Weekly Updates
Weekly Update for 05.05.2008 to 05.11.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
We are still in the process of developing the Wiki. Once development starts the code and documentation for the application will be available on this Wiki. The option to change the information will be available to all who request access. We will provide the link in next week’s weekly update.
The voice prompt system requirements are completed and will be posted on the Wiki next week.
The menu driven system requirements will follow.
- Partner Updates
As you probably read in her email from 05.13.2008, Vanessa has worked with Qualcomm on a press plan.
Qualcomm hopes to announce our partnership at the Global Health Council at the end of May, if you agree.
- Operations
Internally, we submitted paper timesheets for all work done prior to 05.2008 and IntraHealth’s contracts unit will submit them to SRA along with monthly invoices.
Weekly Update for 05.12.2008 to 05.18.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The LMI Wiki on which we will post the code and the documentation for the applications has been developed and can be found at: http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative The draft for the voice prompt system requirements has been posted on the Wiki. The draft for the menu driven system requirements will be posted on the Wiki by the end of this week.
- Partner Updates
Dave and Vanessa will be in Washington, DC from May 27 to 31 for Global Health Council. If Kim is in town that week, they would love to stop by and say hello.
The press plan has been approved by Qualcomm and is pending with SRA.
- Operations
This week, IntraHealth will submit a monthly invoice summarizing travel costs in February and March along with paper timesheets for all work done prior to 05.2008.
Weekly Update for 05.19.2008 to 05.25.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The draft for the menu driven system requirements is slightly delayed and will be posted on the Wiki during the week of 26 May.
Equipment specifications are currently under development. A draft will be posted on Wiki in early June.
We hope you have had the chance to view the LMI Wiki on which we are posting the code and the documentation for the applications (http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative) and we look forward to your feedback on the Wiki itself as well as on the voice prompt system requirements which have been posted there.
- Partner Updates
Dave and Vanessa are in Washington, DC from May 27 to 31 for Global Health Council. Please call or email if SRA staff are available for a quick meeting. Vanessa’s mobile number is 919 616 3482 and Dave’s mobile number is 919 260 9158.
Bi-weekly update calls are scheduled with Qualcomm. The first call will be on 2 June. Linda Lee is the new project representative from Qualcomm.
We look forward to your review and feedback on the press plan that has been approved by Qualcomm and is pending with SRA.
- Operations
Scopes of work for travel for August and September are currently under development.
We thank you for your feedback on the submitted monthly invoice and timesheets for all work done prior to 05.2008 and will make sure to follow your comments/requests.
Weekly Update for 05.26.2008 to 06.01.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The draft for the menu driven system requirements will be posted on the Wiki during this week.
We look forward to your review and feedback on the requirements for voice prompt system. These are posted on the Wiki (http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative).
Equipment specifications are currently under development. A draft will be posted on Wiki in early June.
- Partner Updates
Dave and Vanessa were very glad to meet you last week during their time in DC for Global Health Council.
Dave gave a talk on Open Source and Community Building and mentioned LMI at a roundtable at Global Health Council.
Bi-weekly update calls are scheduled with Qualcomm. The first call has been rescheduled for 5 June—please let us know if you will be back in town and would like to participate.
We look forward to your review and feedback on the press plan that has been approved by Qualcomm and is pending with SRA.
We are thinking about posting all project documents (including weekly updates) on the Wiki. This is a process we have already used in Uganda and which turned out to be successful there. We will go ahead and begin posting information this week. Please let us know if this raises any issues for you.
- Operations
Scopes of work for travel for August and September are currently under development.
Weekly Update for 06.02.2008 to 06.08.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The draft for the menu driven system requirements are now posted on Wiki http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative
We look forward to your review and feedback on the requirements for the voice prompt system. These are also posted on the Wiki.
Dave is currently working on redoing the women’s contraceptive and children’s registry screens. We are discussing equipment and software platform specifications with Qualcomm.
- Partner Updates
Bi-weekly update calls are scheduled with Qualcomm. The first call took place on 5 June and future calls will occur every other week on Thursdays at 11am EST. If you are available for the call next Thursday, it would be wonderful for everyone to touch base. You are of course invited to all future calls as well based on your availability.
We look forward to your review and feedback on the press plan that has been approved by Qualcomm and is pending with SRA.
We received an email from Judy Payne requesting an update on LMI progress. We will update the activity timeline and also forward a general update to her this week. We will be sure to copy you. Currently it looks like she will be in Rwanda at the end of June. She will be reviewing several projects underway—LMI among them.
We will begin posting all project documents (including these weekly updates) on the Wiki. As we mentioned in last week’s update, this is a process we have already used in Uganda and which turned out to be successful there. Please let us know if this raises any issues for you.
- Operations
Scopes of work for travel for August and September are currently under development.
With both sets of functional requirements now posted on the Wiki, we look forward to working with you to determine how we can shift them to “final” status per the requirements of the payment schedule. If possible, our finance team would like to submit an invoice for the initial $45k payment next week. Please note the use cases will inevitably change in small ways during the development process.
Weekly Update for 06.09.2008 to 06.15.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The draft for the menu driven system requirements and the voice prompt system are posted on Wiki (http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative) and awaiting your review and feedback.
Dave is working further on redoing the women’s contraceptive and children’s registry screens.
We are still discussing equipment and software platform specifications with Qualcomm.
- Partner Updates
Please let us know your availability to join our bi-weekly update calls scheduled with Qualcomm. The first call took place on 5 June and future calls will occur every other week on Thursdays at 11am EST. If you are available for the call next Thursday, it would be wonderful for everyone to touch base. You are of course invited to all future calls as well.
We look forward to your review and feedback on the press plan that has been approved by Qualcomm and is pending with SRA.
We look forward to your feedback on our idea to begin posting all project documents (including these weekly updates) on the Wiki.
- Operations
We hope to discuss with you how we can get SRA’s approval of both sets of functional requirements now posted on the Wiki so that we can shift them to “final” status per the requirements of the payment schedule. Please note the use cases will inevitably change in small ways during the development process.
Weekly Update for 06.16.2008 to 06.22.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The draft for the menu driven system requirements and the voice prompt system are posted on Wiki (http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative) and awaiting your review and feedback.
Dave is working further on redoing the women’s contraceptive and children’s registry screens.
Following discussion on equipment and software platform specifications with QualComm, we have notified QualComm of our decision to use Java rather than Brew.
- Partner Updates
It was great to have you on last week’s QualComm call. You are of course invited to all future calls as well.
We look forward to your feedback on our idea to begin posting all project documents (including these weekly updates) on the Wiki.
- Operations
We are currently working on formatting the use cases and the original forms so as to submit a complete report this or next week.
Weekly Update for 06.23.2008 to 06.29.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The draft for the menu driven system requirements and the voice prompt system are posted on Wiki (http://wiki.ihris.org/wiki/index.php/Last_Mile_Initiative) and awaiting your review and feedback.
Dave is working further on redoing the women’s contraceptive and children’s registry screens.
- Partner Updates
Our hardware list has been sent to and reviewed by Qualcomm which expressed its interest in supporting this equipment selection.
- Operations
We are completing a final document which includes the use cases and the original forms and will submit it this week.
Vanessa will be working on the draft and final Pilot Test Plans in the next few weeks as well as during her upcoming trip to Rwanda in late July, early August.
Vanessa will send you her scope of work and activity plan this week.
We hope you will find the Wiki a convenient tool to consult project documents.
Weekly Update for 06.30.2008 to 07.06.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
Dave is working further on redoing the women’s contraceptive and children’s registry screens.
- Partner Updates
During her our bi-weekly call with Qualcomm, we discussed Vanessa’s upcoming travel as well as prepared upcoming discussions with Rwandatel.
- Operations
We are completing a final document which includes the use cases and the original forms and will submit it this week. Once we have your approval on this document, we will submit an invoice for the first payment of $45,000.
Vanessa is in touch with you concerning her trip to Kigali on the proposed dates of 25 July to 10 August.
Weekly Update for 07.07.2008 to 07.13.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The final document which includes the use cases and the original forms is being finalized and will be submitted to you on Thursday. Once we have your approval on this document, we will submit an invoice for the first payment of $45,000.
- Partner Updates
- Operations
An LMI press release is currently being drafted.
The Wiki is being populated with relevant project documents.
The Scope of Work for Vanessa’s trip to Kigali from 25 July to 10 August is the following:
Work on Sustainability Plan with Ministry and local staff
Meet with Qualcomm and Rwandatel to determine equipment and connectivity plan for pilot (Elizabeth from Qualcomm will be in Rwanda on August 4th, we have plans to meet with Rwandatel on August 6th)
Review use cases and resolve outstanding issues
Visit pilot sites with local staff and develop outline for Pilot Plan
Work on M&E plan with local staff (HQ M&E will also be in Kigali at this time)
Meet with Ministry stakeholders
Meet with local consultants able to provide implementation support
Weekly Update for 07.14.2008 to 07.20.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
We have submitted the final document which includes the use cases, the original paper forms, and the latest indicators. We look forward to your feedback on this user friendly report.
Once we have your approval on this document, we will submit an invoice for the first payment of $45,000.
Please note that the use cases will be evolving throughout the development process.
We will be working out final details on the contraceptive screen while Vanessa is in Rwanda.
- Operations
The LMI press release is currently being drafted.
Vanessa’s trip to Kigali from 25 July to 10 August has been approved by USAID and its planning is nearly finalized.
In recent travel planning developments, a meeting with the CEO of Rwandatel was confirmed for 6 August.
Weekly Update for 07.21.2008 to 07.27.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
We have submitted a revised version of the use cases which also includes the original paper forms and the latest indicators. We look forward to your feedback and hope to be able to submit the invoice tied to this deliverable this week.
We will be generating a walkthrough of the entire menu-driven system using screen shots. This will be used during the Rwandatel meeting. We will also post a copy on the wiki.
The proposed contraceptive screens will collect information regarding contraceptive methods used during the current and previous months. This section will also collect information for planned methods for the coming month. It will be possible to select multiple methods.
While in Kigali, Vanessa will be re-testing internet speeds on EV-DO devices. If speeds are acceptable, we will use a mobile compatible web interface for the menu driven system.
Vanessa will also be investigating the in-country hardware options with an eye towards this web-interface direction.
The sustainability plan, pilot plan, M&E plan and press release are underway and are being developed collaboratively with Twubakane and Ministry staff while Vanessa is in Kigali.
- Operations
Vanessa is in Kigali from 25 July to 10 August.
The meeting with the CEO of Rwandatel has been confirmed for 6 August at 11am. The meeting will include representatives from the MOH, Twubakane and Qualcomm. Elizabeth Migwalla from Qualcomm will be joining Vanessa in Rwanda during the week of August 4th. The meeting goal is to secure support from Rwandatel for equipment and connectivity.
Our contracts team is wondering if we need to amend the contract to reflect the later delivery date of the revised use cases. What are your thoughts?
Weekly Update for 07.28.2008 to 08.03.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
We look forward to your tech lead’s review of the use cases and wiki and to his comments.
We have put together a draft document highlighting equipment and connectivity needs for the pilot and are awaiting Qualcomm’s comments or suggestions.
We have also put together a document with screenshots of the menu-driven system screens which will be walked through during the Rwandatel meetings and which will be finalized before the voice script and translations are begun.
At the request of the community health workers, we are adding four general household information screens to the use cases. Topics covered include bed nets (availability), hygiene (water and sanitation), insurance participation and gender-based violence.
Elizabeth and Vanessa participated in a site visit to the Busanza health center. Representatives from USAID Washington also attended and were investigating future funding needs at the community level. The health center director and 10 of the community health workers participated in the meeting and provided feedback on tools in progress and additional needs.
The sustainability plan, pilot plan, M&E plan, and press release are underway and are being developed collaboratively with Twubakane and Ministry staff while Vanessa is in Kigali.
- Operations
Vanessa will be in Kigali for another week until 10 August.
The meeting with the CEO of Rwandatel has been confirmed for 6 August at 11am. The meeting will include representatives from the MOH, Twubakane and Qualcomm. Elizabeth Migwalla from Qualcomm will be joining Vanessa in Rwanda this week. The meeting goal is to secure support from Rwandatel for equipment and connectivity.
On behalf of our contracts team, may we ask you to please find out whether it would be possible to amend the contact’s deliverables schedule so as to reflect the later delivery date of the revised use cases and of other upcoming deliverables?
We will submit an invoice for the first $45,000 deliverable this week.
Weekly Update for 08.04.2008 to 08.10.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
As mentioned in last week’s update, at the request of the community health workers, we were planning on adding four general household information screens to the use cases. However, given ethical complexities associated with the topic of gender-based violence, we decided against the addition of the set of screens associated with this topic.
The sustainability plan, pilot plan, M&E plan, and press release are underway and are being developed collaboratively with Twubakane and Ministry staff and will continue being worked on upon Vanessa’s return from Kigali.
We still look forward to your tech lead’s review of the use cases and wiki and to his comments.
- Operations
General results from the meeting with the CEO of Rwandatel, which took place on 6 August and included representatives from the MOH, Twubakane and Qualcomm and whose goal was to secure support from Rwandatel for equipment and connectivity, include:
-Rwandatel agreed to donate connectivity, hosting and technical expertise for the pilot.
-Qualcomm and Rwandatel agreed to work jointly to provide handsets. Handsets will be EV-DO compatible.
-Rwandatel verified there is good EV-DO connectivity in Kichukiro.
-Rwandatel requested an MOU to outline terms of the donation.
-Rwandatel would like to increase branding awareness with the pilot and would like stickers on the handsets.
On behalf of our contracts team, may we remind you to please let us whether it would be possible to amend the contact’s deliverables schedule so as to reflect the later delivery date of the revised use cases and of other upcoming deliverables?
We are submitting an invoice for the first $45,000 deliverable this week.
Weekly Update for 08.11.2008 to 08.17.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
We have installed OpenMRS to serve as the backend. This should allow us to more easily track individuals and individual households. It also opens us up to more easily utilize the XForms standard in the creation of the menu system.
In addition, we started to implement OpenROSA as the XForms instance to use with OpenMRS.
- Operations
The sustainability plan, pilot plan, M&E plan, and press release are in progress.
We have sent you an invoice for the first $45,000 deliverable this week.
Weekly Update for 08.18.2008 to 08.24.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
We thank you for your feedback on the use cases. Vanessa will answer them very soon in a separate message.
We have requested a clinical expert to review the terminology of the uses cases in order to ensure the clinical accuracy of the system.
Mark our developer has begun mapping the indicators to the OpenMRS system using a walkthrough of the use cases.
He is focusing his next steps on creating forms so that we can have a list of text strings ready for translation to Kinyarwanda (and hopefully French too).
- Operations
The sustainability plan, pilot plan, M&E plan, and press release are in progress.
Scopes of work for Dave and Mark’s travel at the end of September will be submitted to you this week for approval.
Weekly Update for 08.25.2008 to 08.31.2008
- Functional Requirements and Software Development
The focus of last week’s development efforts was on translation, especially on preparing the forms for the translation processs. This included locating a software (Poedit http://www.poedit.net/) that will let translators do their work offline and yield production-ready files for Kinyarwanda or French. As an alternative, our developer also uploaded the forms to Launchpad so that a translator can use Launchpad's translation tools if they want to work on the project without installing any new software (http://bit.ly/3DuOR0).
In order to give the translators some context for their work, our developer has a working prototype up at http://open.intrahealth.org/lmi/ The current code is in Launchpad.
The Wiki has been updated with information on obtaining .pot files for translation as well as a very brief explanation of what a translator would have to do to contribute. http://bit.ly/2KHPCT
- Operations
The sustainability plan, pilot plan, M&E plan, and press release are in progress.
We look forward to hearing back from you concerning the approval of an extension. Should this extension be approved, we will propose alternative dates for submission of remaining deliverables.
We also look forward to hearing back from you concerning approval for Dave and Marks’ upcoming travel.
We have submitted an invoice to retroactively bill the 6% fee which was omitted in the first travel invoice.
We have also submitted timesheets for labor for May, June, and July.
