Development of MEAL Data Management System

Development of a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) system for Data Collection, Aggregation, Storage, Analysis and Visualization

Planning & Design

Donor: LEONARD CHESHIRE DISABILITY, UK

Project: GIRLS EDUCATION CHALLENGE TRANSITION (GECT) PROJECT

In Kenya, Leonard Cheshire Disability was implementing a 5-year UK Aid funded Girls Education Challenge Transition (GECT) project. The vision was to further and deepen the educational and vocational opportunities of girls with disabilities in the five sub-districts of: Mbita, Migori, Kisumu East, Kuria East and Siaya in the Lakes region of Kenya. The project followed on from UK Aid funded Girls Education Challenge project which successfully completed in March 2017.

The GECT project had a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework in which to improve impact practice and provide the systems and support to capture data and evidence the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact of the project and the evidence to learn from and improve practice. The assignment involved designing and developing a monitoring, evaluation and learning system to enhance real-time data collection, aggregation, analysis and visualization of GECT project level data.

Design Methodology

The solution comprised several components and some of them were programmed, while others implemented on open-source programs. The language implemented was dictated by its purpose and both administrative and user interfaces were designed using Java and JavaScript Progressive Web App (PWA) to communicate with the backend, and PostgreSQL to retrieve, insert, delete, and update the system. The interfaces were developed using react-based libraries, and then the mobile app developed using react native. The front-end design was easily applied to the entire site to assist in the overall navigation and usability of the dashboard. The application allowed for multiple users to login and interact with the dashboard at the same time.

The key system architecture comprised;

Data Collection Layer (Mobile and offline data collection capabilities)
Data Storage Layer (Secure central database)
Processing Layer (Data validation and quality control, Analytics engine for KPI calculation)
Presentation Layer (Real-time dashboards)
Security Layer (Access control and authentication, Data encryption, Audit trails)
Integration Layer (APIs for third-party systems, Data export/import functionality)

Project Days

55 days

Country

Kenya

Budget

USD 42,500

Project Duration

Jan – March 2024

Design Process

The design involved several phases;

Phase 1 – Needs Assessment and Stakeholder Engagement
Phase 2 – System Design and Development
Phase 3 – Data Integration, Validation, and Management
Phase 4 – Development of a visualization dashboard
Phase 5 – Deployment, Testing, and Support
Phase 6 – Training and Capacity Building

Design Report

Upon completion in designing the system, a completion report was compiled that included; a user manual, compliance with data protection regulations, 6-month technical and user support, and access and authentication guidelines.

Development of a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) system for Data Collection, Aggregation, Storage, Analysis and Visualization

Planning & Design

Design Methodology

Design Process

Design Report

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