GLCI Final Report on M&E/ICT
Contents
1. H Favorites 983 2 CRS Help Desk System Research Methods GLCI Reports January Jul UML BPMN and Database T http gulabigang FH world news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate Pages Overview M A E Pager Safety Toolsy Version Published 12 0 Status Published and visible to all readers X X GA EditPage Home gt Project Results and Impact e Season for all charts All 5 gt Cassava Seed Multiplication Sites Registered Farmer Groups H Primary W Secondary W Teritary E Actual M Target 90 1 000 80 900 704 800 4 604 704 5 600 7 5504 z 500 4 H 400 4 30 gt 300 4 204 200 4 104 1004 e o Burundi DRC Kenya Rwanda Tanzania Uganda Burundi DRC Kenya Rwanda Tanzania Uganda S Trusted sites Dashboard All Seasons Cumulative Example ges JABE File Edt View Favorites Tools Help x Google v fH search Mare gt gt lt Signin Favorites S CRS Help Desk System Research Methods GLCI Reports January Jul UML BPMN and Database T Ga http gulabigang ig World news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate a OI mp y Pager Safety gt Toos is E Pages GLCIlabtestingform ici oe GLCI PROJECT RESULTS AND IMPACT all Sites The Great Lakes Cassava Initiative Home Document Library gt Project Results And Im2. Sensitize partners on using the help desk and Frontline SMS system to improve communication and trouble shooting support beginning of the project was inadequate so most IT issues had to be resolved by the regional office People also didn t report problems in a timely manner and field agents did not make full use of the help desk or sms system to report issues Not using the sms or helpdesk leads to the inability to track assistance and the trouble shooting instructions given Incorporate ICT work into all CP IT staff s TOR s Also have all CP IT staff able to use TeamViewer and train them if needed to manage the computers re image install data collection tool and report issues using the helpdesk and to own the process 10 Proliferation of viruses GLCI found that more than 60 of the laptops were infected despite virus protection from downloads from the internet and flash drives sharing McAfee antivirus software was installed on all laptops but was not updated by users or run Each laptop was configured with two accounts and Administrative Account and a User Account This was done to help reduce the risk of virus and machine misuse Users could not install new application although they did have the ability to perform application updates for McAfee and Windows However most users got access to the password for the Admin side and downloaded programs music videos etc from the Internet Por
3. No Number of members with casava fields 45 What current casava activity is group engaged in LJ Nene M Multiplication of Cuttings o evs B inbox mi soft Out Farmer Group Registration Form Example Ty MaE Final Report doc Farmer Group Registration Farmer Group Name Mzuri Name of Village L 300 MAISONS Altitude in meters 300 Longitude in degrees decimal 34 0567 Latitude in degrees decimal 02 0567 GLCI Data Collection GLC Data Collection The forms listed below have been submitted to the server Double click to send form back to Saved Forms Form Name Form Country District Farmer Group Submitted On Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet ist Phase Farmer Group TWIYUNGUNGANYE DUTEKANIGWE Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group ABADUZAKIVI Mar 01 300 Field Dissemination Sheet Field Diss Sheet BUR EMU BUS RUG 11 09 86DD4 Nferaguhiga Frederic 10 25 2009 Oct 29 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group DUFATANEMUNDA Mar 01 300 Field Dissemination Sheet Field Diss Sheet BUR EMU BUS REN 10 09 4900D Bizimana Dieudonne 10 27 2009 Nov 03 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group ABISHIZEHAMWEMWITERAMBERE Mar 01 300 Field Dissemination Sheet Field Diss Sheet BUR EMU BUS MUN 10 09 4E829 Bizimana Dieudonne 10 29 2009 Nov 03 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datashee
4. DUKORERE HAMWE MU RUKUNDO Burundi Bubanza BURIMBI II 02 94682 aes Bubanza and Project Field Agent Cibitoke pane FUKAMUSABE Dieudonn Supervisor Cibitoke BDDB KENYERURUGAMBA RWITERAMBERE Burundi Bubanza Buzige 29 2692 Bubanza and Cibitoke MPAWENIMANA JAVIT TUJINAMA Burundi subanza POTRA 02 98216 pa Bubanza and f f Project Field Agent CA Wf Trusted sites T M amp E Final Report doc P Record Raw Highlight Section Description Area Red Letter A Filter Criteria You can select by before or after date and active or inactive data B Form Selection The initial page provides access to select the different forms that are being used to collect data Cc Form Filter The dropdown bar at the top of the page allows a user to filter information based on criteria e g country time frame etc D Export Button Once afilter has been applied the export button allows the data to be exported as an Excel file E Form Records Results are displayed below the filter bar for all information within the criteria selected and one can delete records here Record Raw Data Description Pages Reports Windows Internet Explorer BEE OO E weittoscsrprrocanestsandinpoctPanestRepats pe BE BB coe lek Fie Edit View Favorites Tools Help x Google vv SY Search More gt gt Signin i Favorites 93 CRS Help Desk System Research Methods
5. amp E System and How it Works Data Collection Forms The following describes the process followed by a field worker when completing a new form a The field worker switches on the laptop and opens the GLCI software that is pre installed b The software loads with the below screen and if an internet connection exists the user can click the sync button to retrieve any software form updates or transmit any completed forms ea aia Collection GLCI Data Collection Tool Initialization After Opening Venger bee hames Lempert Date bayat Cate lye Maek Fores Saved Ferme Ovtoox Soleitted Farms Preterweces Reperts Debug Form Neme Forme Version Connecton Saus CONNECTED Click here tar assistance Version 234 c GLCI Data Collection Tool Update Process and Form Index The field worker then selects the blank form they would like to complete by double clicking it The form loads and can be filled in See the example below of the Farmer Group Registration Form All forms are quantitative and do not allow for open ended questions This is to ensure that data can be processed and analyzed automatically without needing to be deciphered by human operators It is possible to design the forms to collect qualitative data if necessary Once the form has been completed and submitted it is moved to the outbox where it will reside until an internet connection is established or the export feature is used The completed form will stay
6. i I I 11 1N Nzi i Mar N1 30N cic Collect mitted Folder Example ction Web Based Database and Reports The following describes how to access the database and reports 1 2 First a user must sign in with a password and username given to them from CRS The user can then decide from a dropdown menu under Project Results and Impact what type of data or report they want to see One can select to see the dashboard which gives a macro level view of the project with different charts They can view cumulative charts from the beginning of the project or filter to look at charts by season All charts compare targets with what has been achieved to date See an example below In the dropdown menu under dashboard are Forms these are for FERA to fill for disease surveys and are accessible only to those with permission In addition to the graphs displayed GIS maps via Google maps and KML files can be accessed such as the example below There are two sets of maps one for data collection status and the other showing status of seed dissemination disease incidence and variety distribution Maps are colored in red yellow and green based on the status of the topic being represented So in the example below yellow indicates that the countries with this color have collected only 60 79 of their data To access records the user will have first have to select from the dropdown boxes at the top labeled before
7. in this state until it is transmitted Once the system is connected to the Internet and the sync button is pressed the forms are sent and then move to the submitted folder see the example below If a user wants to save a form before it is completed they may also save the form where it moves to the saved folder where it can be opened again to be completed Please see the diagram below to understand each part of the interface better GLC Data Collection A Import New Forms Outbox Submitted Forms Preferences Blank Forms Saved Forms Reports Debug The forms listed below are currently available for data entry double click to select Farmer Group Registration Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet QMP Field Scoring Sheet Field Dissemination Plan Sheet Field Dissemination Sheet Field Distribution for Onward Multiplication Farmer Group Deactivation Sheet SILC Data Sheet emia on al wv O MBE Final Report doc cic Connection Status CONNECTED Click here for assistance F ion Highlight Section Description Area Red Letter A Import Form Allows for the manual import from memory stick of new data collection forms when an internet connection is not available These buttons allow the user to sync the computer which will send any pending data and retrieve any new forms or updates when a network connection is present The export button allows a user to export data to a memory stick if a connection d
8. the six countries This rollout included hands on training on computer use and data capture and was done in two phases It involved 194 partner supervisors and Paid Field Agents PFA s and allotment of 194 mini laptops The first phase involved the Anglophone countries Kenya Uganda and Tanzania and was completed in November 2009 The second phase involved the Francophone countries Burundi Rwanda and DRC and was completed in March 2010 In order to make sure we had high quality sustainable and country relevant training of partner staff six National consultants were hired to assist the Country Program Managers CPMs and partner staff in training and support on the use of the laptops and associated software In April 2009 a framework for an integrated M amp E system was developed The system consists of a behavior change strategy that defines the behaviors that need to change in order to achieve project results and the target groups to address in order to have sustainable and long term project impact This strategy lays the groundwork for a robust and effective M amp E system as it defines what needs to be measured and what indicators to use This helped define what data collection forms are required and what information the forms needed to collect The system also consists of a database where one can review all raw data analytical reports maps and an impact dashboard The system originally consisted of an award and dis incentive scheme us
9. D ie eae nora ors Fe Data Collection for Tanzania Percentage 100 30 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 oO FG Multi Dissem Onward GMP DPlan Data Collection for Tanzania E Actual E Target f 1 200 800 d e oe 2 3 Ladin 600 6 Legend Click on arrow to see detailed data for each country in graphs 400 200 Wow 0 008 close to Target 60 7900 Millon Target or Better 800 amp above 0 sf Trusted sites f Inbox Map Data Collection Example Pages ndows Interne gt l http siglci ers org ProjectResultsandImpact Pages RecordsReport asp soogle le File Edit View Favorites Tools Help E o e m x Google v I Search More gt gt lt Signin zs a Favorites S CRS Help Desk System Research Methods GLCI Reports January Jul 7 UML BPMN and Database T Ga http gulabigang ig World news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate Pages RecordsReport gt D E why Pager Safety Toos The Great Lakes Cassava Initiative Home cument Library ject Results And Impact Version Published 2 0 Status Published and visible to all readers a X EA edit Page Home gt Project Results and Impact iew GLCI Data Collection Date Criteria Before Date Record Type Farmer Group Reaistration Data Multiplication field Planting OM
10. GLCI Final Report on M amp E ICT Compiled by Michael Matarasso August 31 2011 N B This document includes some information from a study prepared by Sam Davies for CRS Baltimore entitled CRS ICT4D Portfolio Great Lakes Cassava Initiative GLCI Data Collection and Remote Learning This study was based on interviews with and documents provided by the GLCI and GKIM teams Table of Contents ETONE Introduction M amp E ICT Activity Description Technical Specifications and Architecture Lessons Learned and Recommendations Introduction The four year Great Lakes Cassava Initiative GLCI began in December 2007 as a multinational multi partner project led by Catholic Relief Services CRS to address the Cassava Mosaic Disease CMD and Cassava Brown Streak Disease CBSD pandemics in Burundi the Democratic Republic of Congo Kenya Rwanda Tanzania and Uganda The goal of GLCI is to distribute healthy cassava planting material of farmer accepted varieties to 1 15 million farmers GLCI works through 56 local partners that in turn provide support to over 3 000 farmer groups and individual producers to multiply and distribute disease resistant cassava seed Due to the scale of GLCI and the heavy reliance on partners to collect data CRS decided to use a digital solution to capture and share data between CRS Regional office Country Programs and partners instead of using pen and paper This provided a significant logistical and economi
11. GLCI Reports January Jul 7 UML BPMN and Database T E http gulabigang g World news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate Pages Reports fy B whe Par Safety Tods Multiplication Reports P e ear aaa p P p Export to Excel Multipli ISA d Planting Country Country Burundi M Season e x Date All Primary Sites Secondary Sites Tertiary Sites Total of c r Total of lar ws Total of lar ye sites sites E abec gozi and Keyonsa OOO O SO oo EDDE Bubanza and EDDM Muyinga and Kerusi o ooo D E a0 ae so aol oa an f o o o o g a a EMUSO Kirundo id a ee 0 24 a rr a SS a a E ES SSS A Done fq gt 100 amp Microsoft PowerPoint Ch 3 02 PM Report Example Lessons Learned and Recommendations Lessons Learned Recommendation 1 Data Collection not seen as a Though there are definitely problems high priority and excuses given associated with lack of electricity poor Internet to not collect connection and IT issues form filling or A common problem in the submitting errors and the server going down beginning of the roll out was that these were often overstated and at times used data was not collected submitted as an excuse not to collect or submit data or as and reasons given were because of leverage to try and get more funding or non existent electricity Internet and equipment We targeted each excuse one by IT problems one
12. P Field Scoring B Field Dissemination Sheet Onward Multiplication Field Dissemination Plan Farmer Group Deactivation Data Partner Staff Inventory and Mobility Quarterly Update Sheet SILC Data Sheet GLCI Targets Done s Trusted sites fa Rio ages RecordsReport Windows Internet Explorer JEE 6 File Edit View Favorites Tools Help E http fialci crs org Prajects x Google vy I Search More gt gt Z Signin N F ie k Favorites S CRS Help Desk System Research Methods GLCI Reports January Jul 7 UML BPMN and Database T E http gulabigang g World news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate r _ gt Gages RecordsReport a CI Page Safety Toos gt Home Document Library l Project Results And Impact gt Site Actions Version Published 2 Status Pul ible to all readers T g Home gt Project Results and Impact Records gt Home PFA Name rela Modified Date Season Agent Country District Village Burundi D Export To Excel Name of Farmer Group Name District Commune Village Latitude Longitude Altitude implementing PFA Name Partners_Staff_Tith partner f f s008 SHIGIKIRA ABAPHAKAZI Burundi Bubanza inka BUBANZA 03 42485 29 24673 Bubanza ana FUKAMIUSABE Supervisor Cibitoke BDDB
13. T high level advocacy should be carried out with clear examples of benefits and successes over other options given This should be expected and built into the program mentally logistically and financially Persistence and perseverance are required in the beginning when rolling out ICT especially when programs don t run perfectly One should not give up but continue to improve With time and experience systems will be of high integrity and quality The update process and rollout is likely to need several iterations ensure resources are planned for these tasks
14. achines Client Server solution The client server applications are custom written applications utilizing the Adobe Air runtime environment An adobe air and flash plug in are required on the client machine to run the application All data forms completed can reside locally on the laptop or be transmitted to the remote server A connection was automatically established with the server when internet connectivity is available and data was synchronized This function was removed as it caused severe delays and computers to freeze for certain periods of time which caused frustration and eroded motivation The following describes the basic modules within the client server applications Client Local Business Logic GLCI Client Application n D D a Central Business Logic Data processing layer GLCI Server Application Form Module provides the application container and locally stored forms Local Reporting Allows offline generation of reports based on the data collected locally on the device Business Logic Provides the form validation and verification checks to ensure form entry is completed correctly Adobe AIR packaged runtime environment from Adobe SQL Lite Local DB used by the application to store information before it is synchronized with the server DB e Aggregated Reporting provides the presentation of the reports to the end user e Central Business Logic Data Processing the f
15. ansferring data as some handwriting is illegible and some forms have incomplete data In digital forms because of data validation checks incomplete forms cannot be submitted and in some cases incorrect data is impossible to enter i Review of data and correct errors Same step required With digital forms can have cleaning options that facilitate cleaning and are not available in excel these can also be cleaned remotely but still be available immediately globally k Analysis Same step required Calculations can be built into the database so that analysis happens automatically as data is received This saves time and cost as itis a onetime activity to develop and enter the calculations and analyses don t have to be conducted each and every time Using a digital database allows for unlimited storage and avoids the tedious task of going through piles and piles of paper no storage space is required and dealing with lost and damaged records is avoided 1 Compile reports Same step required Reports can be built into the web based system so that reports are generated automatically as data is received This saves time and cost as it is a onetime activity to develop and enter the calculations and reports don t have to be created over each time M amp E ICT Activity Description In September 2009 GLCI rolled out the use of ruggedized mini laptops for data collection across
16. cal savings and ability to act immediately to improve project impact and efficiency Pen and paper has been the traditional medium used to collect field data within CRS and also in other organizations It is an approach that is familiar to people throughout the world Although pen and paper has been the standard in the past compared to a digital system there are a number of reasons why it is less efficient and effective GLCI is an ongoing monitoring program that runs throughout the year during both the dry and wet seasons Data collection on this scale becomes much harder as road infrastructure deteriorates and transportation within the country becomes problematic due to the heavy rains A digital system provides not only improved logistics cost savings improved data quality and immediate availability of analyzed data but also has positive implications for environmental sustainability Below are the typical steps of a pen and paper process compared to a digital process highlighting the benefits and savings that a digital system can offer Paper Based System Digital Based System Benefits and Savings by using Digital a Design of survey Design of digital forms with The design of digital user interface forms can be more expensive and time consuming without a program that can be used quickly in house like iformbuilder b Training on data collection Training on data collection None c Testing of forms and revision Test
17. date or after date and active or inactive This is labeled as A in the example below This is for purposes of tracking clean and unclean data You can clean data and then select before date and once in the form select the date on which you have cleaned All data selected will then be the clean data If you select after date and the date you cleaned then all of that data will still not be cleaned Inactive data is data that has been deleted for cleaning purposes but can still be accessed and active data is live data that is still valid After this is selected the user can select the form for which data that they want to see This is labeled as B in the example below Once they select these 3 thing then they will enter the database The user will then select from a filter menu labeled as C in the example below They can search by country district village partner field agents name date modified cleaned as mentioned above and or season The data will then be filtered and displayed based on these choices If a user wants to manipulate or analyze data on their own they can export the data into an excel file by clicking on the button highlighted as D If a user wants to delete an incorrect record or a duplicate the can click the check box on the left column and delete that record shown in the example labeled as E These deleted records can be viewed when one selects inactive in the first menu Custom buil
18. ed to encourage high quality data collection however this was dropped later as it became apparent that it did not work However instead of the award and disincentive scheme we instituted a system where all data submitted was tied to budget allocation Country programs were given budget based on what was accounted for in the database and what was in the database was confirmed with a data audit There was a considerable discrepancy between what was originally reported and what was actually in the database CP s were now paid for performance and not just from what they reported This system not only improved compliance and accountability but also efficiency and it improved timeliness quality and quantity of data submission and reporting In future projects this should be reviewed to see what combination of incentives and dis incentives with performance based funding works best A performance review audit to ground truth data collection and as a basis for award and dis incentive identification was also instituted and was a key element of the M amp E strategy Finally an sms communication program was established using Frontline SMS to support the whole system by keeping people informed of schedules prompting non compliers announcing awards and dis incentives and enabling people to report computer and connectivity issues that require solutions The CRS HelpDesk was also launched as an alternative to sms and supported GLCI by allowing field staff to rep
19. er the first few months also led to several new innovations in data record design to facilitate cleaning and monitoring of data In an effort to decentralize the responsibility to manage data all partners were registered with passwords and trained on how to monitor and manage their own data in March 2011 They were also given permission to delete duplicate records so that data collection will be more efficient and easier for field agents Finally instead of people filling in both digital versions and paper versions for back up an option to print all forms was added to the program to avoid this double work Technical Specifications and Architecture Hardware Intel Classmates or Clamshells These are ruggedized child friendly machines that come with the following specifications e Intel Atom Processor N450 at 1 66GHz e GBRAM e 160 GB Hard drive e 10 1 Screen e In Built Camera Custom Developed Application Utilizing the Adobe Air platform a team of CRS developers have created a fat client tool to allow for online and offline data collection The application currently runs on a windows platform and allows pre defined forms to be completed and stored either locally or in a centralized database Cross Platform Software The Abode Air platform is very versatile and can run on a range of operating systems and hardware platforms Its minimal CPU requirements ensure that the application can run on very old hardware such as Pentium 3 m
20. ing of forms and revision Centrally managed and controlled surveys allow for easy updates and corrections d Printing of data collection Updating the forms via After the initial design of forms in country each time a Internet the form does not require survey is done and any further printing acquisition of additional data collection materials pencils clipboards folders etc saving ink and paper time and money Transport and distribution of materials to partner offices and field workers Nothing required Saving of fuel time and money Travel to field sites Same No savings Filling of forms in the field Transport forms back to CP or regional office Same Submit forms via Internet connection or send data via memory stick to then be submitted where Internet is good Using the digital forms with built in validation checks and drop down menus improves the quality and reliability of data and minimizes errors It also allows for geo referencing to be built into each form filled which is essential for auditing and accountability Saving of fuel reduction of CO2 emissions time and money if forms can be sent remotely and not need memory stick option Furthermore paper forms can get creased wet dirty lost or held up during the transport process Input data from paper into excel files or other format for analysis Nothing required Avoids errors in tr
21. int web based portal igici org The portal is accessed using standard CRS credentials and provides real time access to the live database The raw data portal allows access to all raw data from all data collection forms via a range of simple filters country partner district dates etc Output can be viewed on screen or exported to excel The reporting data portal also provides users with a data dashboard that presents high level graphical results These include graphs of 1 Registered Farmer Groups by country 2 Multiplication by country 3 Seed dissemination by country 4 Data collection status by country Real time GIS map data is also included on the website displaying regional statistics for form submission disease condition and varieties available in each country The reporting portal also offers a number of tailored reports for each form type viewable by the different levels site partner country project level Support Structure The software was developed and supported by the GKIM team in India and Baltimore Printing The ability to print form results from the laptops was added to the functionality to allow regional offices to keep a local paper based copy of the data It was found many regional offices preferred to have a hard copy of data available It is expected as the technology is accepted that this practice will diminish except where paper documentation is required for liquidation purposes The Digital M
22. n was also found on many computers Provide virus infection training and have CP IT staff regularly check and update virus scan and to do regular cleaning It would be useful also to have an incentive and disincentive program to encourage clean computers Re image severely infected computers If possible on any new device selected for use block the ability of users to download from the Internet and create permissions to access the usb port 11 Hard disk misuse CP IT staff should regularly check and delete Misuse included storing large music non essential data and programs and penalize or video files that filled the 30 user if problem arises continuously GLCI also gigabit disk capacity loading advises users to buy external drives to store incompatible programs or programs large non work files to allow the operating incompatible with Windows This system to function led to several computers crashing 12 Cultural Change Provide additional functionality to users so that The initial introduction of computers into the field was met with resistance It was found that some field officers preferred to print out the forms and then complete them with pen and paper The justification for this was they required a physical copy to be stored Resistance was also met by the devices are attractive and they want to keep them For example the mini laptops give some level of prestige to the owners and they can use Internet and liste
23. n to music Also take time to demonstrate the advantages and cost savings of using a computerized system For example it can help boost their skills and improve their career path A printing functionality was added to the GLCI data tool some CRS country and regional staff to the use of M amp E ICT They preferred summary reports or the use of paper documentation 13 Version Upgrades Needed Revisions additions and improvement of forms or to the system are required Just like any technology new versions are always being introduced to improve on the old ones to allow staff to keep hard copies within the regional offices instead of insisting that they had to collect only with paper for this purpose One should also try to hire staff with some IT skills or at least have the interest to learn It is also necessary to be committed to a long term vision It will take time for attitudes and practices to change but over time with experience prolonged use and some level of positive re enforcement to use the technology usage and the way ICT is seen does improve An important element to this is that consistent messaging must be conveyed to the field from all CRS staff about the use of ICT We must all be on the same page and give the same messages to others If not this can diminish the power of positive reinforcement and eventually stall the support for and use of the system In an effort to build support within CRS for IC
24. o loss of some data data quality and affected motivation and bred frustration in the field towards data collection and ICT There should be more oversight and thorough testing over the design of all data collection tools databases and coding Also when a problem is reported it requires through investigation until a solution is found If a solution can t be found immediately it should be raised to higher levels and a task force needs to be set up to trouble shoot it Insisting that no problem exists and considering the issue closed cannot be a possibility Lack of full access control over database Lack of independence and ability to manage clean query load and update data and relying on having this done remotely caused issues of efficiency and data quality also having the remote server go down with a time difference between Africa and Baltimore and having to wait for it to be fixed is problematic and can also affect motivation in the field Every program needs to have full access to their database so that they can clean load query and manage their data It is extremely inefficient costly and prone to error to have this done through a second party If data is housed centrally then there needs to be someone on 24 hour call for maintenance or the data should be served from a cloud where that 24 hour maintenance exists Password registration process A lengthy and complicated registration process was required by
25. oesn t exist so it can be sent from another machine The import button allows a user to import data to send from their machine C Tab bar The tab bar is the main organizational feature of the application allowing access to blank forms the outbox saved forms submitted forms language preferences and a debugging section The reports section is blank as this is now available live on SharePoint Application buttons D Blank forms For each of the nine forms you can open them from here and see in the right column what version these forms are E Connection Displays the connection status of the application If a indicator network connection is available CONNECTED is displayed otherwise NOT CONNECTED is displayed F Assistance button Clicking this button will open a request form where the user can submit a message to be sent to the help desk if they are experiencing technical difficulties Displays the currently installed version of the application G Application version GLC Data Collection 1 Registration Data Country DRc District Commune Beni Name of Implementing Partner BDR 8 me CEPAC BDR PFA Name BAHATI Title Project Field Agent 2 Background Information Year of group formation 2010 Date group joined GLCI 08 08 2011 A 3 Farmer Characterization Number of members in group today Male 45 Female 67 Does the group practice SILC C Yes
26. ort technical issues We also added TeamViewer to the system which allowed staff to enter any laptop remotely to trouble shoot and solve any technical issues This was a huge boon to the program as it eliminated the need to travel or send laptops back to the regional office to check urgent IT issues Of an estimated 18 data collection forms that were identified only eight of them were designed digitally and finalized in English French and Swahili by the CRS ICT technical team in Baltimore and India These forms were developed in two phases Both phases included an intensive testing and revision period and a full release and use In the second phase of form development and revision multiple data checks validations were added to forms to improve data quality especially GIS data and to avoid submission of forms that were missing important data The digital system had also been upgraded so that connection speed and upload and download of forms is much quicker Another modality that was developed was the possibility to import and export all data onto a flash drive All field agents were given flash drives for this purpose This system enabled people who have no Internet connectivity to save all of their collected data onto the flash drive and send the flash drive to their head office or the CPM in their respective country The data was then able to be uploaded from computers where the connectivity was better Experience of reviewing and cleaning of data ov
27. pact gt Site Actions Version Published 2 0 ible to all readers z gt Ge forms Status Pu Home gt Project Results and Impact Lab Testing Results Field Code Type Lab Analysis Code leaves test pools Positive i Select aa Village EE See orc CKO CARITAS Kongolo v Fizi v LILA Disease incidence plants Fina J Export To Excel Lab Analysis Code Positive Proportion of tests Positive Tests 95 confidence interval Sno Field Code Type plants pools leaves test No details found hitp figli crs org ProjectResultsandImpact Shared 20Documents pesn Al Ron _ Inbox Microsoft O T Mae Final Report do Pages GLCllal 1 Forms Example vf x File Edt _ View Favorites _ Tools Help x Google v I search More gt gt lt Signin A Favorites CRS Help Desk System Research Methods GLCI Reports January Jul UML BPMN and Database T Ga http gulabigang ig World news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate a Pages GLCIMaps a A E dah gt Pager Safety Toos a Season for both maps All x EEEE FG Farmer Group Multi Multiplication a Dissem Dissemination Onward Onward Multiplication DPlan Dissemination Plan v N O
28. people who have minimal computer skills to get field staff access to the web based reports and database At the time also permissions expired and had to be An automated and simple password registration process should be developed that can be tailored to different project needs to avoid any complications or difficulties for people to quickly access reports and data renewed in short periods of time This caused delays in people using the system during training seminars which affected the training quality and also would affect overall web based reporting use Staff turnover In most countries there is a high staff turnover so once people are trained and have practice and experience in using the M amp E ICT system they move on to other jobs This creates a challenge in getting new staff who newly come onto the job up to speed so that they can competently collect submit data using the computers Develop a small training manual and within each partner office or CP assign a person who can give 1 day ToT or every 6 months or so to new staff They should team up for a week with an experienced staff member from their office after the training for practical experience and mentoring Unreliable power and internet connectivity Access to a reliable source of power and an internet connection is limited or non existent in many of the remote areas in which GLCl operates posing challenges to effective electronic data capt
29. t 1st Phase Farmer Group TURWANYUBUKENE Mar 01 300 Field Dissemination Sheet Field Diss Sheet BUR EMU BUS KIB 10 09 275A0 Nkeraguhiga Frederic 10 27 2009 Nov 03 300 Field Dissemination Sheet Field Diss Sheet BUR EMU BUS KIB 10 09 275A0 Nkeraguhiga Frederic 10 26 2009 Nov 03 300 Farmer Group Registration Farmer Group Dufatanemunda 2 Mar 01 300 Farmer Group Registration Farmer Group Tujehamwe Twiyungunganye Mar 01 300 Farmer Group Registration _ Farmer Group Tujehamwe Turwanyinzara Mar 01 300 Farmer Group Registration Farmer Group Abadatanamundagano Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group ABISHIZEHAMWEMWITERAMBERE Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group Abadatanamundagano Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group Tujehamwe Turwanyinzara Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group Tujehamwe Twiyungunganye Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group Dufatanemunda 2 Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group Dukingiribidukikije Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet ist Phase Farmer Group Dukingiribidukikije Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group TWIZERANE TWESE MUKWITEZIMBERE Mar 01 300 Multiplication Field Planting Datasheet 1st Phase Farmer Group TWIYUNGUNGANYE Mar 01 300 LOMP Field Scoring Sheet
30. t reports are also available from the drop down menu for each of the different forms Each of the forms has a report for site partner country and project level A user can then filter by which country they want to see a report for season and date They can also export the reports to excel See the example below Final project studies will be available on the last dropdown option once they are completed at project end gt Home Windows Internet Explorer go 2 http iglci ars org Pages Defaul 4 x ef File Edt View Favorites Tools Help x Google search More gt gt Signin at z gt amp Favorites BB CRS Help Desk System Research Methods GLCI Reports January Jul UML BPMN and Database T http gulabigang ig World news and comment fr IT Workspace The Daily Climate A B E r Pager Safety Toos HOME allSites ral Advanced Search The Great Lakes Cassava Initiative Site Actions Home Document sible to all readers Versio ublished 53 0 Status You are viewing a published version of this 4 ge is also being edited and is checked out exclusively to NJEJIMANA Nestor Home C V Trusted sites Pages Overview DO g E reeitias crscrarrjctnesitsnainpsetPages Overven ae o Ee File Edit View Favorites Tools Help x Google vy I Search More gt gt 2 signin
31. ta audit as an indicator of performance to increase the seriousness and importance of M amp E and data collection 2 M amp E system initiated late Because the M amp E system was initiated 2 years after the project started there was a rushed rollout to catch up with already running project activities The project had to digitize old paper versions and load them into the system all of which incurred much higher costs logistical problems and frustration There was not enough time for thorough testing on a small scale before roll out Need to start to develop the M amp E ICT system from the beginning of the project otherwise huge costs and logistical problems may be incurred later to catch up Thorough time should be set aside for testing before complete rollout and testers should understand that they are testing the system so there will inevitably be glitches One should also make sure that the user interface is as final as possible before loading it onto all devices so that any updates are only made to forms and this can be done by connecting to the Internet without requiring a new installation of the tool directly on the device This can be a very costly mistake if not taken into account IT technical issues There were several technical complications due to incorrect coding lack of thorough testing and also some resistance from IT support to thoroughly understand and address the issues immediately This led t
32. unctional algorithms that handle information exchange between the database and user interface e ColdFusion rapid application development platform used to connect webpage s to databases e Database The underlying database where all form data is stored SQL Server Centralized Database A server hosted within the Baltimore data centre provides the centralized database for data synchronization This is a dedicated server for GLC data collection Low bandwidth requirement the application runs from a local thick client on the users laptop allowing it to run completely offline If an internet connection is available it can be synced to download any new forms updates or to transmit completed data Due to the thick client design only the raw form data is ever transfered estimated typically to be 2 3 kilobytes per form Form Updates and Additions similar to form data being transmitted to the central database new or updated forms can be sent to the laptops This ensures that devices are updated with the latest version of forms and reduces the management overhead Similar to offline form transmission updates can also be transmitted via the USB export import method The modular design of the application allows each form to be maintained separately from the main application This allows forms to be created at will and ensures only individual updates need to be transmitted Reports Users can access both raw and analyzed data via a SharePo
33. until finally field staff realized they could only provide valid reasons to not submit data When people used electricity as an excuse to not collect data and we saw that most of them charged their phones we suggested that we would take back the laptops if they could not use them and they would have to use paper instead This may not always be the case see the section below on electricity and internet for other recommendations when it is not the case All users who said they did not have electricity suddenly told us that they now had ways to charge their laptops To address the lack of Internet we added an option on the data collection tool to export data and they could now send it to be loaded where Internet existed We also provided memory sticks for this task To address the issue of IT problems we started to use TeamViewer so that we could enter any problematic computer and determine what was wrong with it On many occasions when we entered the computer no problems were found We also added Frontline SMS and the help desk so that any technical problem could be reported immediately and so if it wasn t reported then there was no excuse to not submit data We also strived to solve an issue within 2 days when an issue was reported with support from GKIM India and HQ to avoid frustration with the technology and also to avoid strengthening reasons not to submit Finally we instituted a performance based funding mechanism with data and a da
34. ure Before developing an M amp E ICT project an analysis of the electrical telephone and Internet system should be made and mapped using GIS Where internet phone and electricity are needed one should ensure that at a minimum all partner offices have connectivity Where possible if Internet is not available but phone or cell lines exist that can handle data at a decent speed and cost mobile phone lines might be used Field agents can also upload new data collection forms and update old ones from a memory stick and send data on a their stick This data can be sent to partner offices who then send the data via internet For severe and proven electricity issues consider voucher systems or solar chargers Where only a few field agents do not have electricity might explore using paper based forms while in the field and then having them loaded digitally once a month when they go to their home office In a more severe case for emergencies one might set up a portable satellite antenna and use a generator for electricity Low level of computer skills Most field agents were first time computer users who even after intensive initial training require Ongoing support to effectively use the laptops Train and support partner staff and as mentioned above under staff turnover have one or several designated trainer of trainers a user s manual and mentoring Inadequate use of field IT support The field IT support system at the
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