Last Mile Mobile Solutions: Innovations in Humanitarian Interventions

Presented by Schelda Jean Baptiste LMMS & Cash Program Support Officer World Vision International LMMS Defined . Leverages innovative technologies at the last mile of humanitarian programming - that final transaction area between NGOs and end- beneficiaries. . LMMS project looks to increases the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in humanitarian service delivery through improved remote data collection, beneficiary management, commodity distribution and reporting processes. . LMMS is designed to make the delivery of humanitarian aid quicker and easier while enabling greater accountability for the assistance delivered. . LMMS manages various types of data associated with humanitarian service delivery and it is used during registration as well as distributions. . WVI global mandate to role out LMMS in all programs which can use the system- to replace paper system. LMMS Defined

• A beneficiary-registration system developed by WV, which registers households, tie them to humanitarian interventions and records all resource transfer transactions at the final delivery point and instantly generates distribution reports.

• All processes from inception are paperless but electronically recorded.

• The system was initially developed for food-based projects but is now being used for cash-based projects as well and is being piloting for other projects (Shelter, WASH, Livelihood, Education, Health and Nutrition. Data LMMS Manages

Beneficiaries Enrolment / Project Mgmt Commodities Participation Households & General Item Members Association of Distribution Catalogue Beneficiaries One Head with Projects Targeted Inventory by Member per Feeding FDP & Project Household Eligibility for Aid Aid For Work Commodity (Cash & Food) Transactions

Distributions System Data

By Project, Date, & FDP Locations, FDP’s, Warehouses

Distribution Plans Application Users (Household Rations Calculation) LMMS processes

• After the targeting and verification of beneficiary through the agreed selection criteria, beneficiaries are then selected to be part of the program.

• Using an Android mobile device our field staff photograph beneficiaries and record all other relevant household demographics such as name, location, vulnerability (at household and member level) that makes them eligible for the assistance, which are then used to improve the speed and efficiency of distributions. The data gathered can also be analyzed quickly and used to plan additional assistance, and to monitor and report on the assistance provided. LMMS process cont’

• The beneficiary data is sent to the laptop/roaming server using wireless connection for verification.

• Once enrolled and approved on the system, the beneficiary then receives a photo identity card with a barcode that is scanned each time there is a distribution (cash/food/NFI) for verification and calculating accurate rations in a matter of seconds resulting in fewer errors and duplication.

• Eligible households are enrolled into projects and all their information is stored on the electronic database.

• Multiple projects can be enrolled without repeat registration. LMMS process cont’

• Commodity rations / cash allocations are set once per project to automatically calculate quantities needed for distribution planning depending on the program.

• During distribution, ID cards are scanned to determine eligibility and individuals are visually matched using photos on ration cards and in database.

• Inventory as well as reporting is done in real time. Some of the reports include the list of beneficiaries that received cash/commodities in detail. Old Way of Doing Business Old Way of Doing Business • Complete paper based system of remote data collection and data management on Humanitarian Projects

• Redundancy in data collection

• Manual efforts to develop and maintain various beneficiary lists

• Manual calculations of ration sizes due at distributions. Errors, Graft.

• Report generation completely manual and extremely labour intensive with implications on timeliness

• Limited methodology of performing beneficiary verification What’s Changed? What’s Changed? “It is my first time to leave a food distribution before lunch time, in the past we have always left at sunset.” Elderly Food Aid Recipient, Zimbabwe, 2010.

• All data collected once on mobile phones/tablets, in digital format, in complete form • Handle new data types - photo images, geo-spatial mapping, etc • Automated processes - calculations of rations due, tracking incoming/outgoing stock • Field workers can roam field distribution sites, connecting via Wi-Fi • Identify what employee entered what data – processed which beneficiary records • Photo verification on collection of commodity assets • Real/Near-Real time updates to data repositories • Capacity to run queries and generate reports immediately – Master Ben List, Distribution Plans, Planned Ben Distribution Lists & Actual Ben Distribution Reports. Summary

. Manual process requires the re-registration of beneficiaries for new programs, while LMMS can leverage historic beneficiary lists to automatically register beneficiaries to new programs

. LMMS does not require re-registration of beneficiaries for new programs. Major time and cost savings are realized at the registration phase of the process flow The Hardware Components • Laptops: • a.k.a Roaming Servers • Mobile Units: • CN devices + * NEW * Android devices • Peripherals: • Mobile charging options, battery packs • Printer and Cards • * New * Access Points, Sat Options Roaming Servers – Islands Unto ..

Advantages • Operates in zero Internet connectivity. • Access to data served by the applications in the field, dynamically. • Data is spread out, risk can be reduced if a single system goes down.

Disadvantages • Consolidation efforts can suffer or made complicated. • More equipment required – cost and mgmt of assets. • Damage to a server that “roams”. • Keeping certain common data consistent - challenging & risky Catastrophe – System Failures

• Out of power: • Servers in particular • Mitigation: Power options? • Mitigation: New 6 or 9 cell batteries

• Connectivity problems: • Registration – can’t connect to (local) server • Mitigation: temporary ID cards (paper forms – rugged). • Mitigation: Offline registration capability • Distribution day – can’t connect to server • Mitigation: PBDLs • Adequate training for staff to know how to check for IPs and connect.

• Server gets damaged severely or loss • Mitigation: extra equipment? • Mitigation: Restore from data backups • Mitigation: Access to remote server (risk mgmt)

• Software problems • Mitigation: follow the recommended setup (e.g. limit other software installations) • Bug tracking In the Near Future Centralized Cloud Server Advantages: • Consolidation. • Time to set up reduced. • Ease of mgmt (set up, backups). • Lower cost of ownership (capital expenses significantly reduced). • Computing capacity scales. • Transparency to data. Disadvantages: • Load balancing, Auto • Internet dependency. Scaling. • Data security (can be • Data security. managed). Who’s using LMMS:

World Vision: Externals: • Kenya • Save the Children • Uganda • Medair • Ethiopia • Oxfam • South Sudan • Norwegian Refugee Council • Sudan • Deutsche Welthungerhilfe • Burundi • Malawi • Zimbabwe • Lesotho • Mali • Niger • Mauritania • Niger • Haiti • Philippines!! • Myanmar • Pakistan • Chad Salamat Po