Innovate Updates October - November 2022
Reporting by Elena Okada
October 2022
October 2022 has seen a number of developments from the Innovate team. Work continues on ParentText 2.0, and the Modular Skin version ParentApp has been successfully developed. Read more below.
ParentText
The ParentText team have started earnestly engaging in discussions regarding ParentText 2.0 which shall take into account all qualitative feedback and engagement data to date on a further iteration of the chatbot for 2023. This month the team have made progress on Data Lists which is a mechanism to store ParentText content. Similar to ParentApp data lists, ParentText data lists a) shall enable for improved cross comparisons to ParentApp b) shall enable a separation between content and code so that the same content can be deployed in multiple ways being stored in one single place thus ensuring consistency and avoiding repetitions c) eventually support content author partners to complete directly themselves (without having to rely on IDEMS staff).
In the Philippines, the IDEMS team are supporting efforts for local university partners Ateneo De Manila University as well as University of the Philippines to obtain raw data in the form they require, to engage in quantitative analysis which will support publications on the pilot. Our team has provided the first data set extracted from RapidPro for the team to review. In the following month we shall be providing further support on the data side.
To support work in Thailand with the Peach Culture Foundation we have also provided further guidance documentation on the approaches we take to developing a chatbot for their consideration as well as successfully created a demo version of ParentText delivered through LINE - the most used messaging platform in Thailand.
The Jamaica team at UNICEF, the Oxford team and IDEMS have been busy in the development of an Intimate Partner Violence version which will be deployed through two local Women’s Centres involving a group of young mothers attending their programmes as well as in collaboration with two local schools involving the parents of a group of their students. Additionally, we have been involved in supporting the set up of additional polls including for World Mental Health Day (recipients were U-Matter as well as U-Reporter users) reminding them of the U-Matter service. Another poll shall be launched at the beginning of November for Unhealthy Food (through the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network). Of significance is that UNICEF directly are now creating polls through initial guidance with IDEMS’ ParentText Technical Lead reviewing.
We are also preparing for the launch of the South Africa pilot based on the standard version of ParentText scheduled for the 3 November. An updated ParentText 2.0 version shall be available for the optimisation trial scheduled for 2023. It should also be noted that an Intimate Partner Violence version is deployed for a select group of users which has been provided with a unique joining link. IDEMS have also been involved in configuring the associated South Africa M&E dashboard so that IPV user data can be seen separately. We are also awaiting set-up through Whatsapp of the inclusion of a 7 day reminder system as well as surveys 30 days and 150 days after joining.
ParentApp
This month, the ParentApp team have engaged in an extensive drive to finalise the Modular Skin version of the app. The Modular skin is chosen by the Facilitator at the point of app set-up and includes an entirely different theming (or look) such as muted colours, no gradients, as well as human images. It also includes a very significant difference in accessing content where users are presented with an “active” module on their home screen. The modules themselves whilst still promoted to users in the order of workshops in the Weekly Workshop Skin (original version), can be accessed via a carousel type menu and chosen for completion out of order. Individual module progress bars on the home screen also provide an indication to the user of components within the module left to complete. The App also features a new Things to Do menu bar which includes activities taken from the active module in question as well as suggestions from ParentPoint and ParentLibrary activities. Formal training with partners on the new Modular Skin occurred on the 28 October 2022.
We have also incorporated new content as well as other improvements to ParentApp this month. Content updates include a new survey, safeguarding referrals, as well as a Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy. Improvements also include a QR code as well as ParentPoint info buttons with related descriptions. Next month we shall be working on a) refinement to home practice reviews b) updated check-ins c) calendar component to ParentPoints d) backend content review system e) content specific code repositories f) remote asset (media) storage.
Simultaneously the IDEMS data team has been working on categorising users of ParentApp between low, medium and high engagers. There shall be further thought on separating pilot vs optimisation users in the dashboard.
The INNODEMS team have been supporting the Optimisation trial preparations largely in running the digital literacy training and engaging in the training of trainers. In addition to this, they have also supported the team to work through recruitment and communication strategies, as well as m&e optimisation tools. The team has also been working on the content for the WashApp which shall act as the comparison app for the RCT in 2023.
November 2022
In November 2022, the ParentApp team made a number of refinements to the Modular Skin including enhancing the toggle feature between Workshop and Modular Skin, bug fixes as well as amendments to some translations. The INNODEMS team have also been supporting the troubleshooting of challenges related to app installations during the optimisation phase among other areas of support. The team have furthermore been creating the backend structures for the WashApp (control App to be used in ParentApp RCT in 2023). For ParentText, the team is continuing to support new polls in Jamaica (along with planned integrations in 2023 with another chatbot Fundoo within U-Report). ParentText also launched officially in South Africa on the 21 November 2022 and we are furthermore supporting a new delivery of ParentText in China (separate to the GPI).
Work on additional digital innovations to be launched in 2023 have also taken place in November 2022. For instance, with the FacilitatorApp, progress has involved identifying key informants for interview once Ethics approval has been received. Additionally, IDEMS have supported the identification of PhD students as part of their doctoral training for activities under ‘the measurement of playful parenting at scale using machine learning’.
IDEMS have also started to support a new initiative in Jamaica with the National Family Planning Board, in the creation of an adolescent sexual reproductive health chatbot using the same backend software structures as ParentText (separate to the GPI). Such exciting developments highlight the potential for the replication of technological innovations created under GPI but employed across other contexts.
ParentApp
The ParentApp team has been working on a few refinements to the new Modular skin in November. This includes, a) password protecting the toggle between default skin and Modular skin b) improving translations, as well as c) addressing some bugs including buttons to access endline surveys within Modular Skin as well as issues arising in some illustrated stories (where users were getting stuck). In the coming weeks the team will be working further on refining the home practice reviews and updating check-ins. Home practice reviews encourage a user to explore a topic further such as “your goal was to map risks and support systems with your teen – both in your community and online”. By asking the user a follow-up question such as “did you have a chance to do this?” will create the opportunity for another set of actions to result (the resulting actions are still to be thought through). On the data management front, the team is working at creating a dashboard view for the Optimisation study of ParentApp and the means of displaying data related to both default and modular skin.
The INNODEMS team has been working hard to continue the support provided during the Optimisation study of ParentApp. Of note this includes tackling technical challenges related to app installation as well as supporting the documentation of such issues. The team have also engaged in an exhaustive desk review to inform the content of the WASHApp and started to create the initial backend App structures which shall drive this control app for ParentApp’s RCT in 2023.
ParentText
On the ParentText end, the team have been working earnestly to consolidate the learnings from various country deployments to date for the design of ParentText 2.0 (which also includes interviews with various ParentText country leads). Separate from this, in November there had been some wider issues with UNICEF’s arrangements with Meta (who enable ParentText users to access content for free through Whatsapp) which caused a disruption to service use for roughly two weeks.
Despite the disruptions, the team have been working closely with in-country deployment teams on new features as well as new integrations. In Jamaica we have worked with UNICEF counterparts to develop a new poll on advertising Unhealthy Foods to children conceptualised by U-Report and the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN). Starting from January 2023 we shall be working closely to support UNICEF Jamaica’s other partners, Fundoo a chatbot designed to deliver 21st century-skills at scale, to integrate their bot also within the same U-Report Workspace. In South Africa we successfully launched ParentText as well as our alternate Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) version on the 21 November 2022. Furthermore in Thailand we have created a short Line (another delivery channel) demonstration for future consideration in Thai. Our counterparts will be trained in December on the use of CrowdIn to translate relevant messages as well as develop one local video file using our Media Recorder. Finally, separate to the GPI (although through our work on ParentText) we are supporting efforts to explore a version for deployment in China through the delivery channel WeChat.
FacilitatorApp
Background work has also continued on the FacilitatorApp including the targeting of key informants to interview once Ethics approvals have been forthcoming as well as the development of first versions of a budget and workplan.
PerinatalApp
IDEMS have supported the identification of PhD students as part of their doctoral training for work to support the ‘measurement of playful parenting at scale using machine learning’. In addition to this, early design work on the PerinatalApp will commence at an in-person meeting with partners in January 2023.
