Last Mile Mobile Solutions Project

If you have been reading this blog, you know that there has been an ongoing flurry of activity around the Last Mile Mobile Solution (LMMS) project.  For those of you who are just finding us, World Vision and its private-sector partners (Fieldworker and Intermec) have created a more effective and accurate system of aid distribution that eliminates time-consuming paperwork.  Now, LMMS’s combination of wireless mobile technology, hand-held scanners and bar-coded identification cards reduces registration time by two thirds and greatly improves the accuracy of aid distribution and accountability for where that aid goes.

 Main achievements

• Released pre-tested alpha version of LMMS software for three modules:
  • General Distributions – with the capability to track Non-Food Items and Food;
  • Aid For Work – able to handle Cash and Food for Work programs;
  • Targeted Feeding – able to assign extra food to persons with particular health vulnerabilities.
• Purchased and installed LMMS equipment for Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Haiti.
• Migrated existing household data collected from the WV pilot programs (AIDC) in Kenya and Lesotho to each country’s LMMS database.
• Trained in-country technical support staff and end users in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Haiti.
• Defined beneficiary proxy management protocols.
  • Established country baseline databases in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Haiti.
  • Successful first use of LMMS in non-food item distribution.
    • Completed process mapping of Food for Work/Assets and General Distributions for documentation purposes.
    • Developed first draft of the staff training and user manuals
    • Negotiated site license and maintenance agreements with LMMS partner Fieldworker at partnership rates.
    • Working collaboratively with Intermec on new hardware needs for humanitarian sector.
    • In discussions with Univicity to use LMMS for commodity distribution and investigating other business applications.

Ongoing software development and improvements

•  Client enrollment application enables households to be registered once and then enrolled to multiple humanitarian interventions.
• Real-time inventory tracking application monitors the inventory being received at each distribution point and what is actually distributed in the field.
  • Field report generation tool allows for automated creation of Planned Distribution Lists, Master Beneficiary Lists, Distribution Plans, and Actual Distribution Lists.
  • Web-based mass enrollment utility stores beneficiary entries for uploading to the server after the registration process, to enable quicker beneficiary processing.
  • Expansion of LMMS is underway to accommodate cash payments for work activities using mobile banking applications through SMS texting using mobile phones.

LMMS in Haiti:

• obtained product donations from Intermec of CN-50 hand-held computers
• converted mobile hand-held device applications to the French language
• designed and pre-printed 15,000 bar-coded ration cards with French/Creole
• established project team staff in-country to support field operations with the World Food Program, USAID and CIDA
• hired country Project Manager and 2 local IT positions
• seconded LMMS IT person to help in-country
• allocated World Vision Canada IT staff for short-term support and technical training as needed. 

Field deployments 

Kenya

February 2010 – LMMS was used for an Aid for Work project in the Taita Taveta District and continued until the project finished in May 2010.   A total of 16,340 beneficiaries utilized LMMS under this project. 

Zimbabwe

March 2010 – The General Distribution application of LMMS was used for the vulnerable group feeding programs, reaching approximately 3,000 beneficiaries in Lupane and another 2,000 in Mangwe. 

April 2010 – LMMS was used in Aid for Work projects in selected urban areas in Bulawayo District until the projects were completed. 

Haiti

April 2010 – LMMS was used to register 1,310 households and issue scannable cards at Corail Internally Displaced Persons camp.   Three LMMS food distributions were conducted in Haiti under the World Food Program including the first non-food item distribution. 

June 2010 – Training has taken place in La Gonave and Mirabalais with USAID.  Two hundred households were registered in Mirabalais with a subsequent small distribution run in June and registrations have begun in La Gonave. 

Metrics 

• Time to register beneficiary households can range from 1.5 – 3 minutes depending on the detail of data collected for each program, whether or not household data was previously imported into LMMS, staff familiarity with LMMS, etc.
• Evidence from Zimbabwe reveals that it takes slightly more than 1 minute to process a beneficiary during distributions.  This included the beneficiary signing for his/her food items.  Without the signature pad being engaged, beneficiaries can be processed as quickly as 30 seconds per person.
• Preliminary evidence from the Corail distributions in Haiti (where dual processes are running) indicate that LMMS is faster than the manual process.  LMMS processing had to be stopped so that the corresponding manual process could catch up.
• Haiti field deployments showed that 8 mobile units (an unprecedented in LMMS history) could be connected to one roaming server. Doing so allowed for even faster completion of detailed data collection in the field.

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jcapili General Communications

The World Economic Forum has recently included a profile of LMMS in action in Haiti. The report references the work we have been doing today in Haiti. While a little short on the extensive design, software development and roll out from the LMMS teams, it is still a good reflection of the work to date in Haiti and the power of partnerships. Take a read:

Case Study: World Vision and Automated Food Distribution

World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization founded in 1950, committed several years ago to improving the efficiency of its food aid provision. In 2006, it began working with a Canadian technology firm, FieldWorker, to reduce cumbersome paperwork processes for logging and processing food distribution. After several months of developing software and vetting systems internally, it launched a one-year pilot programme to test mobile technology involving hand-held scanners and bar-coded identification cards.

This system combined hardware from Intermec, a US-based company specializing in mobile computing systems, and FieldWorker’s software, which World Vision licensed at a reduced rate.

The result was a system that drew on best practices from the private sector and was customized to meet the needs of humanitarian agencies: food aid recipients were issued barcoded identification cards, and aid workers could scan these cards with hand-held, wireless computers.

The device would automatically calculate rations and log food distribution at the particular site. World Vision determined that the pilot study – which covered 20,000 recipients in Kenya and Lesotho in 2009 – was a vast improvement over the time-consuming paperwork: it reduced registration time from approximately three minutes to less than one minute. It also reduced errors in accounting for food distribution and decreased insensitivity towards illiterate beneficiaries.

Based on these promising early results, World Vision leaders wanted to implement the automated solution in Haiti. Intermec donated dozens of devices, and staff members were deployed for implementation. A limited number have been put into use in two resettlement areas. “The initial feedback from the ground is very positive,” says
Otto Farkas, World Vision’s Director of Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs, Resource Development and Collaborative Innovation. “The field workers love the
ease of the technology, and the beneficiaries are also very receptive of the new technology and the biometric ration cards that will allow real-time identification and data use.”

Despite the improved efficiency, deployment of the programme in Haiti was significantly delayed due to backlogs at customs and the inability to clear the equipment at the port. However, World Vision hopes that its experience drawing on the private
sector for best practices in information processing can be used to help other NGOs. According to Farkas, World Vision plans to offer this technology to other humanitarian agencies as a way of standardizing and automating many aid services.

The opportunity to use the technology in Haiti, where it is expected to improve service to over 500,000 beneficiaries, will prove invaluable in refining and demonstrating the benefits of such technology.

“Humanitarian actors shouldn’t wait for the next disaster,” says Craig Tyndall, FieldWorker General Manager. “Disaster is the worst time for innovation because people simply don’t have time.”

Guiding Principle: Foresight in experimenting with technology and testing collaborative development paid off in responding to the crisis in Haiti. While the disaster left little time for radical new ideas, humanitarian agencies and private companies that were nimble and had prior records of adapting to new ideas were able to roll out new solutions that improved efficiency of operations.

The full report can be found at here.

Jay Narhan General Communications

The week of June 1st, the members of 900 households in Haiti at the Corail camp for Internally Displaced Persons had their first experience with Last Mile Mobile Solutions (LMMS) when they were registered and given their bar-coded and picture-identified ration cards.  That Friday, over 680 households received non-food items and hygiene kits by using their new cards, while others still relied on paper records.

 After World Vision proved LMMS’ worth in Kenya, Lethoso and Zimbabwe, it was felt that Haitians should also get the benefits of quicker processing, less waiting time, greater reporting accuracy, more efficient supply distribution and management, improved accountability and robust functionality in the field.  The necessary equipment was donated and purchased, country-specific software was developed, and field staff were trained the week before implementing the system.

 Initially, both the paper-based and the LMMS wireless digital systems were used simultaneously to continue testing the LMMS technology and to observe the differences between the two systems.  And those differences have led to a decision to move to a fully automated approach that uses just the more efficient and less labour-intensive LMMS technology.

 ”It is clear that the manual system will become defunct soon!” Richard Lankas, IT Specialist, Last Mile Mobile Solutions (Food Program Management Group) confirmed.  “The actual time savings between the two systems was hard to estimate this time, because beneficiaries with LMMS picture cards were all spread throughout the queue … first coming to the LMMS desk and then heading to the manual system.  But it is evident that LMMS was a lot faster, because we ended up clogging the guys doing the manual bit.  We had to slow down so that they could catch up.”

 LMMS’s speed and efficiency has proven again that it helps to deliver effective results at the last mile.  “The core set up and design of the system is very good.  The heart of the system is the beneficiary, so it is designed to be very flexible about connecting the recipient with the items,” reports Sharon Boyle, Associate Director, Global Supply Chain Management.   “I can see LMMS being used for any last mile distribution beyond food such as the non-food items we gave out here, emergency relief items, and even ‘activities’ like vaccinations or training.”

 While setting up LMMS in Haiti was not without challenges, it also presented opportunities to push the boundaries to improve effectiveness and save costs.  “Here at Corail, we tried having 6 devices ‘talking’ to one roaming server (i.e. laptop) at the same time.”  According to Richard, “The hardware people have always warned us that using more than 3 devices at a time on one roaming server will cause the connection to deteriorate.   But we pushed it to 8 mobile units and so far, all of them are able to sync data and send information queries without any communication problems … none whatsoever!”

 Improvements continue to be made to software stability, checks and balances, as well as cross-program communication with the incorporation of UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code) in LMMS’ own item catalogue codes.  Sharon felt that the immediate and ready access to data and reporting provided by LMMS was excellent.  “This really addresses a major sore point in the supply chain and with our Multi-year Activity Program (MYA) reporting issues in Haiti.  A little more tightening of a few loose joints and we can be ready to deploy anywhere.”

 There is need for LMMS in all of the countries where World Vision is working at the last mile.  With more funding, it will be possible to give even more beneficiaries efficient, effective and accurate assistance.

DF

jcapili General Communications

LMMS has been blogged about, written in case studies and discussed in forums around innovation both internally (World Vision) and externally.  The “comic” strip has also been a great medium for people to visualize and gain a basic understanding of how the Last Mile Mobile Solutions works on the ground.

On May 7^th, 2010, at World Vision’s, Global Relief Forum, people were given an opportunity to touch, see and feel LMMS.  Centered on “Doing Things Differently,” ie. Innovation in the Humanitarian Sector – the day was open to an external audience which included other Non-Governmental Organizations and different levels of the Canadian government.

To showcase the LMMS process, a mock general distribution – for lunch – was developed.  Participants were “registered” on the CN50s in the morning.  Those from the same organization or same departments were registered as one “household” to demonstrate how the system automatically calculates rations per household upon “distribution.” The “head of the households’” pictures were also taken with the CN50s – a process many enjoyed, though not all enjoyed not being photogenic.  All heads of households were then given their bar coded LMMS card which they presented at the exhibition booth.

Though most of the participants had heard about LMMS, they were pleased to see it work “in real life.”  That is, once the bar codes from their LMMS cards were scanned, the pictures and data collected automatically popped up – part of the technology that was understood in theory but was fully grasped in the interactive demonstration.  For those households with more than one person, participants were shown how the rations (assorted sandwiches, desert, coffee/tea, etc.) were properly calculated (based on pre-set rules). LMMS cards were also printed on the spot, another piece to the process that further exemplified the efficiency and simplicity of LMMS.

Questions and concerns about the feasibility of LMMS were also addressed:

Q:  “What if my husband is the head of the household and he is not able to pick up the rations, so I am sent in his place.  I am a woman from a country that is not allowed to speak her husband’s name.  How do I get the rations?”

A: “Members of the household are inputted into the household information.  There would be no need for the woman to speak her husband’s name because she could give her name – which is included in the household information.”

Q: “In some countries, everyone is considered a ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ or ‘aunt’ or ‘uncle.’ How would you input this?”

A: “The fields (information collected) are context specific.  This would be discussed with the country staff to ensure the proper and appropriate data is collected.”

Q: “What if the system broke down?”

A: “Once you synchronize, the data is automatically stored in the roaming server.  A planned beneficiary distribution list, a report that shows rations quantities each household is entitled, is also produced and taken to the field as a backup. If the system fails, beneficiaries can sign/thumbprint on the sign/thumbprint column provided.

Overall, the ability to showcase and make LMMS interactive with stakeholders at the one day event, further increased the confidence in the LMMS system and promoted the importance of innovation in humanitarian action.

jcapili General Communications

By Sibusisiwe Ndlovu, WV Zimbabwe Communications Officer

In the heart of the indigenous forests of Lupane, the revolution of Humanitarian Aid has begun, with Information Technology breaking down the barriers of hunger, poverty and illiteracy.

All at the touch of one button, the Last Mile Mobile Solutions (LMMS) that has been recently rolled out by the Food Programming Management Group (FPMG) in Lupane District has digitalized beneficiary registrations and commodity distribution plans, demonstrating the many immense benefits of the food programming software.

LMMS technology that uses laptops and handheld devices has distinct advantages over the widely used paper based system. The current LMMS architecture uses Local Wireless Networking which allows for an outdoor roaming radius of 100-300 metres between the handheld devices and the laptop that acts as the server.

Figure 1: LMMS Technology comes to Lupane

During registration at a food distribution site, World Vision (WV) field monitors use a hand held device to photograph beneficiaries and record important information such as name, location and states the vulnerability that makes them eligible for food assistance. The beneficiary data is transferred to the laptop using wireless to for verification and tracking.

The beneficiary then receives a photo identity card (ID) with a barcode that is scanned each time there is a food distribution for verification and calculating accurate ration size in a matter of seconds resulting in fewer errors and duplication. It keeps track of distributions and easily picks up any attempts to double dip.
This computing technology reduces the registration and verification processes to less than a minute compared to the 2-3 minutes consumed by the paper based system. Beneficiaries receive their rations faster and there are no mistakes in ration size.

The manual based calculations used in the paper based system are sometimes inaccurate and a beneficiary may receive more or less than what they are actually supposed to receive. LMMS ensures that there is sufficient food available for distributions. With this system, World Vision field staff have more time to monitor feeding projects because reporting is done automatically. Staff members have suggested a 60 per cent reduction in the time required to generate key reports, with the distinct advantage that these
automatically generated reports are accurate and can be transmitted electronically.

Donors and other stakeholders are assured of greater accountability and inventory control in the field.  Every component of LMMS is password protected and is put through a strong encryption process. If the equipment is stolen or data intercepted during transmission, without passwords, all data is scrambled and impossible to read. This is unlike paper based records which if lost can be easily read by anyone.

Figure 2: LMMS has done away with finger prints during verification

World Vision’s Systems Development and Field Implementations Officer, Richard Lankas who carried out a recent LMMS training program for the Lupane Food Aid Team says “LMMS is set to revolutionize the implementation of commodity distributions, by cutting down operational costs and whilst speeding up the beneficiary verification process.

The current paper-based systems are difficult to store, easy to manipulate whilst calculations of food rations are done manually and with a high possibility of inaccuracy. There is also need for the collection of thumb prints and signatures from beneficiaries each time food is distributed and due to illiteracy, some beneficiaries may find this process demeaning.”

Having undergone an intensive one week training on the use of LMMS, the Lupane District Food Aid Team was quick put into practice what they had learnt at the next scheduled food distribution that was held at Sotani Food Distribution Point (FDP).

Following the pre-distribution address, the Food Aid Team wasted no time in distributing the beneficiary ID cards containing vital information that includes the beneficiary’s name, photograph, a bar code and the name of the respective household head.

Figure 3: Beneficiary registration card being scanned

Ululations and excited laughter soon punctuated the air as beneficiaries admired their new registration cards in anticipation and curiosity of what technology would unfold next at this particular distribution.

Figure 4: Excited to receive her beneficiary card

Eager to start the verification process, the WV Zimbabwe Lupane District Coordinator, Sinini Masuku said, “before this food distribution even begins, it is evident LMMS has eliminated the massive paperwork that my team has had to deal with in the past, thus cutting costs on paper, ink, cartridges and manpower as we had to hire seven more casual workers to do beneficiary registrations. Also the risks of losing information are minimal when comparing to paperwork that can easily be misplaced or destroyed.

Sinini added “what I like best about the system is that it’s a secure, tamper proof verification tool that encourages the registration of factual data, thus discouraging beneficiaries from inflating household member numbers thus disadvantaging really deserving vulnerable households.”

As events marking a new era in food aid programming continued to unfold at Sotani FDP, Sinini led the verification process with utmost ease, utilizing scanning technology much to the marvel of the rural folk of Lupane.

Figure 5: A beneficiary signs receipt of her ration

In a record one hour, 700 beneficiaries had gone through the verification process and were sharing their food rations amongst each other.

Unable to hide her excitement elderly Elisabeth Sibanda, who was collecting food rations for two of her orphaned grandchildren and herself said “I knew it, some day World Vision would realize that it is not easy for a poor villagers like me to spend the whole day queuing on an empty stomach due to the long verification process, hence they have come up with a dignified way of speeding up distributions. It is my first time to leave a food distribution before lunch time, in the past we have always left at sunset. This makes me feel truly valued by World Vision in the work they do for us here in drought ravaged Lupane,”
concluded Elisabeth with a smile.

By 1pm, both young and old that had gathered at Sotana FDP slowly dispersed in the direction of their various villages all touched by the information technology revolution that has made life easier for both beneficiaries and the Lupane Food Aid Team.

Before making their way back to the Lupane District Office, the field monitors had the post distribution report automatically generated all at the touch of a button allowing the team to pursue other issues on arrival at Lupane District Office.

Figure 6: The Lupane Food Aid Team compile the post distribution report at the touch of a button

LMMS’s ‘roaming server architecture’ is capable of manipulating vast amounts of data with sheer accuracy by eliminating variables at the click of a button.

Plans are underway to roll out LMMS throughout all of WV Zimbabwe’s Food Aid districts subject to the further development of the functionality around the software and mobile scanning devices.

This system that is currently being tested in Zimbabwe will be rolled out in Haiti in May after successful testing in Lesotho, Kenya and Uganda.

Jay Narhan General Communications, Project Updates