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SITARA SHAH

Poverty Alleviation through Training Programs supported by a Tech-Driven Ecosystem

Client: Leap 300 NGO by Leap India (2023-2024) Project: Application architecture & design for multiple stakeholders

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About the Platform

A tech-integrated ecosystem was designed to support the NGO’s mission of providing financial assistance and business training to individuals identified as below the poverty line to set up their own sustainable business.

An end-to-end blueprint was developed, detailing stakeholder interactions and digital interventions at every stage of the user journey. The blueprint mapped both manual and digital processes for identifying eligible beneficiaries through automated verification processes. User-centric applications and a back-end system were designed to:

  • Streamline beneficiary onboarding

  • Support training delivery

  • Manage financial aid distribution

  • Monitor the performance of trainers and trainees

My Contribution

  • Field Research & User Study

  • Service Design: Blueprint and Architecture

  • Product Design: UX, UI Design

Eligibility Calculator & Verification

An eligibility check is conducted at the doorstep eligibility to assess and verify beneficiaries' eligibility for the training program. The basic necessity for being eligible is:​​

  • Bank account availability: The money sent by Donors for business setup gets transferred to the beneficiary's Bank Account.

  • Basic smartphone understanding: The beneficiary is given funds to buy a smartphone to access training material through WhatsApp and the beneficiary app.

  • Less than 2 acres of agricultural land: Anyone owning more than 2 acres is not considered poor.

  • Monthly Income < Rs.10,000: The total household income to be less than ten thousand rupees.

The beneficiary gets higher points (higher probability of getting selected for the program) for:

  • Disable: If they or anyone in the family has any disability.

  • Single Woman: If they are a single woman running the family,

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Supervisor Task Management

Designed for program supervisors to manage and track tasks, including:

  • Monitoring the status of doorstep visits for eligibility checks.

  • Grouping onboarded beneficiaries for training sessions.

  • Sending reminders to beneficiaries for attendance & digitally maintaining records.

  • Tracking the progress journey of beneficiaries through visualizations.

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Beneficiary App Architecture

​Designing the architecture to enable the following activities for beneficiaries:

  • Access learning modules in video formats

  • Submit training assignments with ease

  • Track weekly/monthly income and expenses

  • Engage with others in the program in the village

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Admin App & Dashboard

​A centralized platform for administrators to manage and analyze programs, including:

  • Monitoring doorstep visit progress and onboarding quality.

  • Creating beneficiary groups for efficient training schedules.

  • Tracking training session outcomes and business performance of each beneficiary.

  • Managing financial aid disbursement at different program stages.

Field Research & Insights

The research focused on understanding the challenges faced by experts conducting doorstep visits and eligibility assessments. Key insights that influenced the design decisions include:

Outdated Poverty Probability Index (PPI) Data

  • Many individuals identified as poor were no longer in need of assistance.

  • Missing data (e.g., ID, contact, family income, household possessions) complicated verification.

  • Trust in the program increased when beneficiaries knew someone nearby who had participated.

Digital Familiarity

  • Many unmarried men, children, and married women owned smartphones and were active on apps like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp.

Misunderstandings and Cultural Barriers

  • Some assumed the program was a loan rather than unconditional aid.

  • Cultural norms prevented interaction with people from different communities (e.g., women unable to speak to male strangers).

  • Women were often unable to make enrollment decisions without their husband’s permission.

  • Women, while a key target audience due to their availability, were difficult to convince of the program’s intent.

Other Challenges

  • Bank documents for verification were often unavailable during doorstep visits.

  • Some beneficiaries hesitated to allow photo capture for verification purposes.

10. Instructional design & Gamification for an Ed-tech platform to assist MBA aspirants & practitioners.

Designing decision architecture for a conversational bot along with UX Design for Courses and Forums for a platform assisting MBA aspirants, students and practitioners with the aid of gamification.

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  |  © 2024 by Sitara Shah

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