Purpose of this page

To ensure all parties are working with common expectations, this section lists those areas that are explicitly out of scope for the Commodity & Allocation Tracking System development.

A separate page deals with items that form part of the Project Success Criteria

Project Scope Exclusions

Improved Document Tracking

Initially raised: November 2011 Launch Workshop

Breaks in the document chain occur in two key places:

Once the goods arrive and are stored at the FDP, the (Wereda-Issued) Good Receiving Note (GRN) is issued, with the source GIN and RRD reference numbers written in, signed and given to the driver.
- However, when the distribution (Payroll (PAY/M33), Utilisation Report) documents are issued, the original RRD numbers are often not recorded, breaking the chain to the original request.
- This makes reconciliation of the distribution against the original RRD difficult, and means that donors lose visibility of their contributions

WFP commodities have an SI (Shipping Instruction) number attached, linking it to the programme and donor

Although this number is often recorded when entering the DRMFSS Hub, then the cargo is then dispatched, the SI number is lost
Better recording of these document numbers mean that donors retain visibility of their goods – an important factor for continued aid flow

Reasons for exclusion

Component 1 deals with the recording of information, rather than the processes supplying the information.

The change in FMIP structure (from three pillars to five components) resulted in the creation of FMIP Component 2: Strengthen Supply Chain Processes. Issues with the content and flow of physical documents that will eventually be recorded in CATS are being dealt with in Component 2, and therefore no longer form part of the measurable outcomes for the CATS project.

Resolution

This aim will be addressed by FMIP Component 2: Strengthen Supply Chain Processes.

Reduced commodity losses

Initially raised: November 2011 Launch Workshop

This is more accurately stated as “Improved ability to reduce commodity losses (on the basis of better information)”.

According to DRMFSS, food losses occur mainly between the Dispatch and Delivery stages, with lesser food losses occurring between the later Delivery to Distribution stages (due to the community-oversight nature of the relationship between wereda and FDP officials).

One of the main contributing factors is those receiving the goods are not aware when, or how much, has been sent. Once the receiving party is aware they are to receive cargo by a certain date, they are able to rapidly raise an alarm when those goods don’t arrive.

The current notification process relies upon the Region communicating the impending delivery to the wereda/FDP. Given the sheer number of FDPs in the country, and the communication difficulties this information can often not reach the target FDP in time.

Reasons for exclusion

This component does not deal directly with the actual storage, transportation of distribution of commodities, focusing instead on the recording of information surrounding those actions. This means that while the implementation of CATS cannot directly reduce commodity losses, it can, however, enable DRMFSS to use the information in the tracking system to take action to reduce the losses.

Implementation of “Improved Forward Visibility of Deliveries” will improve the ability of the wereda/FDP to detect late and/or partial arrival of commodities, and to decide if they wish to take action.

Improvements in document processing, generated by FMIP Component 2: Strengthen Supply Chain Processes, and increased visibility of recorded information, generated by CATS, will both assist DRMFSS in locating areas where losses occur, and then to take action to combat those losses.

Resolution

This aim is outside the scope of FMIP to directly address.

Improved Confirmation-of-Delivery Notification

Initially raised: November 2011 Launch Workshop

Notification of Delivery can reach DRMFSS in one of two ways:

Either through the transport company bringing the (Wereda-Issued) Good Receiving Note (GRN) DRMSS for payment – often months after the actual delivery has taken place; or
the Payroll (PAY/M33) or Utilisation Report reports (which must first pass through 3 layers of government)

Better reporting means

Notification of deliveries to Region and Federal governments in a much shorter timeframe, giving DRMFSS more control over payment obligations to transporters
Increased visibility of fraud
Warehouses can see the results of their work (there is currently no feedback once the truck leaves the hub)
‘Current’ status of deliveries can be quickly obtained (at the moment Delivery statistics can be two to three months late)
Better servicing of beneficiaries (when multiple trucks are needed to transport goods to an FDP, the delay of a single truck will delay the entire distribution, as the entire load must be available before beneficiaries can be summoned)
Better transport statistics (automatic comparison of transport times and losses for each transporter will allow the reliability of the transporter to be assessed)

Reasons for exclusion

An SMS Delivery-Notification (SDN) Pilot was conducted in the first half of 2012 to determine the feasibility of allowing commodity recipients to instantly notify the tracking system that they had received all/some/none of the commodities assigned to them.

There are four main risk areas with SMS, of which three impact the ability to meet this aim in any meaningful way:

Contact List: Without a well-maintained, accurate contact list, this aim cannot be tested or met.
Sending the SMS Dispatch Notification (SDN) (low risk as the technology has been demonstrated in phase 1)
Recipient’s understanding of the purpose of SDN: The pilot demonstrated that this was a much higher-risk area than anticipated. A supporting training campaign will be needed to assist recipients in understanding why they are receiving the SMS, and what they are supposed to do with them.
Responding to SDN: In order to reach this point, all preceding risks must be overcome

Given the complexity of risks #1 and #3, and the difficulty and time involved in conducting a training campaign to overcome risk #3, it is unlikely that risk #4 can be overcome, and therefore that the aim of “Improved Confirmation-of-Delivery Notification” can be met.

This aim should be revisited for inclusion once “Improved Forward Visibility of Deliveries” has been achieved.

Resolution

Continue with current paper documentation, incorporating improvements from FMIP Component 2: Strengthen Supply Chain Processes.

Expansion to stores

Initially raised: CATS Phase 1 Evaluation Workshop, 21 June 2012

The commodity tracking system currently focuses on the record-keeping function of the warehouse offices at the three DRMFSS Hubs. A request was made to expand the functionality of the commodity tracking system into the cargo stores at each hub.

Reasons for exclusion

Extracted from “Project Product Description - C1.docx”

The stores are the central point from which all cargo movement documents originate, making it the most critical in terms of risk. The decision not to introduce the tracking system into the stores is based on the following factors:

If the store keepers are dependent upon the tracking system to perform their job, any system downtime would directly impact the receipt and dispatch of physical cargo
Current issues with the accuracy of recording (as per the SI and loan scenarios demonstrated in the June 21 Evaluation) need to be resolved so that paper-based recording is accurate before computer-based tracking is introduced
Complete and comprehensive SOPs surrounding cargo movements need to be developed and adhered to before the tracking system will be able to accurately function
Issues with lack of a paper-trail and its impact on other aspects of the DRMFSS operation (if a paper-less operation is chosen)
Issues with equipment (network equipment, terminals, printers, etc.) breakdowns and its impact on physical cargo movement needs to be investigated
Issues with consumables (toner, paper, etc.) need to be resolved
The harsh physical environment would pose a risk to the continuous operation of computer terminals in the stores
The level of computer literacy in the stores
The number of people to be trained

All these issues can be investigated and a full assessment of the risks to the operation can be undertaken. It is feasible that once the tracking system is present in Addis and the hubs, is fully operational and areas of inaccuracy are known and documented that it would be possible to start investigating the introduction of computerisation into the stores. However, given the time constraints of this project, it would be extremely risky to start this process before the system is stable.

Resolution

Before expanding into the stores, two conditions must be met:

Develop solid SOPs: Complete and documented understanding of all possible commodity movement that reflect the actual events that can happen in the stores. This is necessary to formally codify the
Improve Record-keeping: Training of store-keepers in good record management, using paper-based systems

Once the SOPs are in place, and are proven to cover all commodity movement scenarios, and once good paper-based record keeping is in place, then expansion of the tracking system into the stores can be considered.

In preparation for this, the tracking system will be built in a way that allows the later expansion into the stores to be gradually incorporated into DRMFSS operations. This will be done by prepare the “Store” roles, incorporating basic record-keeping functionality.

NOTE: For all of the reasons outlined above, this functionality will not be developed through user interviews, will not be field-tested, and will not be considered as a condition for finalising the tracking system as this will reduce the ability to deliver functionality for in-scope items within the agreed development timeframe.

Expansion to deep field

Initially raised: CATS Phase 1 Evaluation Workshop, 21 June 2012

The ‘live’ data entry functionality stops at the three strategic DRMFSS hubs upon dispatch. All later documents (receipt at wereda/FDP, distribution, etc) are recorded in the commodity tracking system in Addis Ababa or the regional capitals once those documents have been completed and physically returned.

Reasons for exclusion

As with the “Expansion to stores” issues above, expanding the system is not a just a technical problem, but is primarily an issue of time and the number of people that need to be involved:

Hundreds of people to be trained across multiple language groups
Lack of computer literacy
Difficulties with maintaining large quantities of equipment spread across wide regions (even basic essential warehouse equipment is currently poorly maintained)
Insurmountable (at present) connectivity issues
Paper-trail must be maintained, due to interaction with other parties (transporters, donors, etc)

Resolution

The current paper-based solutions should be maintained, with improvements as suggested by FMIP Component 2: Strengthen Supply Chain Processes.

The tracking system design will consider the later roll-out of zone, wereda and FDP functionality at some point in the future by prepare the different roles, as advised by DRMFSS, that are anticipated, and provide basic functionality for these roles.

NOTE: For all of the reasons outlined above, this functionality will not be developed through user interviews, will not be field-tested, and will not be considered as a condition for finalising the tracking system as this will reduce the ability to deliver functionality for in-scope items within the agreed development timeframe.