Neeta Shah, Gujarat Informatics Ltd

www.conflux.csdms.in

ICT for Development

Village Information SystemImplementing Agency: Gujarat Informatics Ltd., GoG

Executing Agency: NISG

Project Sponsor: UNDP

Neeta Shah, Director (e-Governance)Gujarat Informatics Ltd.

18th October 2005Presented at: Conflux 2005 (www.conflux.csdms.in)


Overview of VIS Project•ICTD Project Proposal for Village Information System (e-Gram) was approved by NISG vide letter dated 27th October 2004

•Details of approved project is as follows:Funding Approved for Project: 1.4 CroresTarget Population: Pilot Project in 100 villages of 2 Districts (Patan and Mehsana)

•Suggestion Received: To explore the feasibility of using the software packages developed by NIC for the PR & RD sector


Components of VIS Project• Identification of 100 Villages• Need Assessment• Application Development & Deployment• Procurement of H/W & System S/W• Connectivity• Training, Change Management & Capacity

Building• Selection of Operators• Content Creation• Launch of VIS


Identification of 100 Villages• Identification of 100 Villages Done on

following criteria:– Population > 1,000– Village covered under Jyoti Gram Project– Availability of Internet Connectivity– Village not covered under e-Gram Project


Need Assessment

• Inputs were received from North-Gujarat University, NGO’s and CMC regarding the Need Assessment for ICTD Services

• Open Tender Procedure followed for selection of vendor

• Interim Report and Final Report received for the Need Assessment Exercise carried out


Objectives of Study• Understanding the region and people• Assessment of information and communication

needs of local people• Assessment of status of present support

infrastructure available in the region• Study of other ongoing ICT projects of the

Government• Study of successful case studies world over• Report on proposed information needs of

people


MethodologySelection of 20 villages from list of 100 villages

Reconnaissance survey

Survey Form Design

Village Profile Design

Selection of local Survey Team

Orientation of Survey Team

Data Collection from Secondary Sources

Primary Survey

Database Generation

Discussions with service Providers

Data Analysis

Final Report

Data Entry

Preparation of Data Entry Forms

Discussions with service administrators

Study of successful case studies


Umta

Mulsan

Morpa

Jangral

Bhatsan

Khari Dhariyal

Jhiliya Kuvasana

Bepadar Ajimana

KharivavdiMatpur

Davada

Jakhana

Hebuva

Juni Sedhavi

Gunjala

Bhutiya Vasna

Pindharpura

Selected Villages


Process

Reconnaissance Survey

Meeting with various class of people

Selection of Survey Team

Orientation of Survey Team


Methodology – Data Collection

Data Collection

Meetings with Service Administrators

District Development Officer

District Collector

Taluka Development Officer

Mamlatdar

Talati

District Level Taluka Level Village Level

Sarpanch

Gramsabha

Group Meetings with various groups of

local people

Individual Survey

Meetings w

ith Service U

sers

Meetings with Service Providers

Training Institutes –Govt. and Pvt.

Hardware and Software suppliers,

Cyber Cafe

N-Logue and Chirag

Study of successful case studies

Study of Ongoing Govt. Programs


Discussions with Service Users –Gram Sabha

1. Attended by Mamlatdar, Dy. Mamlatdar, Talati, Sarpanch, Dy. Sarpanch, committee members of Panchayat, local people

2. Introduction to the project and our objectives

3. Need to provide various records and certificates at village level

4. Eager to know modalities of the proposed system

5. General information on types of contents required from the proposed system

6. Feedback on existing systems of procuring records from various sources


Discussions with Service Users –Individual Survey

1. Keen on getting ICT based services at village level especially for procuring various certificates

2. Concerned about proposed rate of getting this information through ICT based services

3. Eager to know about latest technological development in various sectors by different groups of people


Discussions with Service Users –Group Meetings

1. Current sources of information

2. Suggestions to make existing systems more user-friendly

3. Specific requirement of type of information required periodically by them

4. Suggestions on proposed rate of getting information through ICT based systems


Summary of Selected Samples

• Gender-wise SelectionMale – 73% Female – 27%

• Caste-wise SelectionSC – 11% ST – 3% OBC – 59%Minority - 0.9% General – 27% Others – 0.1%

• Occupation-wise SelectionFarmers – 29% Agri. Labours – 27%Animal Husbandry – 5% Artisans – 1%Govt. Service – 3% Pvt. Service – 1%Business – 4% Students – 8%Household – 8% Others – 14%


Discussions with Service AdministratorsNeed to extend the systems up to village level• The decentralization of the process of distribution of land records from

taluka to villages needs to be accompanied by decentralization of powers and scheme for revenue sharing

• Convergence and coordination among revenue and development administration at village level to facilitate one point service to information users

• Talatis feel that with computerization of information and convergence of services of revenue and development departments, their role and responsibilities would increase many folds and hence they suggest to have separate operator or sharing of responsibility with other village level functionaries

• All officials feel that there should be connectivity between village and taluka centers. This would need commensurate technical and physical infrastructure and services


Discussions with Service Users

Response of users (village people) towards computer based systems

• Village people are satisfied with computerized records but they have to come to taluka headquarters to get these records, which is more time consuming.

• Differential pricing of services in favour of poor people• Information related to various government schemes, income

generating activity and special groups like students, unemployedetc. should be made available at village level

• Consultation facility with doctors, agriculture and veterinary experts


Sources of information Newspaper16%

Magazine5%

Radio8%

TV18%

TEL7%

Mobile1%

STD20%

Internet1%

Traditional24%


Scope for Strengthening of Current Systems

1. Need to conceptualize whole system comprehensively2. Need to provide information at village-level3. Need to integrate various ongoing programs to provide total services4. Design services keeping users in the center, particularly poor and

women5. Increase awareness and computer literacy among people through mass

media in order to reduce gap between the users and the system 6. Facilitate articulation of hidden needs of the people 7. The system should have inbuilt mechanism to use the massive data

generated for designing and monitoring of development as well asdisaster related initiatives

8. Government should encourage integration of other stakeholders in its efforts as well as facilitate and participate in National Alliance on ICT

9. There is a scope to expand the goal of the programme by including social and women empowerment objective. Encourage and give priority to women SHGs and SC/ST youth in allocation of the kiosks in GyanGanga programme to make them agents of change.


Application• One Day Workshop was held at BISAG on 1st March 05

to get the feedback from Talatis, Sarpanchs, TDO’s, DDO’s & other officials for e-Gram S/W

• In Phase-I the e-Gram software will be deployed in the 100 Villages to start with

• Various Certificates required by the rural masses would be available through e-Gram Software

• For Phase-II, a full-fledged web-based application for the Village Panchayats is being developed by NIC in consultation with Panchayat Department

• Double Accounting System is being covered in Phase II• E-Databank portal providing 60 Services online of 12

GoG Departments is accessible to villages• All Intranet Applications of GoG is accessible to the

villages


Application (Cont.)• Single Window access to various applications and

information• Talim Rojgar website is accessible to the rural masses to

help in job hunting• Right To Information Act, enable even the rural citizens

access various Government information, which is being available through departmental websites

• Agricultural Mandi Rates, available to farmers• Land Records will be made available from the village

itself instead of going to the Taluka Headquarter• Integration of Gyan Ganga with e-Gram in Phase II• Consultation facility with Doctors, Agriculture and

Veterinary experts would be worked out • 3-Dimensional Educational Software to be made

available


Procurement of Hardware & System Software• Open Tender Process has been followed to

procure the requisite Hardware & System Software for the selected 100 Villages

• Following computer & peripherals are being procured from Acer India Pvt. Ltd.:– High-end Client with P IV 3 Ghz loaded with Windows

XP Professional (SP 2)– Line-Interactive UPS with 2 Hours Backup– Multi Function Device (Color Inkjet Printer + Scanner)

• e-Gram Software developed by NIC has been preloaded on the computers


Connectivity• BSNL - providing Dial-up Internet

Connectivity in 64 Villages• BSNL / N-Logue - providing Internet

Connectivity in the remaining 36 villages• Internet Connectivity helps in accessing

the various Government websites and applications

• Internet Connectivity enables the flow of information from Village-Taluka-District


Training, Change Mgmt. & Capacity Building• Representatives from GIL & Panchayat

Department attended the NISG ICTD Workshops for Project Implementing Agencies

• Training, Change Mgmt. & Capacity Building is initiated in consultation with Panchayat Department by having Workshops

• Training to the Village level officials and selected computer operator for basic computer operation and for e-Gram Software through short listed Training Institutes


Selection of Operators

• Committee of following 4 Members has been formed for selection of operators:– Talati– Sarpanch– Gram-Sevak– Technical person

• Operators will earn partly from nominal monthly remuneration and partly from income generated from providing services


Guidelines for Selection of Operators

– Activities to be Performed – Work Responsibilities– Qualifications for Selection– Method for Selection– VIS Project - Application Form– Procedure for Selection– Draft of the MoU to be Signed


Content Creation• Survey Form has been designed to collect

various information from rural households• Data available through Census Survey and BPL

Survey • Content Creation would be done at Village level

based on the Need Assessment Study, Survey Form and Registers maintained at Panchayat

• Open Tender floated for selection of the agency for doing Family Survey and Data Entry

• LoI’s issued to 2 Agencies for carrying out the Family Survey and Data Entry Work


Challenges• To percolate the benefits of e-Governance and IT within

the Government Employees at Village level and among the rural masses

• To select and retain the Village Computer Entrepreneur• To motivate and train the Government employees at

Village level• To seek support from different Line Departments• To ensure active involvement of the NGOs/Local Self

Help Group • To keep on adding more and more services/solutions for

next few years• To monitor the actual usage and effectiveness of

solutions on an ongoing basis


Issues• To address Data Authentication and Security issues• To bring together different Government Applications on a

common platform• To have Government Approval for selection and

retention of VCE on an ongoing basis• To ensure effectiveness of Video Conferencing Solutions

eg. Telemedicine, Education, etc. through Dial-up Internet Connectivity

• To ensure higher up-time for the Services to be provided through Village Panchayat

• To ensure NIC sticks to the deadlines for providing solution for e-Gram Phase II


Next Steps• Creation & Authentication of Village level

database• Selection and Appointment of Village Computer

Operator• Basic IT Training and e-Gram Training to Village

Officials and Computer Operators• Publicity and Awareness Creation for VIS

Project• Deployment of 3D Educational Software in all

villages• Providing Internet Connectivity in remaining 34

villages


Next Steps (cont.)

• Procurement of Digital Signatures for Talatis

• Making available the Land Records at Village Level

• Deployment of Phase II of e-Gram S/W• Integration of other Government

Applications with e-Gram S/W• Full Rollout of Project• Feedback and Enhancement• Evaluation of Project by External Agency


Thank You

www.gujaratinformatics.comwww.gujaratindia.com

Documents

Neeta Shah, Gujarat Informatics Ltd