I. Introduction
A. Background/Rationale
CBMS (community based-monitoring system) as a methodology and approach in gathering information about the poor particularly in the Philippines, has been a primary mover in national policy-making. It has slowly generated relevant content and information about poverty in the country that has led to the creation of a very relevant database. It has used systematic techniques to capture credible and truthful information about the level of poverty in the local community locations. But the approach is never a community approach. Hence, this paper intends to study the community-centered development (CCD) process which is participatory in its very nature of generating information. The CCD concept to determine poverty is the primary mover of the study.
Getting the participation of the poor to better understand their situation will help in studying the causes of poverty with the help of the statistics generated by the current CBMS. To understand their situation, it will help to know what their priorities are, what are the choices they make or why they make these choices. Another interesting topic is what makes them happy, at peace and what gives them comfort. It will also help to know how they view things or situations in the country as well as their means of getting information about what is happening in the world.
This study still intends to gather data as far as economics, education, and health will be concerned. But it intends to touch on the metadata of these factors to allow better understanding of the true living conditions these perceived poor are in. And that the approach will require volunteerism and participation among the subjects.
B. Statement of the Problem:
1. Current approach to gathering CBMS data is too centralized that inhibits efficiency;
2. Current approach is focused on gathering quantitative data and limits the room for getting exception data and/or metadata;
3. Current approach relies on basic field survey where a field surveyor is expected to inquire on several number of respondents (1:N) which makes the task highly dependent on the limited numbers of surveyors.
C. Objectives:
1. To use the BEC (basic ecclesiastical community) model of the parish or church as a source of CBMS data;
2. To apply the BEC concepts of community, volunteerism, and involvement in the design of gathering interoperable CBMS data;
3. To develop a community-centered model of a CBMS DLSU-AKIEBS web portal that will serve as the receiving hub of data from the BECs using the web and SMS technologies;
4. To provide a decentralized means of gathering qualitative and exception CBMS data from the BECs.
5. To determine possible issues that may arise in the proposed CCD (community-centered development) model of the DLSU-AKIEBS.
D. Review of Literature:
Literature Topics to be incorporated in the study:
Concepts of community
Community theories – common ground, social presence and community-centered development process, critical mass
The basic ecclesiastical community structure of the Catholic church and methods of communication employed
Definitions of web portals, types of web portals, common services rendered by web portals
Data gathering through mobile computing and/or mobile communication services
SMS for data gathering
E. Significance of the Study:
National Goals/Plans. The study intends to provide an alternative form of generating relevant information that may have not been done by the current CBMS approach. Such information may be used and factored in into the national goals and plans.
National Policies. The study will give light and context to the data gathered by the current CBMS data and better understanding of the state of poverty in the various locations of the country will take place.
Emerging Realities. SMS and web portals as solutions’ tools have been deemed to work in other applications. Further use and study of these solutions’ will empower even the telecommunications industry to help and support the Filipino society. The study will not just become an alternative in generating CBMS data but will also initiate other studies in the areas of psychology, communication studies, SMS data gathering or even community portals.
Community Goals/Plans. Hopefully, the results will empower local communities, parishes and even the local barangays to try and adopt the community web portal.
II. Expected Outputs: (This refers to the products of the investigation which would contribute to and increase the stock of knowledge/technology)
1. A functional prototype of the CBMS DLSU-AKIEBS WEB PORTAL utilizing a community-centered development process model ;
2. Methods of data capture and data gathering from the source to the web portal and the reporting scheme to be employed;
2. A design specifications of the web portal including primary and secondary features;
3. Set of system development options in building the portal and integrating the SMS tools;
4. A set of recommended SMS tools to be used;
A rationale documentation of the web portal including the design specifications following the IT Department acceptable methodologies
5. An implementation plan on how to replicate the method of data gathering in other BECs.
III. Bibliography: (preliminary list)
Department of Information Technology Services, Ministry of Finance, Republic of Cyprus (2006). Government Web Portal. Retrieved from http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/portal/portal.nsf/dmlcitizen_en/dmlcitizen_en?opendocument
Poverty Monitoring in the Philippines: The Case for Community Based Monitoring System. Retrieved from http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:XxuCt52s2xAJ:www.pdf.ph/downloads/Annex_3_FINAL_PDF_Poverty_Mapping_Report__2_%255B1%255D.pdf+Poverty+Monitoring+in+the+Philippines:&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ph
Preece, J. (2000).Online Communities. Community Centered Development, 7. 204-211.
Reyes, C. (1998). Institutionalizing a Poverty Monitoring System in the Philippines. IDRC Archive. Retrieved from http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:XxuCt52s2xAJ:www.pdf.ph/downloads/Annex_3_FINAL_PDF_Poverty_Mapping_Report__2_%255B1%255D.pdf+Poverty+Monitoring+in+the+Philippines:&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ph
Nowlin, C. & Bliss, G. (2003). Portal Definitions. SearchCIO-Midmarket.com 2007. Retrieved from http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci212810,00.html
Waters, N (2003). Mobile Data Service Delivery: Improving The User Experience. International Clearing House Ltd 1997-200. Retrieved from http://www.tdap.co.uk/uk/archive/mobile/mob(smart_0303).html
Several existing Philippine government web portals and SMS services are also being reviewed and studied relative to the study. Other references to follow.
NUMBER OF SOUGHT GROUPS~~
variable at this time~~ can seek an urban poor community; a rural group community; or thru an NGO/socio-civic group
Qualification~~ high degree of interest on the topic
Interested parties may e-mail and apply at mavicpineda@yahoo.com
