A MOBILE BASED LEAVE APPLICATION (M-LA) FOR GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS: THE CASE OF THE TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISION OF KENYA

By: Benard Kipkoech

Supervisor: Dr. Everlyne Makhanu

M-LAThis is a mobile based system

that is used by teachers to apply for leave.

IntroductionCreation, maintenance and

retrieval of info is important in government institutions

E-government and m-government adopted to enhance data management and service delivery

Research finds out if a mobile phone can be used for leave management

Problem StatementSlow leave processing (up to 30

days)Manual inefficient system used to

handle many usersData analysis is hardLess access to computers and

internet in rural areas to facilitate e-government

ObjectivesIdentify the process used by TSC

in managing leaveDesign and develop a mobile app

that can be used to apply for leave

Test the effectiveness of M-LA in leave management.

Literature reviewEvolution of government services

Challenges facing adoption of e-governmentPoor infrastructure especially in

rural areas (computers, internet electricity)

Skill inadequacyHigh cost of setting up a

reputable e-government system

Importance of m-governmentreduction in cost,Increased efficiencyExtra convenience and increased

flexibilityMore reliable services to the

citizens and ability to reach a larger number of people

Teacher’s Service Commission The TSC is an Independent

government Commission established under the Constitution by an Act of Parliament (Cap 212) of the Laws of Kenya in 1967

TSC functions to register trained teachers;to recruit and employ registered

teachers;to assign teachers employed by

the Commission for service in any public school or institution;

to promote and transfer teachers;

to exercise disciplinary control over teachers; and

Procedure for leave applicationAn application form obtained

from the TSC’s website is completed in triplicate and the copies distributed as follows:-

The original copy will be forwarded to TSC by The County Director.

The duplicate copy will be retained in the office of The County Director

The triplicate copy will be retained in the institution

TSC and M-LA With M-LA, communication

between the top management and teachers will be a two way interaction with the help of a mobile phone. Teachers can apply for leave through M-LA and data posted directly to the responsible personnel

System designThis model application was

implemented using, Java Micro Edition for mobile phones, php/html web application framework, windows operating system, MySQL as a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)

User interface

Research designDeveloped framework

Research findingsdistribution by education

Degree and above Certificate Other0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Distribution by level of education

Number

Number of people who have applied for leave

80%

20%

Number of People who have applied for leave

Yes No

How teachers apply for leave

Manually Electronically0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Acceptability of current systemStrongly

agree

Agree Disagree Strongly

Disagree

Total

Procedure used to apply

for leave Frequency

(N)39 15 68 142 264

% Frequency

14.77% 5.68% 25.76% 53.79% 100%

Speed of processing

of leaveFrequency

(N)12 24 70 158 264

% Frequency

4.54% 9.09% 26.52% 59.85% 100%

Average 25.5 19.5 69 150 264

Percentage

9.66% 7.39% 26.14% 56.82% 100.00%

TSC employees with internet enabled phones

68%

32%

people with internet enabled phones

Yes No

Acceptability of M-LA

 acceptability Frequency Percent

Strongly Acceptable 140 53.03

Acceptable 62 23.48

Unacceptable 33 12.50

Strongly Unacceptable 29 10.98

Total 264 100.0

Findings and conclusions

Many TSC staff have internet enabled phones

Teachers are not happy with the current system

Teachers can accept the introduction of M-LA because of; ease of use, speed, cost and availability

M-LA can therefore be introduced in TSC

Mobile app user screen shots

Login and main menu screens

Leave application

Admin interface

Thank you