| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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• Growing social pressure and the thrust for expeditious implementation of the inclusive Social Welfare initiatives had created huge volume of paperwork, very large number of outstanding applications. This motivatedSJED to search for the alternatives using ICT.
• SJED and GoG were aware of internal constraints for formulating and implementing such solution completely with GoGbased human resources. Accordingly, it was decided to utilize competitive bidding for the project formulation and initialization.
• SJED thought of multifunctional programmedevelopment due to the large number of schemes targeted at different categories of beneficiaries and varied rules, regulations, eligibility criteria and also the task of delivering the services in the entire State with different levels of social/economic development and infrastructure facilities;
• Basically, the implementation plan was to carry out the services module wise; each module consisting of relevant schemes. It helped the department users giving them the control to process the applications with similar flow.
The priorities that weredefined in implementing the 7 modules (remaining 3 modules are for administration configuration purposes) were:
Priority 1:Certificate and Licenses module
This module is designed to handle various schemes in which benefit is some kind of card or certificate and to manage the end to end approval to hand over process. Reason behind beginning implementation with this module was to start with non-financial schemes first and more importantly, the schemes under this module are for the basic Certificates required to avail of other schemes.
Priority 2: Loan and Finance module
The Finance Module is designed to manage the end to end process from approval to disbursement to recovery of loan, Administrative Grants and Share Capital. This module covers the schemes of all the corporations as well as some schemes are carried out by the different Directorates.
This module covers all the schemes in which money is given to beneficiaries and it is expected that the beneficiariesshall return the money, with decided interest rate, within a specified duration.
Priority 3:ICAP (Incentive, Compensation, Awards, Pension)
ICAP module will handle the schemes where application approval is followed by the disbursement of money to the beneficiaries.This module is designed to manage the end to end approval to disbursement process.
Priority 4: Training and Stipend
This module is designed to handle the schemes in which some kind of training is provided and while attending that training, beneficiaries get regular stipend.The Compensations and Stipends Module manages the end to end process of approval to disbursement of allowances. This module manages the applicant verification, expedites the approval process and disbursement of allowance.
Priority 5:Scholarship Management
The Scholarship Management Module is designed to manage the schemes in which there is more than one beneficiary. E.g. In case of scholarship the student gets the maintenance allowance and the college gets the fees/freeship amount.
Priority 6: Facility Management
Facility module is designed to manage the schemes in which the benefit is in form of kind. E.g. Book Bank, Hostel/Accommodation etc. The organizationswhich are providing the facilities receive the finances from the department.
This Module is designed to manage the end to end process from approval to hand over of non-cash benefits and manages the verification of details about the procurement of facilities in the aided institution.
Priority 7: Works Management
This Module is designed to manage the end to end supervision and management of works undertaken by the Department.
The module manages the approval process for grants given for the development works like construction of hostels and other facilities and to release the disbursements in tranches according to the stage of implementation.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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At the conceptualization stage of the Project, department had consulted the Directorates, Corporations and District offices, Department of Science and Technology, Gujarat Informatics Ltd., Mastek Ltd. about the delivery of Citizen Centric Services to beneficiaries specifically with regard to saving oftheir cost and time. Study teams analyzed how eKalyan would streamline the SJED operations by improving efficiency and effectiveness as well as reducing costs significantly. District level officers were trainedand the strategies and inputs received during the training programme have been incorporated in the applications. The Department Coordination Committee was formed to decide upon the services to be offered, simplified forms for different services and the work processes to be followed at various offices. Various NGOs, Hostels, Schools, Childcare Institution etc. aided by the departmentare involved in the processes of the relevant schemes.
Following subordinate offices of the Social Justice & Empowerment Department deliver the services through eKalyan.
• Schemes implemented by following Directorate and Commissioner Offices are included.
- Directorate of Scheduled Caste Welfare (DSCW)
- Directorate of Developing Caste Welfare (DDCW)
- Directorate of Social Defense (DSD)
- Commissioner for Disability
- Commission for Other Backward Classes
• Schemes implemented by following Corporations are included.
- Gujarat Scheduled Caste Development Corporation (GSCDC)
- Gujarat SafaiKamdarVikas Nigam (GSKVN) [Sanitation Workers Development Corporation]
- Bechar Swami AtiPachatAnusuchitJatiVikasCorporation[Most Backward Scheduled Castes Development Corporation]
- Gujarat Backward Class Development Corporation (GBCDC)
- Gujarat Minorities Finance & Development Corporation (GMFDC)
- Gujarat GopalakVikas Nigam (GGVN) [Cattle Herders Development Corporation]
- Gujarat Thakore&KoliVikas Nigam (GT&KVN) [Thakor and Koli Castes Development Corporation]
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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• Financial costing for the development of the application are;
o Cost of Application Software for SJED Application Software along with Integrated MIS including requirement, design, development, implementation, & warranty period of one year after Go-Live. Total Man month is 242@ rate of 1.08 Lacs–Rs. 2,44,01,102/-
o Cost of operations and Maintenance support for four years (after completion of one year of free warranty support). Total Man month is 96@ rate of 1.08 Lacs – Rs. 96,79,776/-
Resources are deployed across 33 districts will provide support/ hand-hold /train the users of eKalyan to facilitate them to use the Application and respond to queries. 34 resourcesare deployed with at least one resource at each District and two at the major district Ahmedabad.The deployed personnel are Computer Literate Graduates who understand the Application and are able to communicate in Gujarati(local), Hindi (National) and English languages.
The key operational responsibilities are:
• Provide help and support for issues arising at all districts
• Ensure process consistency and IT best practices
• Provide ad-hoc assistance to Users
34 resources in total are deployed (1 resource/district and 2 resources in one of the districts).
Estimated Costing for the support for Phase I: INR 87 lacs.
The complete funding for the eKalyan project has been provided by the Government of Gujarat. The social welfare schemes implemented by SJED amount to above Rs. 2000 crores(INR 20 Billion) annually and therefore the project cost is a small fraction of the annual expenditure of the department.
The technical hardware for the project was procured separately as part of the normal planned expenditure for ICT. Most of the implementation agencies/offices were already endowed with appropriate hardware and additional hardware to a limited extent was provided to them.
Appropriate levels of the Internet connectivity was a bigger issue and appropriate steps were taken to procure seven additional servers for the eKalyan operations. Local level upgrade and provision of the Internet connectivity was also provided for the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of the applications.
The services of the Citizen Service Centers in each Taluka (administrative unit of 40-80 villages) and each town and also eGram facilities in each village were also utilized for the SJED eKalyan application. Every village and town in Gujarat is covered by eGram and CSC and ICT facilities are easily available to the beneficiaries at the local level. These facilities were used for the eKalyan project.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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Every form was standardized to include: Name & Number of the issue of service, description of service, name of the concerned office and concerned officer, time-limit for processing, list of requisite enclosures, self certification checklist to ensure submission of only completed applications. The formats for all the standard appendices or declarations were included with the form. The procedures for handling the applications were also standardized to minimize subjectivity. Only those applications which were completed in all aspects were accepted. After acceptance, there were no queries and delays.
Citizen centricity and relevance
Application being user-friendly reduces time and efforts invested by users. Also, the department has envisaged a scenario where the person wanting any service would visit the CSC/eGram or the Panchayat office which would be within walking distance from their home and also can apply for the service online. eKalyanalso has a grievance system to address user queries and issues to provide timely support to its users. Below are the summarized outputs which are successful
• Made the services accessible as near as possible to their door step by making online 200+ schemes implemented by the various HODs/ Boards / Corporations.
• Made the services affordable by notifying them about the status of their application and reducing the number of visits of the beneficiaries to the office; hence reducing their travel cost.
• Made the services available in time by faster processing of applications than in manual processing.
• Made the service delivery mechanism transparent at all the levels of authorities.
• Made the services more and more efficient in terms of its value
Since a large number of schemes target individual beneficiaries; the department faced some critical challenges which are overcome to quite an extent:
• Identification of the right beneficiary has been possible due to the transparency in the system
• It has been possible to reach out to the people and make them aware about the schemes and hence make them apply for the scheme.
• Management of huge volumes of applications and schemes has been done easily and accurately. As no intermediary is involved, it had no scope of corruption ensuring the pleasant experience for the beneficiaries.
Funds are mobilized timely which has raised the image of public service and enhanced trust in government to quite an extent.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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Continuous monitoring is being carried out through the Management Information System (MIS) reports and real time Dashboard which has been helpful in evaluating the implementation progress.
Government has been able to highlight its strengths and weaknesses due to the presence of performance records. Reports have also been able to act as planning tools to the officials supporting decision making for smooth and successful operation of the work; integrating the decision maker and the quantitative model being used.
Expeditious decision making has led to faster processing and quick problem resolution which has in turn made the implementation of schemes more effective.
For effective monitoring of the implementation activities;
o Project Management Group was formed. Project review meetings are conducted quarterly.
Members of the Project Group are:
1. Principal Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Deptt,
2. Director(e-Gov), Gujarat Informatics Ltd.
3. Dy. Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
4. Under Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
5. Representative From M/s Mastek Ltd.
6. Director, Scheduled Castes Welfare
7. Director, Developing Castes Welfare
8. Director, Social Defence
o Steering Committee Meetings are arranged quarterly.
Steering Committee members are:
1. Principal Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
2. Director(e-Gov), Gujarat Informatics Ltd.
3. Dy. Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
4. Under Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
5. Financial Advisor(SJED), Finance Department,
6. Representative from M/s Mastek Ltd.
o IT committee meeting is conducted quarterly.
IT Committee members are:
1. Principal Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
2. Representative from Science and Technology Department,
3. Director(e-Gov), Gujarat Informatics Ltd.
4. Dy.Secretary(IT & SEBC), Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
5. Dy.Secretary(SCW), Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
6. Dy. Secretary(SD), Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
7. Under Secretary(IT), Social Justice & Empowerment Department,
8. Director, Scheduled Castes Welfare
9. Director, Developing Castes Welfare
10. Director, Social Defence
It may be seen that most of the members of the three Committees are common. These Committees are mandated as per the different work monitoring and procurement review procedures of the Government and the meetings are scheduled in such a way that there is one committee meeting every month. In addition the work of computerization and the implementation of the eKalyan project is also reviewed in the weekly offices meeting conducted by the Principal Secretary, SJED.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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Certain obstacles encountered during implementation of the system and their resolution are mentioned as below:
• Issue: Reluctance of the staff due to ‘keyboard’ syndrome.
• Resolution: Repeated self-training exercises and constant monitoring by the seniors.
• Issue: Initial difficulties in setting up Masters and defining the Schemes.
• Resolution: Close monitoring by the seniors and repeated self-training.
• Issue: Slow internet connection/ GSWAN connectivity in some areas;
• Resolution: Offline form filling mechanism in the system and then uploading the data when connected.
However, the major obstacle in the implementation of the project was building up of user confidence and participation. One of the issues discovered during the implementation of the project was that for a large number of schemes especially educational scholarshipsand housing schemes, the applications were not processed individually at the initial stage and the approval process was collective in nature. A large number of beneficiaries would be listed out in one proposal based on their community status and the scheme wise requirement of data. These previously existing hybrid computerizedformats required to be integrated into eKalyanand the process was successfully carried out. Another major issue was the integration of different computer based modes of payment linked to the Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT) scheme of the Government of India (GOI). The different scholarship and direct assistance schemes of the GOI had different procedural methodologies and different authorization patterns. eKalyan was suitably modified to incorporate these different types of transferpayments to beneficiaries and to include them in the eKalyan project.
The principal obstacles in the implementation of the project as set out above were overcome successfully due to open architecture of the eKalyan project. As a result the benefit of ICT enabled expeditious implementation of the welfare schemes could be provided to the beneficiaries from the marginalized sections of the society.
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