COLLECTING FIELD DATA USING SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS

1. COLLECTING FIELD DATA USING SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS Cody Winn East Africa Coffee Initiative July 2011

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Within the TNS East Africa CI, lots of types of data are collected out in the field. The information is either written on paper with re-entry later on a PC, which is inefficient, or via formatted SMS, which is difficult to learn and error-prone. The required resources and travel are also a significant cost center. A potential project to improve these issues is to create smartphone applications to collect data and use for informative purposes. Smartphones can improve efficiency and accuracy of data entry and can automatically transmit data over-the-air into the database. This presentation contains general information to help guide a smartphone deployment plan for TNS-CI.

3. CONTENTS • General info about smartphone app deployments • Hardware and power options • TNS smartphone action plan • TNS candidate projects • Initial project candidate – replace SMS Bookkeeping • Appendix A – Additional Resources • Appendix B – other TNS project candidates

4. BENEFITS OF DATA COLLECTION VIA SMARTPHONE APP • More efficient and accurate data • Simplify process and eliminate duplicate entry • Dynamically guide user through numerous pages and fields • Immediate error checking • One click transmission to database • Immediate calculations • Show results to people in field immediately • Generate automated reports (eg: action plans) • Multimedia capabilities • Take photos and include with reports • Show training videos to people in field • Scale-up potential • Add new functionality as needed • Apps for different projects can interact, share data

5. RISKS OF APP DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS • Cost • Device purchases and import, vendor development, training • Warranty and/or replacement and maintenance • Quantifying improvements to justify project cost • Logistics • Importing devices into countries • Training data collectors on a new workflow and new technology • Users without internet access may have delays uploading data • Hardware and software ongoing maintenance and support • Sustainability • Long-term funding for devices and required new development • Training and project ownership post-Technoserve

6. GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION STEPS • 1. Finalize the data needed and back-end • Create data models • Web data entry form to update data manually • Expose APIs to load data into the database • 2. Development • Create long-term budget and operational support plan • Determine device OS / app platform, and data transfer protocol • Purchase devices and develop application and data transmission • 3. Training and deployment • Test entire workflow with one sample data collection • Train users to collect data on paper first, and then to enter into web form (to ensure understanding of data model and context) • Train users on device use and OTA transmission • Train users to use app

7. ANDROID HARDWARE OPTIONS * * As of June 2011 • Android has many benefits • Cost going down, many device options, robust open-source tech (ODK, JavaRosa) + dev community and case studies, ease of development, device portability, long-term survival & evolution of platform • Android phones have been used in many NGO deployments • Older phones like MyTouch 3G, Sony Ericsson Xperia x8 have successfully case studies. Can be bought cheaply now but only by resellers (replacement difficult) • New phones at lower cost coming all the time - Huawei Ideos $100 new in Kenya and being piloted by Grameen Uganda with very good early results • “Rugged” options if needed, such as Motorola Defy (~$400) • Tablets not ideal yet but may be in future • Hybrid phone/tablet like Dell Streak, 5” screen, unlocked GSM, $449 • Dirt cheap tablets like 8-inch Archos Arnova, $150 (but questionable usability/durability) • Things to consider • Do we need ruggedness? • Physical keyboard or touch screen will be easier for text input? • Do we need SIM cards, or can sync be done direct to a PC? • English-only acceptable, or Kinyarwanda needed? • Is any security or encryption needed?

8. POWER / CHARGING OPTIONS • Existing chargers at wetmills insufficient • Generators unreliable • d.light solar charger is not powerful enough • Solar panel + battery products • Many companies creating products designed for rural use, but mostly for lights • Solar products may not be powerful enough to keep an Android phone charged • Sample products: Trony Sundial, PowerCurve, Greenlight Planet Sun King Pro • Need to do field tests to evaluate performance • Power storage products • Battery can store power coming from solar, stationary bicycle, or grid • Fenix ReadySet deployed by Grameen Uganda and happy with performance so far • Expensive ($150) but optimizes battery efficiency • Bicycle powering a battery • Significantly more powerful than solar • Co-ops previously expressed no interest but could be a more efficient option

9. TNS ACTION PLAN • 1. Decide initial project • Proposal: replace SMS Bookkeeping • 2. Approve budget • Hardware cost • Development of software and data transfer protocol • 3. Make key decisions • Vendor to work with • OS and hardware (Proposal: ODKCollect client app on Android phones) • Write product spec and implementation plan • 4. Development and deployment • Ensure database and web form is sufficient for new workflow • Build app with straightforward data entry UI • API into existing database and XForms to transmit data • Train users to use the application and upload the data

10. TNS-CI PROJECT CANDIDATES (SHORT-TERM) • Wetmill bookkeeping and Transparency Sheets • User: Wetmill accountant • SMS Bookkeeping is live but has many problems due to SMS limitations • Data model and database APIs are ready • Transparency Sheet users requesting better data • Sustainability Scorecard audits • User: Wetmill BAs • Back end and data entry webpage will be finished • Will make it easy to capture photos and notes • BAs can show photos or videos to address problems • Wetmill Weekly Scorecard reports • User: Wetmill BAs • Data input can be done at wet mill (instead of later) • YTD performance and other reports can be run immediately

11. TNS-CI PROJECT CANDIDATES (LONGER-TERM) • Wetmill BA task and site visit management • User: Wetmill BAs • Will enable BAs to be more efficient with time and productive in visits • TNS can optimize BA program and address inefficiencies • Agronomy program management • User: Agronomy BAs & Farmer Trainers • Lots of paper data collection • Will increase accuracy by maintaining farmer database on device • Immediate registration of new farmers • BAs can show videos to assist farmer trainings • Wetmill operation management • User: Wetmill managers • SOPs, FAQs, and videos loaded on device for reference • Enter specifics of wetmill to generate customized instructions

12. PROJECT: REPLACE WETMILL SMS BOOKKEEPING * * Implementation of other projects is described in Appendix B • Data collected • Cherry volumes, finances, movement of parchment inventory – all fields from the financial Transparency Sheets • Optional advanced version to track deliveries per site collector • Benefits • Improved external data: SMS was too inaccurate to be usable by financiers and roasters, even as interest in the data is increasing • Bookkeeping assistance: app will help accountant keep books in order • BA efficiency: wetmills can be more self-sufficient • Product details • Guide user through submitting 4 reports based from SMS Bookkeeping messages and the paper books – Cherry Delivery (daily), Parchment Store (weekly), Cash Ledger (weekly), Parchment Shipment (as needed) • Show helpful calculations and reports immediately (Cash Balance, etc) • Reminders, troubleshooting steps if reports aren’t matching books

13. APPENDIX A - USEFUL RESOURCES • Technology options • Great overview of the process required to set up a mobile data collection system: http://mobileactive.org/howtos/mobile-phones-data-collection • Exhaustive list/analysis of mobile data collection tech options: http://www.mobileactive.org/comparing-mobile-data-collection-tools-followup • Open Data Kit (ODK) • Open-source tools to build a data collection form, collect the data on a mobile device, and upload the data to a server • http://opendatakit.org/ • ODK training guides for the field data collectors: http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/wiki/TrainingGuide • ODK for Android documentation: http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/wiki/FrequentlyAskedQuestions • Other Similar Projects Worldwide • Great case study / learnings from implementing ODK/Android: http://ekumpel.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/135/ • Grameen AppLab Uganda, heavily using ODK/Android: http://www.grameenfoundation.applab.org/ckw/section/ckw-technology

14. APPENDIX B – OTHER TNS-CI PROJECT CANDIDATES See following 6 slides

15. PROJECT: AUTOMATE SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARDS * * Implementation of other projects described in Appendix C • Data collected • Scores for 60+ best practices, collected at the wetmill • Scores for 14 farmer-level best practices, collected at multiple farms • Notes and photos as additional documentation • Benefits • BA efficiency: data won’t need to be re-entered on computer • Immediate reports: BA can show the wetmill their results immediately • Multimedia: BAs can play videos for wetmill staff to address problems • Good first step toward enabling sustainability and wetmill management throughout the year on devices • Product details • Simple data entry page to enter scorecard scores, both at wetmill and at farms • Options to add text notes and photos for each attribute • Immediate generation of the scorecard results for BA to show to the wetmill

16. SAMPLE TIMELINE –SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARDS

17. PROJECT: AGRONOMY PROGRAM MANAGEMENT • Data collected • Farmer registry and attendance at trainings • For various subsets of farmers • best practices adoption • performance and yield • income and expenses • Benefits • Efficiency: lots of data is collected on paper, then re-entered • No errors: find and match the right farmer immediately • Advanced logic: register new farmers immediately and generate a farmer ID • Multimedia: BAs could show videos on the device as part of training • Product details • Full farmer database stored locally on the device • Lookup by farmer name to mark attendance, add personal info • Forms to enter data being collected for subsets of farmers • Register a new farmer and generate an ID • Cost consideration • Collection done by farmer trainers (~60), not just BAs

18. PROJECT: WETMILL WEEKLY SCORECARDS * Note: BA weekly scorecards will become unnecessary if Wetmill Bookkeeping app is deployed and data is accurate • Data collected • Cherry volume, cash paid, parchment, etc for the wet mill for the week • Some YTD cumulative data • Benefits • BA efficiency: lots of data is collected on paper, then re-entered • Accurate data: input done while at wetmill • Advanced calculations: YTD totals, comparison to targets and vs other wetmills • Product details • Simple data entry page to input weekly scorecard fields • Immediate generation of a status report for BA to show to the wetmill

19. PROJECT: WETMILL BA TASK AND SITE MANAGEMENT • Data collected • BA wetmill visits, time spent and tasks completed • Tracking tools to monitor each wetmill’s issues • Benefits • Site visit optimization: BAs maintain wetmill-related task list on device, so visits are planned properly and multiple tasks can be completed • Savings: TNS can analyze BA time use and make program improvements • Learnings: TNS can create guidelines to transfer to CSPs, government boards • Product details • BAs “check in” to report wetmill visits • Task list and current status for each wetmill • All resources BAs may need (SOPs, best practices, videos, FAQs) on device • In future, additional info can be retrieved automatically by app (call center history, external audit results, etc) • Links to apps that manage specific projects (Sustainability Scorecards, Weekly Scorecards)

20. PROJECT: WETMILL SELF MANAGEMENT • Data collected • Volume and quality (external reporting) • Information needed for internal management • Much more as wetmills become more self-sufficient • Benefits • Savings: enable wetmill self-sufficiency and reduce BA visits • Revenue: improve quality of processing and thus coffee • TNS strategy: build a product that can be offered in other countries • Product details • Resources for wetmill processing (SOPs, best practices, videos, FAQs) • Customized recommendations based on volume, location, financial situation, problems, etc • Tools to manage cherry volumes, inventory, profit management and re-investment, farmer lists, etc