Introduction and Background

The KALAHI-CIDSS is a community-driven development program that facilitates empowerment and poverty reduction by building the capacities of communities together with their local government units in the identification, design, implementation, completion and sustainability of development projects that address their most pressing needs. In the many years of implementation, numerous community subprojects have been implemented and completed as a result of the participatory and empowerment activities of the program. 

With the wide coverage of the program and the comprehensiveness of the processes involved especially in the realization of these community sub-projects, immense amount of data has been generated using the various tools and forms, making data management a necessity in the program operations monitoring and evaluation. Enthused by the efficiency in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), systems or databases are designed by the program intended for effective data management. 

One of its official databases is the Geotagging WebApp (GWA). This system contains numerical data and geotagged photos of the community sub-projects implemented and completed in the program. It enables tracking the sub-project movement status in the field and provides other relevant information such as financial and physical information as well as the safeguards mechanisms ensured in the project implementation. It is also embedded with a function where data stored can be extracted into raw excel file.

As much as this database has efficiently aided in the operations monitoring, results reporting and information sharing, the program is constantly pursuing areas for improvement or enhancement in order to make program data (community sub-projects in this case) more accessible to our stakeholders for their information and use. 

In this time where almost all information are stored in a device that is single-handled by our palms and filtered through our fingers, the program management has initiated the plan to develop a mobile application that will map, guide and provide necessary information to the end user about the sub-projects being implemented or have been completed in the program. This would be useful particularly for the local stakeholders (e.g. LGU) for their immediate access to information of the community subprojects within their vicinity. This mobile application is conceptualized as the Project Resource Online/Offline (PRO) Locator. 

DSWD's Experience

As a national database, the Geotagging WebApp is the official source of information of the community subprojects in the program. While it has contributed mainly in the easy organization and processing of the subproject data, especially for reporting and information sharing purposes, there are also certain limitations in the accessibility and use of the system.

In terms of access, the database requires an internet connection since it has no offline version. Ease of accessibility is also affected by the huge amount of stored data in the system; thus, there are certain instances when smooth access to the system becomes a concern on the part of the users.

As to the content, the database contains mainly the raw data on the list of the subprojects and their relevant information. It has an Advance Filter Section intended to filter information according to the data needs. However, it has no existing dashboard that would efficiently collate and summarize the subproject data for easy extraction and reference during data requests and/or reporting. The database has only a download section where the user can generate raw excel file. This would entail time consumption in the sorting and processing of data since the user will still utilize the Microsoft Excel functions in order to come up with the needed information.

Relative to accessibility, the database is not mainly for public use. As part of the quality control, the users of this database are mostly limited to the program staff who shall do the encoding, updating, and extraction of the data. This is to safeguard the database from actions that could endanger the quantity and quality of the data such as unnecessary alteration or deletion of data. With this set-up, when LGU or other stakeholders would request information, the program staff will be the one who will do the extraction of the data and use the excel functions for processed information. In case an outside visitor accesses the database, he/she may need ample time to familiarize the existing system to retrieve historical data and/or information.

Lessons Learned

Essentially, the program management has acknowledged the potential to improve the access and use of the subproject data of the program especially by the stakeholders. In particular, the conceptualized application seeks to complement the functionality of the existing database by filling-in the identified limitations or gaps and other aspects which can be improved, to wit:

• Improve the access to information by having an offline version where internet connection would not be required upon access;

• Improve the retrieval of the data or information according to data needs without undergoing the filtering process in the database and the tedious extraction or processing of raw files;

• Extend or expand the access and use of the data that is not limited to the program staff only, thereby allow local stakeholders for such, without sacrificing the security measures to safeguard the quantity and quality of the data;

• Easier way of updating of data in the database (e.g. uploading of the geotagged photos) without necessarily accessing the database to ensure such functions; and

• A handier or easier way of doing those processes without necessarily using the laptop or personal computer to acquire data or access the database to perform them.

The Future of DSWD

Based on the experiences cited and the lessons learned therefrom, this initiative of the program would bring improvement and enhancement in the aspect of information and knowledge management. As per concept or blueprint, the Project Resource Online/Offline (PRO) Locator shall have the following features:

• The app shall source the data from the Geotagging WebApp being the official source of information or data on the subprojects of the program;

• This innovation is a mobile application which is designed to be downloaded from the Google Play Store. Thus, this would allow a handier access since users can just use their smartphones and not necessarily laptops or personal computers;

• The application has an offline and online functionality which means that internet connection is not required in accessing or using the app;

• The app uses mapping technology to create subproject markers that can be clustered and display information when interacted with, generate a dashboard, identify and correct broken coordinates;

• The app has a dashboard for easier retrieval and filtering of information or data needed by the user. Since it has a mapping technology, the user can navigate through the map the different subprojects implemented or completed within or around the vicinity, and can view subproject information (e.g. physical and financial data);

• The user (i.e. technical program staff) can also upload or update the geotagged photos onsite especially on instances when the staff conducts visits or inspections to the subproject; 

• The users are not limited to the program staff as other stakeholders (e.g. LGU) can also use and access the app. However, the functions that can be used are delineated among users such that functions related to the updating or uploading of data are limited only to the program staff.

With these, the mobile application could contribute in the digitalization vision of the agency by actualizing an easier, more convenient, and wider access, retrieval and use of the data and information by all of the program stakeholders on the subproject investments of the program to all of its covered communities. This would also help in increasing the awareness and appreciation of the different stakeholders of the undertakings of the program; thus, contributing to the program’s thrust for CDD institutionalization. Going beyond, this application could be replicated by other offices particularly in enhancing the information drive on the programs and services provided by the department and the stakeholders to the beneficiary communities.

Additional Resources

Attached is the draft manual of the PRO Locator relating to the functions embedded in the application. Nonetheless, in order to ensure the sustained functionality of the application, the following requisites or resource are necessary:

1. One-time payment for registration in the Google Play – this would guarantee the app security since it will be verified by Google. This is important to have a more convenient installation of the app especially that smartphones now have security measures. This would also allow synchronization of updates when certain functions or features are updated in the app.

2. Subscription to Web Hosting – necessary for security purposes.

3. Application Programming Interface (API) from NPMO – this would serve as a bridge in order for the source data from the Geotagging WebApp will be automatically fed to the mobile application.