Tracking projects with Bhargov.in

Sample Dashboard

(Actual values and project data replaced for privacy)

Background

DDO (District Development Officer- CEO ZP) works as coordinating and monitoring body of all works done through Gram Panchayats under multiple government schemes. In gram panchayats, for works of value less than Rs. 5 lakh, tenders are not issued and work orders are given at direct rates to contractors. These contracts are usually given to Gram Panchayat members or their relatives and their progress is never actively tracked. Financial allocation and disbursement happens without much tracking. A unified system of tracking of all works, their progress, execution and impact was required to bring in accountability.

Problems and Objectives

• Streamlining of Project Tracking procedure for works under Bharuch DDO
• Bring in accountability, timely intervention and quality assurance.
• Overcoming connectivity and training barriers.
• Providing decision support with easy to use and understand data analytics dashboard.
• Taking Public feedback on public projects and making lifecycle project impact assessment.

Project Methodology

• In a series of meetings with all stakeholders, we outlined the project attributes to be recorded for developing a complete picture of works undertaken.
• Detailed comparative study of other efforts with similar project requirements both public and private was done. We studied features from MNREGA sites as well as Google Maps.
• Internet connectivity, language barrier, ease of use were identified as key focus areas to be overcome to improve adoption.
• Repeated iterations coupled with on ground trials improved the technology and data quality.

Solutions Implemented

• Each project undertaken by Bharuch DDO is entered into the system. A definite timeline of project implementation is set.
• Data entry outlines the project category, spending authority, contractors, location of the project etc.
• Updates at regular intervals and addition of information such as photographs, quality assessments, documents
• All this information is available to monitoring parties through interactive data visualization
• Accountability is fixed at each level and clear KPIs (Key Performance Areas) are developed at Taluka and department levels

Technical Features of the Project

Offline Browser Based data Entry
Use of technology tools removed the connectivity barrier and reduced development times and cost
Ease of use
No Apps downloaded, no training required. Intuitive design helped 30+ users on-boarded without any training.
Photographic evidence collection
No Apps downloaded, no training required. Intuitive design helped 30+ users on-boarded without any training.
Photographic evidence collection
Every step of the project work was photographed with geotagging. This reduced fake reporting
Interactive data visualizations

All data collected visualized in an interactive dashboard that helps pinpoint pain areas.

Geographic intelligence

Money and project allocation was prioritized to evenly distribute it across the district.

Public Feedback mechanisms

Next step plans include enabling public participation to review project work done and reporting lapses.

Impact of the project

• Project area covered
  • 665 villages, 545 Gram Panchayat
  • Population of 13 Lakh as per 2011 census
• Objectives achieved
  • Projects worth 2 Crore currently under assessment
  • Stakeholders more aware of project quality and accountability
  • Interactive dashboards make pattern recognition easier.
• First year goals
  • Projects worth 12 Cr. Tracked from proposal to Money Disbursement stage. Data analysis on factors impacting cost and timeliness.
  • Establishing clear quality assessment standards
  • Introduction of public participation in impact assessment

Awards and recognition

This project received the Skoch Order-Of-Merit Award for Governance initiatives. Skoch awards recognizes demonstrable change made through use of technology in fields of Government or Social work. Our CEO Mr. Rigved Shenai accepted the award on behalf of Bharuch DDO and ProNeta team.

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