The Challenge

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with over 200 million residents, faces significant challenges in early childhood education. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme operates through a network of over 100,000 Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) across the state, serving millions of children aged 3-6 years. UNICEF’s Office for Uttar Pradesh identified two critical gaps that technology could address:

1. Citizen Engagement in Pre-School Education: There was no mechanism for citizens to contribute to and support pre-school education in Anganwadi Centers or to adopt AWCs. The government lacked a platform to mobilize public participation in early childhood development.

2. Responsive Parenting Dissemination: The state needed a scalable way to disseminate Responsive Parenting packages to parents of 3-6 year old children, maintain child databases, and track developmental assessments — all through the existing network of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs).

The challenge was compounded by the sheer scale of operations in Uttar Pradesh — any solution needed to work reliably for over 100,000 Anganwadi Workers, 3,000+ ICDS officials, and millions of parents across diverse geographic and connectivity conditions.

Velocity’s Solution

Scope of Work

Velocity Software Solutions was competitively selected through UNICEF’s Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) process to design, develop, and deploy two interconnected digital applications along with supporting backend infrastructure and a web portal.

Key Features & Deliverables

Ek Sang Application — Citizen Donation Platform
– Mobile and web application facilitating citizen contributions to pre-school education in AWCs
– AWC adoption mechanism allowing citizens and organizations to support specific Anganwadi Centers
– Transparent donation tracking and receipt generation
– Information dashboard showing AWC needs and status across the state
– User-friendly interface designed for broad public access

Bal Pitara Application — Responsive Parenting & Child Management
– Mobile application for dissemination of Responsive Parenting packages to parents of children aged 3-6 years
– Comprehensive child database management at the AWC level
– Child developmental assessment tools and tracking
– Training and capacity building content for Anganwadi Workers
– Offline functionality for areas with limited connectivity
– Progress tracking and milestone monitoring for children

Backend Architecture & Web Portal (icdsup.net)
– Robust backend data server supporting both applications
– Adapters and interfaces for data exchange
– ICDS web portal (icdsup.net) serving as the central point for web-based services
– Dashboard for ICDS officials at various levels (district, division, state)
– Report generation capabilities for programmatic monitoring
– Database administration with security compliance

Cross-Cutting Capabilities
– Scalable architecture supporting 100,000+ concurrent users
– Government server compliance (NIC standards)
– Data and information security as per IT security guidelines
– SMS service integration (5 lakh SMS capacity)
– Multi-level administrative access (AWW, supervisor, CDPO, district, state levels)

Technology Stack

• Mobile application development (Android)
• Web application development
• Backend server architecture
• Database management systems
• Cloud/government hosting infrastructure
• SMS gateway integration
• Dashboard and reporting tools
• Government of India compliance standards (NIC)

Implementation Approach

The project followed a phased development approach:

Phase 1: Requirements & Design

• Close consultation with UNICEF Lucknow and ICDS officials
• Requirements gathering from multiple stakeholder levels (state officials, district officers, supervisors, AWWs)
• User interface design optimized for users with varying levels of digital literacy
• System architecture designed for statewide scale

Phase 2: Development & Testing

• Iterative development with regular UNICEF feedback cycles
• Integration with ICDS operational workflows
• Testing across diverse device types and connectivity conditions
• Government server compliance testing and security audits

Phase 3: Deployment & Training

• Deployment on government-compliant infrastructure
• Training for AWWs and ICDS officials across the state
• User manuals and training materials development
• Handholding support during initial rollout

Phase 4: Ongoing Operations

• Continuous maintenance and bug fixing
• Dashboard modifications based on stakeholder feedback
• New report generation as per evolving requirements
• Database administration and performance management
• Regular backups and recovery simulations

The project was supervised by the Education Specialist at UNICEF Uttar Pradesh, with the Supply and Procurement section managing administrative and financial coordination.

Key Outcomes & Impact

• Massive Scale Adoption: Over 100,000 Anganwadi Workers actively using the Bal Pitara application, making it one of the largest digital deployments for early childhood education in India.
• State Government Integration: Over 3,000 ICDS officials using the applications and website (icdsup.net) as the central point for web-based ICDS services.
• Citizen Engagement: Ek Sang created a first-of-its-kind platform for citizen contributions to pre-school education in Uttar Pradesh’s Anganwadi Centers.
• Improved Learning Outcomes: Digital dissemination of Responsive Parenting packages reached parents across the state, supporting better learning outcomes for children aged 3-6 years.
• Data-Driven ICDS Management: Dashboards and reports enabled evidence-based decision making by ICDS officials at all levels.
• Government Ownership: The platform was designed for eventual handover to a government-contracted vendor, ensuring sustainability.
• Child Database: Created a comprehensive digital database of children enrolled in AWCs, enabling better tracking of developmental milestones and program reach.

Why Velocity

Velocity Software Solutions was the right choice for this transformative engagement due to:

• Government Digital Platform Expertise: Solid understanding of processes for developing government digital platforms, experience working with NIC, and capability to deploy on government servers.
• Large-Scale Deployment Experience: Proven ability to build and maintain systems serving 100,000+ users across diverse geographic and connectivity conditions.
• Education Sector Understanding: Demonstrated experience in the education sector, understanding the needs of grassroots workers like AWWs who may have limited digital literacy.
• UNICEF Partnership Track Record: Established as a UNICEF LTA agency for IT services, with a proven working relationship and understanding of UNICEF’s operational requirements.
• Full-Stack Capabilities: In-house technical resources covering project management, software development, data analysis, mobile and web development, QA, and network administration.
• Government Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated ability to work with state government counterparts, understanding evolving governmental needs, priorities, and compliance requirements.