The Challenge

In Uttar Pradesh, UNICEF had supported ICDS for the development of two critical digital applications in 2021:

1. Ek Sang: A web and Android mobile application to facilitate citizen donations for preschool education in Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) across the state
2. Bal Pitara: A web and Android mobile application to disseminate a Responsive Parenting package to parents of children aged 3-6 years

Both applications had been successfully developed and rolled out state-wide, with over 100,000 Anganwadi Workers and more than 3,000 ICDS officials actively using them. Within Bal Pitara, modules for child database management and ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) assessment had already been added to track enrollment, dropout levels, and learning outcomes.

Based on user feedback and senior management requirements, ICDS requested significant enhancements to both applications:

Ek Sang Enhancement Need

• A new Adarsh Anganwadi Adoption Module was required to enable public representatives, government officers, and organizations to adopt AWCs and transform them into “Adarsh AWCs” (Model Anganwadi Centers) through structured investment in resources, nutrition, and education facilities
• The module needed to support monthly indicator-based evaluation to track adoption progress

Bal Pitara Enhancement Need

• An Attendance Tracking System was needed to monitor daily attendance of children aged 3-6 years (Pre-School1, Pre-School2, Pre-School3) across all AWCs
• Attendance data needed to be available through dashboards and reports for monitoring at multiple administrative levels

Additional context challenges included:
– COVID-19 pandemic uncertainties affecting travel and government processes
– ICDS was initiating a technology transfer process to a government-contracted vendor, requiring careful documentation
– Integration requirements with NIC (National Informatics Centre) and government portals
– Need for remote server access for maintenance during potential pandemic restrictions

Velocity’s Solution

Scope of Work

Velocity Software Solutions, originally selected through competitive bidding in 2021 and subsequently engaged as an LTA agency, delivered comprehensive enhancements to both Ek Sang and Bal Pitara applications including the Adarsh AWC Adoption Module, Attendance Tracking System, annual maintenance, hosting, and bug fixes.

Key Features & Deliverables

Ek Sang Application – Adarsh AWC Adoption Module

1. Mobile App – Adopter Login: Three new user types — “Public Representative”, “Officer”, and “Institute/Organization” — enabled to access the Ek Sang Mobile App through a dedicated Adopter login option

2. Mobile App – Adopted AWC Listing: Adopter users can view the list of AWCs they have adopted within the mobile app, with “View Requirements” functionality for each adopted AWC

3. Web App – Adopter Registration & Login: Three additional user types created with the ability to adopt AWCs and transform them into Adarsh AWCs. Registration available exclusively through the Mobile App for data integrity

4. Indicator-Based Evaluation: Adopter users can view their adopted AWCs, track status updates, and add/update monthly details on:

5. Resources availability
6. Nutrition facility status
7. Education facility status

8. Other parameters for Adarsh AWC evaluation

9. Adoption Dashboard: Web application dashboard displaying adopted AWC reporting through interactive graphs and charts

10. Adoption Reports: Listing-format reports of adopted AWCs accessible to web application users

Bal Pitara Application – Attendance Tracking System

1. AWC Attendance Module: Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) can access the attendance module to mark daily attendance (present/absent) for all captured children aged 3-6 years, categorized by Pre-School1, Pre-School2, and Pre-School3 groups

2. Mobile Attendance Reports: AWW users can access attendance history reports on a daily and weekly basis within the Mobile App

3. Attendance Dashboard: Interactive attendance data visualization through graphs and charts on both web and mobile applications

4. Web Attendance Reports: Listing-format attendance reports accessible to all authorized web application users

Maintenance & Support Services

• 12-Month Mobile App and Server Maintenance: Comprehensive annual maintenance contract for both Parenting (Bal Pitara) and Ek Sang applications with remote server access

• Handholding Support: One-year agency support for addressing bugs, maintenance, and minor changes in apps and dashboards per program needs

• Change Evaluation Framework: Joint evaluation process with UNICEF staff for any changes requiring more than 20% of contract duration

• Hosting Services: Continued hosting on web and Google Play Store

• Report Generation: Additional report generation from applications per new requirements

Technology Stack

• Android mobile application (native)
• Web-based application (responsive)
• Cloud/server hosting infrastructure
• Database management for child and adoption data
• Interactive data visualization for dashboards
• Google Play Store deployment
• Role-based access control system

Implementation Approach

Velocity followed a parallel development approach to deliver both application enhancements within the tight timeline:

1. Requirements Validation Phase
2. Detailed requirements review with UNICEF and ICDS officials
3. UX/UI design for new Adopter Login flows and Attendance modules

4. Technical specification development

5. Parallel Development Phase (2 months per module)

6. Stream 1 – Ek Sang: Adarsh AWC Adoption module development (mobile and web)
7. Stream 2 – Bal Pitara: Attendance tracking system development (mobile and web)

8. Both streams working simultaneously with shared QA resources

9. Integration & Testing Phase

10. Integration of new modules with existing application architecture
11. Testing with real-world data scenarios

12. Dashboard and report validation

13. Deployment & Rollout Phase

14. Google Play Store updates for mobile applications
15. Server-side deployments for web applications

16. State-wide rollout coordination with ICDS

17. Maintenance & Support Phase (12 months)

18. Ongoing bug fixes and minor enhancements
19. Server monitoring and performance optimization
20. Report generation support

Risk Mitigation: Remote consultations substituted for field travel during COVID-19 restrictions. UNICEF facilitated meetings between NIC/ICDS IT teams and Velocity for government portal integration clarity.

Project Supervision: Ritwik Patra, Education Specialist, UNICEF Uttar Pradesh

Key Outcomes & Impact

• Adarsh AWC Program Enabled: The adoption module created a digital backbone for the ambitious Adarsh AWC initiative, enabling public representatives, officers, and organizations to adopt and systematically improve AWCs across Uttar Pradesh
• Attendance Monitoring at Scale: Daily attendance tracking for children aged 3-6 across the state’s AWC network provided ICDS with unprecedented visibility into preschool participation rates
• Indicator-Based AWC Improvement: Monthly evaluation framework for adopted AWCs ensured structured improvement across resources, nutrition, and education parameters
• 100,000+ Active Users Supported: Continued maintenance and support for the massive user base of Anganwadi Workers and ICDS officials
• Data-Driven Early Childhood Decisions: Enhanced dashboards and reports provided district and state officials with real-time data on AWC adoption progress and child attendance patterns
• Technology Transfer Readiness: Comprehensive documentation and maintenance processes prepared the applications for eventual handover to ICDS’s government-contracted vendor

Why Velocity

Velocity Software Solutions was the natural choice for these enhancements due to:
– Original Application Developer: Having designed and developed both Ek Sang and Bal Pitara, Velocity possessed deep institutional knowledge of the codebase, architecture, and operational context
– Competitive Selection Plus LTA Status: Originally selected through competitive bidding in 2021 and holding LTA agency status with UNICEF for IT services
– ICDS Domain Expertise: Thorough understanding of the Anganwadi ecosystem, ECCE programs, and early childhood development workflows
– State-Wide Scale Experience: Proven capability to maintain and enhance applications serving 100,000+ Anganwadi Workers across all districts of Uttar Pradesh
– Technology Transfer Competency: Experience in preparing documentation and support processes for seamless handover to government vendors
– Responsive Development Culture: Track record of going beyond TOR requirements to deliver optimal solutions based on stakeholder feedback
– COVID-19 Adaptability: Demonstrated ability to maintain productivity and delivery quality through remote working and virtual stakeholder engagement