Presentation by Sudhanshu Tripathi

Special Secretary, Govt. of U.P.stripathi_99@yahoo.com , Ph +91 94150 14378

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Cloud Telephony and IVRS based Daily Monitoring System: A Revolutionary Approach

for Monitoring Government Programmes

Issues in Monitoring of Govt. Programs

► Huge spread of govt. programs in recent years eg MDM, MNREGA, SSA, NRHM, ICDS etc. through PRIs

► Bogus/ inflated/ advanced Reporting

► Hierarchical information flow

► Different information for higher ups and people because of unavailability of reports in Public domain

► Delayed reporting

► Data at source not available at all levels

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Technological Developments in Last Few years

► Web-mobile interface technologies

► Enhanced mobile penetration esp. in rural areas

► Vernacular text to speech technology

► Cluster based cloud telephony

► Cloud Computing Platform with SIP Service Delivery Model

Above developments provided opportunity before Mid-day Meal Scheme for initiating a real-time monitoring system for effective and efficient monitoring 3

Mid-day Meal (MDM): The Scheme

• A GoI scheme for providing cooked meal to children studying in schools

• Implemented in U.P. with the combined efforts of Central & State Govt. since Sep 2004

• Scheme implemented by Panchayats– Total no. of schools: 1.69 lac– Total no. of schools serving MDM: 1.65 lac– Students enrolled as per AWP: 198 lac– PAB approval for availing nos.: 122 lac (62%)– 2014-15 Plan approval: Rs. 1799.76 crore

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MDMS: Problems in Conventional Info - Flow

• Spatial problem: School-wise report not available at the district/ state level

• Temporal problem: The time lag in data flow leading to – Scope for data manipulation– Chances of excess physical/financial reporting– Delay in remedial action– Efficacy of the system jeopardized – Defaulting schools’ info in next month only

• Monitoring Problem: Physical inspection presently based on random selection - not on exception basis5

• Peculiar nature of MDMS• Data to come directly from school • A system based on computer-mobile interface• A completely toll-free model• A model that could run on lowest end mobile• A turn-key solution

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Prerequisites of DMS

DMS: A New Tool of Monitoring• Philosophy behind the concept

– Making School as the basic unit for information flow & monitoring rather than district

– Real time data collection and MIS– Bridging gaps in monitoring

• A complete System of Data collection, MIS & DSS on Auto-Pilot mode

• Gives grass-root data at apex level & facilitates in Monitoring & pinpointed Intervention

• Successfully implemented since Jun’10.• At present covers about 1.65 lac schools

– Tracks number of students actually fed daily– Tracks number of schools not serving meals

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Innovation: ICT Led Initiative• Everyday, after MDM is served in schools Interactive Voice Response

(IVR) calls placed to teachers’ mobile • Teachers reply by keying-in the number of students availing MDM on

that day • In case meal could not be served in a school, the teacher keys-in zero • In case one misses out replying to the IVR call, one needs to give a

missed call to the same no. • The System to call back on its own within 5 minutes of missed call• Data gets appended & real-time MIS for all schools generated on web• Provisions made for system enabled registration of new ph

number/leave/transfer/retirement of the teacher & holidays • Helpline/ Toll free No. 1800 1800 666 for info & data pulling• Hardcopy of info provided daily by the schools through IVRS to be

verified monthly by the headmaster in monthly meeting• MIS available on www.upmdm.in 8

Flow Model: Conventional System

UP Govt.

GOI

Districts – BSA/ DM.Division – Asst Director

MDM Authority

Budget

Monitoring based on QPR and random selection

QPR/ U.C

Block -ABSA

School

Availing numbers

Foodgrain consumedCooking cost spent

Through MPR

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School

- Registration- Daily Attendance- Confirmation

MIS Application & DSS

Mid Day Meal Functionaries at Block/ District/ Division / State levels/ GOI

MIS Reports / Exception Reports etc of all schools are available here for decision making at different levels

OBDD

Acknowledgement

Information through IVRtthrough IVR

Internet

Virtual Number / Server

OBD (Out Bound Dialling)

Monitoring by Exception

The Re-engineered Process

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Challenges faced in ImplementationOperational Challenges

• An unknown territory• Mode of operation• Teachers’ database

• How to orient teachers

• How to motivate teachers

• Sustainability• Intervention for schools

not serving MDM• How to ensure

compliance by Teachers

• DPR developed• Project assigned on Turn-key basis• Mobile no. of about 4.5 lac head-

masters, Asst. Teachers, Shiksha Mitras collected

• Design, Publish & Distribute Operational Manual to teachers

• Online demo/ training in about 900 blocks & town area

• Teachers association taken into confidence

• Thru local/ administrative support• Logins to Commissioners/ DMs/

CDOs/BSAs/ BEOs & Alerts/Auto-emails• G.O. Issued by the State Govt. making it

mandatory for Teachers to give info. 11

Solution

Challenges faced in ImplementationSystem Design Challenges

• Data ‘push’ vs data ‘pull’

• How to ‘pull’ data from teachers

• Huge no. of schools• How to cover so many

schools by evening • How to ensure that for

providing data through teachers’ own mobile, no expenses are involved!

Solution

• Data ‘pull’ methodology for data collection

• Outbound Dialing thru Cloud Telephony , cloud computing IVRS, Hindi text to speech, Internet

• Codify 1.52 lac (2010) schools• PRI lines

• Toll-free model, system of missed call/ call rotation/ call escalation

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Success & Impact

No. of Schools data received from

No. of schools meal was not served

Percentage

Jun 2010 33,067 11, 771 35 %

Jul-Sep, 2010 1,00,519 28,284 28%

Apr-Jun, 2011 1,36,519 18,180 13%

Apr-Jun, 2012 1,46,234 10,863 7%

Sep-Oct, 2012 1,45,260 9,577 6.5%

Apr-Jun 2013 1,39,722 7,118 5%

Aug-Sep, 2013 1,47,416 5,370 3.6%

Sep-Oct, 2014 1,49,719 5,479 3.65%

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Impact on Stakeholders

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Stakeholder 1:

(School Children)• Number of defaulting schools came down from 35 % in Jun-

Jul’10 to 7 % in Apr-Jun’12 and 3.6% in Sep-Oct’14.

• …Means meals to the otherwise deprived school- children

Stakeholder 2:

(Monitoring agency i.e. Govt. MDMA, Division & Districts))

• Identification of problem area on real time basis means Immediate corrective measures

• Monitoring based on exception reports

• Divisional offices’ role change: From mere post-office to proactive monitors

• Objective input for policy intervention

• Transparency and accountability of data ensured

• Checking of leakages and saving of scarce resources

• Replicability of the same concept for other schemes

Stakeholder 3:

(Society)• Assimilation of teachers in the decision-making process

• Involvement of School Management Committee (SMC) in the DMS would ensure concurrent social audit

• Community ownership of the MDM Scheme

Teacher detail who has given Data

System Generated Daily SMS Formats

Awards and Recognitions• National Gold Award for e-Governance in 2011-12 for Innovative Technology• NASSCOM Social Innovation Honours 2013 & UNICEF Recognition for ‘Innovation for Children’• ASSOCHAM Award for Excellence in Education 2013• Manthan Award South Asia & Asia Pacific 2012• India Digital Awards 2012 by IAMAI• mBillionth South Asia Awards 2011•Special Recognition in Vodafone Mobiles for Good Awards 2011•Shortlisted by Public Affairs Asia for the Yahoo! Internet for Good Award 2014 18

Evaluation of the System• By UNICEF• By IIM Lucknow • By eminent jury in different awards & recognitions

received by the System • GOI produced a documentary on DMS for being

shown in academies, Training institutions & Community

• GOI got a case study written for being used for probationers in National & State Academies

• CIPS’ (Centre for Innovations in Public System) efforts for replicating this model

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Replicability/ Scalability/ Sustainability

► Any scheme warranting real time data collection can be monitored through it where monitorable parameters <= 3 e.g. MNREGA, ICDS, Elections etc

► Replicated in U.P. in ICDS and for Text Book, Dress Distribution in SSA and WASH Programme of UNICEF

► The same system affords itself for SMS alerts and voice broadcasting to a large user group

► Scalable both in terms of Size as well as Performance► Sustainability through local/ administrative and

Teachers’ support – A major factor responsible for the System’s success

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Future Path

• MDMS Essentials: Regularity, Quality, Quantity• Regularity Ensured thru DMS• Quality and Quantity monitoring can be done• Monitoring Attendance of Teachers in schools • Posting of Teachers on basis of availing nos. • Monitor Reasons of default so as to arrive at systemic

nature of problem• Monitor Payment of Honorarium to Cooks• Engagement of Cook on basis of availing nos.

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Future Path…• Focus on Regional status of problems and need of

intervention• DMS: from a tool of monitoring to an objective tool of

planning• Activity Monitoring being introduced

– Usage pattern and statistics on the use of each of the Analytics in the platform by the concerned officials at district and block level.

– This would help the Contact Center of the project to get in touch with officials on very specific actions to be taken by them for use of the system

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Thanks…

www.upmdm.in

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