Scholarship / To use ICT for development not only for SP projects but for any other DFID priorities in Kenya. [5]

Hello everyone. Please review my essay on Career Plans for the Chevening application. Thank you.

Chevening's Career Plan Question: ICT for Development

I am lucky to be working with one of the leading technology companies in Kenya that focuses on "increasing the effectiveness of social spending". Kimetrica does this by developing generic software solutions for managing humanitarian projects, conducting research to find solutions to humanitarian issues, informing decisions of key stakeholders through data and analytics and training on results-based management.

My immediate plan upon returning to Kenya will be to go back to Kimetrica. Kimetrica is currently working on a system specification that will upgrade their Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system by dividing it into four components namely; 1) indicator processing, 2) survey form design and data collection, 3) data visualisation and 4) results framework development. Work on the survey form design and data collection component is currently ongoing and I have been heavily involved in testing it, training on it, designing survey forms for clients and supporting clients using it to collect survey data. I will use the project management and user interface design skills I will have gained from my studies in the UK to manage the development of these components, to produce a fully tested system with a coherent flow between components and a gentle learning curve.

DFID is currently working with the Government of Kenya (GoK) on a Social Protection Programme aimed at protecting orphans and vulnerable children from hunger and under-nutrition and enabling these children to have an education and be healthier. In the month of September 2017, I co-facilitated a Social Protection (SP) workshop in three counties in Kenya, funded by UNICEF, whose mandate was to find synergies in SP programmes and harmonise tasks across SP programmes. Two of the major gaps identified were, 1) the use of ICT in SP programmes and 2) quantifying impact through indicators.

My next course of action will be to use the M&E skills I have gained working with multiple organisations at my present job, and the systems analytical skills I will have gained from my studies in the UK to work with M&E officers of SP programmes in identifying applications that they can use to collect and analyse data in order to better report on indicators.

To begin, I will reach out to officials involved in SP programmes in the local government of Machakos County, my hometown, in collaboration with DFID. Once a rapport has been established, I seek to understand how SP projects are run i.e. their data and reporting needs, budget, and challenges. I will prepare a systems requirement specification, which will be the checklist for settling on an application. Once a system is identified, I will prepare training materials and organise for a training of all stakeholders in using the application and provide post-training support. Machakos County will have set a benchmark for other counties in Kenya to emulate.

The Chevening scholarship will have played a major role in facilitating me to get adequate skills to use ICT for development not only for SP projects but for any other DFID priorities in Kenya.

Scholarship / Chevening Application: Interactive Leadership, providing solutions to a problem [5]

Leadership essay for the Chevening

Hello all. Please review my essay on Leadership for the Chevening application. Thank you.

As a Learning Team Leader, co-managing eight of our clients, my day to day involves finding solutions to issues raised by clients on our Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) software. I can address most of the issues immediately, because of my knowledge of the system, but at times have to consult or hold discussions with the software team, to find a solution.This part of my job means taking lead to ensure that the problem is clearly and effectively communicated to the team, and once a solution is found, to follow up on making sure it has been implemented, and to provide feedback to the client in good time.

I am also responsible for testing new/updated functionality before and after system rollout. I have been heavily involved in testing a new functionality that integrates our M&E software with an open source offline data collection platform. This integration allows for survey forms created on our M&E software to be pushed to the offline data collection platform from where surveys can be given.

In October 2017, while configuring our M&E software for a client, we came across a use case that required project indicators to be processed using variables of ranking type; our system cannot handle variables of this datatype at the moment, for it would need a way to recognise them. The offline data collection platform can and we have therefore had to create ranking variables as multiple choice questions then manually convert them on getting to the offline data collection platform. During a discussion with one of the developers, I provided a solution that ranking type questions should be created in their own section so as to be easily identified when the survey form is pushed to the offline data collection platform.I am currently drafting an end to end description of this solution for the software team to work on its implementation.

In August 2017, while testing the data collection platform, I noticed that there was no consistent flow of processes from our M&E software to the data collection application. The gaps/issues identified were:

1.Managing user accounts; the question here was whether every enumerator or data entry clerk needed a user account on each application
2.The data collection application couldn't support creation of survey forms to be shared publicly without requiring authentication
3.Since a link is required to take/give the survey, any changes made to the server interfered with all links created before and either opened the wrong survey form or did not open at all

I therefore called a meeting of all the software developers involved in the integration so that we could come up with a workflow of managing user accounts and survey forms and in talking through the process, identify any other gaps. The above issues have since been fixed.

These are but a few instances when I have taken charge to seek for or provide solutions to a problem. I look forward to an opportunity to strengthen these leadership skills.

Scholarship / It was a eureka moment when my research led me to business systems analysis. The 3 chosen courses. [2]

Hello. Please review my essay for the STUDYING IN THE UK QUESTION question. Thank you in advance

application for 3 courses in Systems Analysis

Having studied Computer Science for my undergraduate degree, I got a job as a Software Developer which saw me develop core functionality on a system that is now in use. My interests in user-centred system design and interacting with clients that are using the system got me an opportunity to work with the Usability Team and now a position as the Learning Team Leader.

My work currently involves testing of new/updated software functionality, preparing release notes when new/updated functionality is rolled out and having these later converted into user guidance, configuring systems for clients, training clients on the use of the system and offering post training support during the rollout period. I had been looking for a career path that would incorporate most, if not all of these aspects, as well as a postgraduate course to further develop the skills I had attained at work.

Believe me when I say that it was a eureka moment when my research led me to business systems analysis. In this position, I will be able to work with clients in helping them define their software requirements and with the software development team in making sure that we find the best solution(s) possible. I will also be at a good place to influence the status of software delivered to clients i.e. fully tested and as much as is possible, bug free.

It is with this in mind that I settled on the following courses:

1)MSc Business Systems Analysis and Design at the xxx
This course will equip me with the project management skills needed to manage the software development process; from understanding client system specifications, researching for best solutions and communicating them in an appropriate manner, and developing these solutions with a user-centred approach.

2)MSc Management and Information Systems (Change and Development) at the xxx
One of the things that attracted me to this course is that it explores ways in which ICT can contribute to socio-economic development. This ties in a lot with my current job in that, all the clients we provide software solutions to work in the development sector. Understanding better how to build systems that could make their work easier will be a great resource.

It also delves deep into project management and will as such ensure that I understand the issues that might arise from the beginning to the end of a software project, equip me with monitoring and evaluation skills and managing of resources during the project cycle.

3)MSc Management of Business information Technology at the xxx
This course will ensure that I understand the core objectives of project management, how outsourcing affects information system projects and risk evaluation and control techniques. I will also learn to apply principles of human computer interaction to user interfaces.

I believe that the above courses will ensure that I gain the skills necessary in managing the development and adoption of information systems in organisations.