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Cloud Telephony and IVRS based Daily Monitoring System:

A Revolutionary Approach for Monitoring Government Programmes

Nomination & Presentation by

Sudhanshu Tripathi, Chief Finance Officer,

Mid Day Meal Authority, U.P.

e-mail: stripathi_99@yahoo.com, Ph +91 94150 14378

A New Tool of Monitoring

• Revolutionary System of Data collection, Monitoring & Intervention for huge programmes

• Output on Real time basis• MIS & DSS built into the System• Successfully implemented since Jun’10 for Mid

Day Meal scheme in 1.52 lac schools – Tracks number of students actually fed daily– Tracks number of schools not serving meals

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Background• Objective

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

– Bridging gaps in monitoring due to problems inherent in conventional system of monthly/ quarterly reporting

• Concept note submitted in 2007 focused on interface between computer and telecom for developing Monitoring System based on toll-free sms

• Limitation of sms based solution: toll-free sms across networks not possible

• Feasible solution for access of data on real time basis: via Cloud Telephony & IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) through an Out Bound Dialing 4

MDM: The Scheme• A GOI scheme for providing cooked meal to children

studying in schools• Implementation in U.P. – PS & UPS• GOI norms of food-grain & cooking cost followed• About 1.52 lac schools & 137 lac students availing

MDM on daily basis• An Autonomous MDM Authority functioning at State

level for monitoring• District Magistrate as the District level Nodal Officer

with Basic Education Officer to assist4

Conventional Reporting structure• Monthly basis of reporting • MDM register at school/ block/ district level for

monthly physical & financial information:• The schools fill up the number of students availing mid

day meal on daily basis in the school level MDM register. This number is taken from the attendance register;

• The data provided by schools is supposed to be compiled at the block level and further at the district level;

• The district office submits the district-wise data so compiled to the MDMA on monthly basis through online on www.upmdm.org

• QPR generated through the system5

Problems in Conventional System of Info - Flow

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

• 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 jeoparadised – Defaulting schools’ info in next month only

• Physical inspection/ monitoring of the scheme presently based on random selection basis and not on exception basis 6

DMS: How….. • DPR developed• Project assigned on turn-key basis• Codification of about 1.52 lac schools done• Mobile numbers of about 4.5 lac headmasters,

Asst. Teachers, Shiksha Mitras collected• Operational Manual published & distributed to all

the teachers in the State• Online demo/ training conducted in all the 820

blocks of the State• Real-time data collection started in June’10 …

within two months of record time of assigning the project 7

Implementation of the System

• IVR calls from 89066 11111• Teachers to reply to the IVR calls for informing number

of students availing MDM on that day• Info to be given by way of keying-in on one’s mobile

phone• In case one misses out replying to the IVR call, one needs

to give a missed call to the same no. • The System will call back on its own within 5 minutes of

the missed call• “0” info means the meal not served• Helpline/ Toll free No. 1800 1800 666, • MIS available on www.upmdm.in

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Technical Details and Configuration• For Large Volumes of Data Collection and analysis

innovative ICT solutions deployed are – Telephony Cloud - IVRS - Hindi Text To Speech– Internet - Datacenter

• Accordingly, Project Solution Components used are– Telephony Cloud and IVRS– Hindi text to Speech technologies– SMS Alerts and SMS Gateway– Cloud Computing Platform with Web Based PaaS / SaaS/

IaaS– Call Center (both inbound and outbound)– Toll Free Helpline (18001800666)– Data-center (Tier III)– DR (Disaster Recovery Site)

• Nowhere else these technologies have been deployed for reporting.

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Major Challenges & Solutions• Challenges

– How to ‘pull’ data from teachers!– How to ensure that for providing data through their own

mobile, no expenses are involved!– How to motivate teachers!– Sustainability through local & administrative support– Intervention required for specific schools not serving

MDM• Solutions

– Outbound Dialing – Online demo/ training conducted in all blocks– Teachers association taken into confidence– Decision taken to call up SMCs– Log-ins to Commissioners/ DMs/ BSAs & Alerts 10

Innovative Features• A Paradigm shift in Reporting System• Hallmark of the New Tool: Process Innovation

– Removes time-lag in data-flow – Monitoring based on Exception reports rather than Random

selection – Quick & Pointed Remedial action – Data manipulation done away with

• IVR calls from a Virtual number on teachers’ mobile• Teachers key-in no. of children availing meal on their

mobile; ‘0’ means no meals• System of repeat calls/ reminder SMS/ calling other

teachers of the school/ call escalation 12

Innovative Features….. contd.• Data ‘pull’ vis-à-vis data ‘push’ • Real Time Performance Evaluation possible• Teacher not to spend a single paisa/ No

mobile phones required to be given• Monthly verification of data fed• From Info-paucity to Info-wealthy• Objective inputs for Policy Making • Simple/ Feasible/ Replicable• Daily MIS for MDM at District/ Division/ State

on www.upmdm.in 13

Success & Impact: QuantitativeNo. of Schools data received

from

No. of schools meal was not

served

Percentage

Jul 1, 2010 to Sep 30, 2010

97,359 27404 28%

Jan 1, 2011 to Mar 31, 2011

1,06,321 14123 13%

Apr 1, 2011 to May 20, 2011

1,26,615 14904 12%

Aug 1, 2011 to Sep 23, 2011

1,31,469

6764

5%

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Success & Impact: Qualitative• Target Community: 1.22 crore children who

should avail meal daily• No. of schools not serving meals coming down

means meals to otherwise deprived children• Knowledge of status of implementation to

public, once system goes in public domain• Social Audit: Decision taken to call SMCs • Enhanced community ownership of MDM

Scheme

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Status before the implementation of the initiative

Status after the implementation of the initiative

Key result areasInformation about schools not serving MDM

No authentic information available Exact information available daily

Information about schools not serving MDM

Compiled information available month wise

School wise information available on daily basis

Immediacy of intervention Not possible Possible, based on objective criteria

Key performance indicatorsPeriodicity of information Monthly/quarterly Daily

Level from which information made available

District School i.e. the actual level of implementation

System of alerts Not available Alerts available to higher ups for remedial action

Quality of data Compiled monthly Real time data

Transparency Information often based on percentage basis

Transparent, actual information available

Socio-economic impact parametersKnowledge of status of implementation to public

Not available Possible to be made available in public domain

Social Audit Not possible Possible

Level of community ownership Low High

Beneficiaries' feedback Available, if at all, through hierarchical system

Directly available to decision makers

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Success Stories Out of the Project• Instant info leading to check on distortion/

manipulation of data• Percent basis of consumption done away with• No. of schools not serving meals coming down• Teachers – A happy lot• Teacher communicating directly with the district/

state level administrator brings in inclusiveness• GOI approval of Action Plan 2011-12 based on

DMS data17

Future Path & Scalability…..

• Availability of information on public domain• Third Party Evaluation by calling up SMCs• Auto reconciliation of CBS accounts of schools• Uploading Inspection reports/ photos etc• Grievance redressal• Each school’s complete database for Food-

grain/CC lifted/allocated/ utilised to be built into the System

• All MPRs/ QPRs directly procured by the State Govt. & GOI from the website 18

• Monitoring on auto-pilot mode• Enough time for remedial intervention/ policy • Replication by GOI for MDM for all states• Areas/ Programmes where the New Tool can

be used– Development schemes with one/two parameters– For info of daily collection of revenue viz. for Excise,

Commercial/Entertainment Tax, Mandis etc– For daily no. of F.I.Rs, no. of Challans by traffic police,

OPD/IPD, Data from ANMs for Health Programmes etc– Surprise checks based on exception reports

Future Path & Scalability…..

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JUST THE BEGINNING….NOT EVEN 10% OF

THE VISION

DEmO

(Login: cfo, Password: trips)

www.UpmDm.IN

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Presented by

Sudhanshu Tripathi,

Chief Finance Officer, MDM Authority, U.P.

e-mail: stripathi_99@yahoo.com, Ph +91 94150 14378