better with data
from the field. Alarm triggers can be set in order to provide timely warning and allow staff
to respond appropriately.
 Speed and accuracy of data: Data will be easily accessible to all levels of users as soon as it
is uploaded. Because of validation and verification rules, data will be more accurate and
losses will be minimized through data back ups on servers.
 Better security: as data on the devices as well as transmission will be encrypted, the risk of
beneficiary information falling into the wrong hands is reduced by a reasonable margin.
Encrypted local storage and authentication policies to avoid brute forcing will be
implemented in particularly sensitive countries.
 Integration with Industry Open Standards: the platform will be built on universal
connectivity, allowing for interoperability.
 Data protection: we need to ensure that sensitive information on beneficiaries will not
compromise their security or safety

4 Schedule

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 4.1 Expected startandend date

May 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015

Main Activities

(See Appendix for Gantt Chart and Timelines)

Inception Phase
 Define overarching vision for the project and communicate this vision to relevant
stakeholders and champions.
 Select countries, projects and partners based on criteria defined in section 5.1 of this
document.
 Identify and engage stakeholders through various means including in person
conversations and virtual interactions via Adobe Connect, Skype and the
Community of Practice online forum. Buddy systems will be set up and countries
encouraged to conduct peer reviews of one another.
 Gather requirements from partners and staff. This will be done through various
means including Skype, in person face-to-face conversations and electronic surveys.
The requirements will be gathered from different levels of staff, including but not
limited to Programme Officers, Regional Officers. Partner organisations and other
levels of staff. As an agile methodology is being used for this project, continuous
engagement with staff and partners will be the norm.
Design and Implementation
After gathering insights from the key stakeholders on the prototype, the DCA tech team
will work with the selected software vendor to create the platform. In this phase:
 A set of designs will be developed and refined based on user feedback. The design
will show how the final mobile application will look like. Input from various levels
of stakeholders will be critical at this stage.
 The system architecture (based on the wireframe/designs) will be developed
 The database structure will be created based on the system architecture. This
database architecture should give DCA the ability to access and manipulate the data
as necessary as well as eventually integrate the data into other systems. Data will be
exportable to more common applications such as Microsoft Excel.
 The application will be continuously tested with the different partners to ensure it
meets their needs and customised accordingly.
 Quality assurance testing will be conducted on the application and amendments
made based on the results of the tests. System documentation will be created

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  Development of user manuals & learning materials that will be translated into the
relevant languages
Consideration of key issues such as:

1. Security (authentication) – ensuring the content available to Danish Church Aid partners
cannot be intercepted/acquired or be used to undermine their operations
2. Access control – different users on the platform will have different roles assigned individual
priviledges.

Review
 Conduct stakeholder review meeting that will bring together participants from
partners and DCA
 Launch Phase II that will see the software platform expand to incorporate needs
identified by partners and possibly rights holders during phase 1.

4.2 Milestones

Milestone plan Date

1. Initial Prototype June 2015
2. Training Package July 2015
3. Implementation – Country 1 August 2015
4. User Acceptance Testing October 2015
5. Stakeholder Review December
2015

5 Organisation

5.1 Country Selection

In Phase I of the project (April 2015 – December 2015) mobile monitoring technology
platforms will be rolled out to partners in six countries. The country selection process is based
on key factors as outlined in the table below:
Criteria/Partner Keny S. OpT (Gaza) Syri Cambodi Ethiopia
a Sudan a a
Humanitarian √ √ √ √ √ √

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 Criteria/Partner Keny S. OpT (Gaza) Syri Cambodi Ethiopia
a Sudan a a
Frame
Development Frame √ √ √
Robust M&E system
Partner Capacity √ √ √ √ √
Funding √ √ √ √ √ √
Connectivity √ √ √ √

Some countries will not participatedirectlyin the project, but will be piloting mobile
monitoringtechnology on their own. These currently include Nepal, Zimbabwe and
XX. They will participate in the project in the following ways:
Learning from these projects will be captured and documented centrally through the
Community of Practice online forum.

The cross-organisational learning from these partners to other DCA partners will be
facilitated through the same online platform.

5.2 Partner Mapping

Partner Country

Lutheran World Federation Kenya

Friends of Lake Turkana Kenya

LokichogioOropoiKakumaDevt Organisation Kenya

Humanitarian Development Consortium South Sudan

Bihar Relief Organisation Syria

Self-implementing Ethiopia

AEI Gaza/ occupied Palestinian

territories

Cambodia

5.3 Change Management

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Roles and Responsibilities

Projec Projec Partn Region Hea Hea Project DC Learni Stude

t t er al Reps d– d– Manag A ng Lab nt
Officer Office Staff HR PPA er ICT Intern
s- rs - U s
Selecte other
d RO RO

Input into √ √ √ √ √ √
software
platform design

Maintenance of √ √
software
platform and
iterations

Feature √ √ v √ √ √ √ √ √
Recommendati
ons

User √ √
Experience
Feedback

Logistics √ √ √
planning for
trainings

Liaison with √ √ √
partners

Design of Data √ √ √ √ √
Collection
Tools

Review Data √ √ √ √ √ √
Collection
Tools

Language √ √
translations

Documentation √ √

First Level √ √ √
support to
partners

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 Advanced √ √ √
technical
support to
partners and
DCA staff

Community of √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Practice
Updates

Training √ √ √ √
Materials

5.4 Communication Plan

Systematic and professional communication of the Mobile Monitoring Technology Project is

crucial for a successful implementation. The overall objective of the communication activities is to
ensure that the project’s key messages reaches all relevant stakeholders and target group
organisations and foster their commitment to the project. Due to the agile nature of the project, the
communication plan will also be fluid and be updated regularly.

Communication plan – internal

Product Target Media When Responsible

Project status Project Sponsor Skype Monthly Priscilla

meetings

Status reporting Project Owners, Pdf via Email Monthly Priscilla

Blog Posts and General Online Every 2 months Partner Focal

progress updates Points

Status on ROs, Project PDF via Email Every 2 months Programme

individual country Owners Officers
progress

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6 Cost and resource budget
6.1 Cost budget

7 Risks
As with all technology projects, various considerations need to be taken to address risk. Some of these
considerations are:

1. Lack of network coverage/slow and unreliable links

2. Data security breaches
3. Theft and loss of devices
4. High turnover of staff in partner organisations (thereby requiring re-training of new staff)
5. Low literacy in partner field staff

Other considerations that will be discussed with field staff include:

6. Device Management: how will losses/damages be handled?

7. Connectivity: With limited wifi in most contexts where this technology will be used, how do we
ensure that field staff are able to connect and upload data in a timely and cost-effective manner?

During the inception phase, risk assessments will be conducted in each country/partner organization.

8 Appendix

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8.1: Gantt Chart

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Table of contents:

1 Management summary........................................................................................................... 3

2 The project.......................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Background............................................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Purpose................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3 Project objectives..................................................................................................................................... 5
2.4 Main project deliverables.......................................................................................................................... 5

3 Effect/benefit....................................................................................................................... 6

4 Schedule............................................................................................................................. 7
4.1 Expected start and end date....................................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Milestones............................................................................................................................................... 8

5 Organisation........................................................................................................................ 8
5.1 Country Selection.................................................................................................................................... 8
5.2 Partner Mapping...................................................................................................................................... 9
5.3 Stakeholder Mapping........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
5.4 Change Management................................................................................................................................ 9
5.5 Communication Plan................................................................................................................................ 9

6 Cost and resource budget...................................................................................................... 10

6.1 Cost budget............................................................................................................................................ 10

7 Risks................................................................................................................................. 11

8 Appendix........................................................................................................................... 12

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