openCHS

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Project Charter ​

Project Overview ​

Project Name: OpenCHS (Open Child Helpline System)

Project Lead: Nelson Adagi, BITZ IT Consulting LTD

Funding Partner: UNICEF Venture Fund

Primary Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Geographic Reach: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Lesotho (with potential for global expansion)

Project Type: Open-source, AI-enhanced child protection technology platform

License: GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0)

Vision Statement ​

To create a globally accessible, AI-powered platform that transforms child helpline services, making professional child protection support available to every child who needs it, regardless of location, language, or resources.

Mission Statement ​

OpenCHS empowers child protection organizations with cutting-edge technology to efficiently manage helpline operations, leverage artificial intelligence for improved service delivery, and provide data-driven insights that enhance child safety outcomes across Africa and beyond.

Project Background ​

The Challenge ​

Child helplines across Africa and developing regions face critical challenges:

  • Limited Resources: Insufficient counselors to handle call volumes, leading to long wait times and missed calls from children in crisis
  • Language Barriers: Children speak diverse languages, but helplines often operate in only one or two languages
  • Quality Inconsistency: Variable counselor training and service quality, with limited quality assurance capacity
  • Data Gaps: Inadequate systems for tracking cases, measuring impact, and identifying trends
  • Technology Access: Expensive proprietary systems that drain budgets and create vendor lock-in
  • Scalability: Difficulty expanding services to reach more children due to infrastructure and cost constraints

The Solution ​

OpenCHS addresses these challenges through:

  • AI-Powered Efficiency: Automated transcription, translation, and case classification to maximize counselor effectiveness
  • Open Source: Free, transparent technology that organizations can deploy, customize, and improve collaboratively
  • Comprehensive Platform: Integrated call management, case tracking, quality assurance, and analytics in one system
  • Multi-Language Support: Real-time translation enabling services in multiple African languages
  • Data-Driven Insights: Analytics and reporting to understand trends, demonstrate impact, and improve services
  • Cloud & On-Premise: Flexible deployment options to suit different organizational needs and regulations

Project Objectives ​

Primary Objectives ​

Objective 1: Deploy Functional System
Deliver a fully operational OpenCHS platform serving child helplines in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Lesotho by Q4 2024.

Objective 2: Achieve Open Source Compliance
Complete all UNICEF Venture Fund open-source requirements including 80% code coverage, comprehensive documentation, and community guidelines by Q4 2024.

Objective 3: Demonstrate Impact
Process at least 10,000 calls through the system, demonstrating improved efficiency, quality, and outcomes compared to previous systems.

Objective 4: Build Community
Establish an active open-source community with contributors from at least 5 countries and 10 organizations.

Objective 5: Ensure Sustainability
Create sustainable technical, financial, and governance structures for long-term project viability beyond initial funding.

Secondary Objectives ​

  • Reduce average call handling time by 30% through AI assistance
  • Enable service delivery in at least 10 African languages
  • Achieve 95% system uptime and reliability
  • Train 100+ counselors and administrators across partner organizations
  • Publish research demonstrating OpenCHS impact on child protection outcomes
  • Secure additional funding for expansion to new countries

Scope ​

In Scope ​

Core System Components:

  • Asterisk PBX telephony integration with SIP/WebSocket
  • Django-based helpline service with REST APIs
  • FastAPI AI service with MLflow model management
  • Vue.js wallboard applications for real-time monitoring
  • PostgreSQL databases for helpline and AI services
  • Docker containerization and deployment infrastructure

AI Features:

  • Speech-to-text transcription (Whisper model)
  • Multi-language translation
  • Named Entity Recognition (NER) for case information extraction
  • Case classification and priority prediction
  • Call summarization
  • Quality assurance automation
  • Insights and analytics

User Groups:

  • Helpline operators/counselors
  • Supervisors and quality assurance staff
  • Managers and executives
  • System administrators
  • Developers and contributors

Documentation:

  • User guides for all user groups
  • System administration and deployment guides
  • Developer documentation and API references
  • Training materials
  • Governance and compliance documentation

Geographic Coverage:

  • Kenya (primary deployment)
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Lesotho

Out of Scope ​

Excluded Features (potential future additions):

  • Mobile applications for counselors
  • SMS/chat helpline channels
  • Video call capabilities
  • Integration with government case management systems
  • Automated outbound calling
  • Payment/donation processing

Not Provided:

  • Counselor training content (organizations provide their own)
  • Legal advice or legal case management
  • Direct emergency response services
  • Hardware procurement for partner organizations

Key Stakeholders ​

Primary Stakeholders ​

UNICEF Venture Fund

  • Role: Primary funder and strategic partner
  • Interest: Innovative child protection technology, open-source development, impact measurement
  • Engagement: Quarterly reviews, milestone approvals, technical guidance

BITZ IT Consulting LTD

  • Role: Project owner and primary developer
  • Interest: Technical excellence, open-source reputation, sustainable business model
  • Engagement: Daily development, project management, community leadership

Partner Child Helplines

  • Role: End users and service providers
  • Interest: Effective tools for child protection, reliable technology, training and support
  • Engagement: Requirements gathering, testing, feedback, case studies

Secondary Stakeholders ​

Child Protection Organizations: Potential adopters, collaborators, and contributors

Open Source Community: Developers, researchers, and advocates contributing to the project

Government Agencies: Child protection authorities, data protection commissioners, telecommunications regulators

Children & Families: Ultimate beneficiaries of improved helpline services

Donors & Foundations: Potential future funders interested in child protection innovation

Project Deliverables ​

Phase 1: Foundation (Q1-Q2 2024) - COMPLETED ​

  • ✅ System architecture design
  • ✅ Core telephony integration (Asterisk PBX)
  • ✅ Basic helpline service (Django)
  • ✅ AI service foundation (FastAPI)
  • ✅ Database schemas and models
  • ✅ Initial deployment on test servers

Phase 2: Feature Development (Q2-Q3 2024) - COMPLETED ​

  • ✅ Speech-to-text transcription (Whisper)
  • ✅ Translation services
  • ✅ NER and classification models
  • ✅ Wallboard applications (Vue.js)
  • ✅ Quality assurance tools
  • ✅ Case management workflows
  • ✅ Analytics and reporting

Phase 3: Compliance & Documentation (Q4 2024) - IN PROGRESS ​

  • 🔄 Code coverage to 80%
  • 🔄 Comprehensive documentation
    • ✅ Getting Started guides
    • ✅ User guides
    • ✅ Deployment guides
    • 🔄 API documentation
    • ✅ Governance documentation
  • 🔄 Docker containerization complete
  • 🔄 Community guidelines and contribution docs
  • 🔄 Security and compliance audits

Phase 4: Production Launch (Q4 2024-Q1 2025) - PLANNED ​

  • Production deployments across all countries
  • Staff training programs
  • Performance monitoring and optimization
  • Community launch and outreach
  • Impact measurement framework

Success Criteria ​

Technical Success ​

  • System Reliability: 95%+ uptime in production
  • Code Quality: 80%+ test coverage, passing all quality gates
  • Performance: <2 second average API response time, <500ms transcription lag
  • Security: Zero critical vulnerabilities, regular security audits passed
  • Scalability: Support 1000+ concurrent calls without degradation

Operational Success ​

  • Adoption: 4+ organizations actively using OpenCHS
  • Call Volume: 10,000+ calls processed successfully
  • User Satisfaction: 80%+ satisfaction rating from counselors and supervisors
  • Training: 100+ staff trained and certified
  • Incident Response: 99%+ of incidents resolved within SLA

Community Success ​

  • Contributors: 20+ active contributors from 5+ countries
  • Documentation: Complete, accessible documentation in multiple languages
  • GitHub Activity: 100+ stars, 50+ forks, active issues and pull requests
  • Partnerships: 3+ technology partnerships or integrations
  • Recognition: Featured in at least 2 major tech or social impact conferences

Impact Success ​

  • Efficiency Gains: 30% reduction in average call handling time
  • Quality Improvement: 25% increase in QA scores
  • Language Access: Services available in 10+ languages
  • Child Outcomes: Measurable improvements in case resolution rates
  • Cost Savings: 40% reduction in technology costs for partner organizations

Mapping to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ​

OpenCHS directly contributes to multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being ​

Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Provides mental health support and crisis intervention for children
  • Connects children with healthcare services and counseling
  • Tracks health-related cases to identify patterns and improve interventions
  • AI-powered insights help optimize mental health support delivery

Impact Metrics:

  • Number of mental health cases addressed
  • Referrals to healthcare services
  • Follow-up success rates for health interventions

SDG 4: Quality Education ​

Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child-sensitive and provide safe learning environments

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Addresses bullying, abuse, and safety concerns affecting education
  • Provides information on educational rights and opportunities
  • Identifies barriers to education for vulnerable children
  • Connects children with educational support services

Impact Metrics:

  • Education-related cases handled
  • School-related safety concerns resolved
  • Educational resource referrals provided

SDG 5: Gender Equality ​

Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Addresses gender-based violence and exploitation
  • Provides support specifically for girls facing discrimination or abuse
  • Tracks gender-specific issues to inform policy and intervention
  • Ensures equal access to helpline services regardless of gender

Impact Metrics:

  • Gender-based violence cases addressed
  • Girl-specific support interventions
  • Gender equality in service access and outcomes

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities ​

Target 10.2: Empower and promote social, economic, and political inclusion of all

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Removes language barriers through AI translation, ensuring all children can access services
  • Provides free services regardless of socioeconomic status
  • Reaches remote and marginalized communities through telephony infrastructure
  • Open-source model enables resource-constrained organizations to deploy advanced technology

Impact Metrics:

  • Language diversity of callers served
  • Geographic distribution of services
  • Accessibility for children with disabilities
  • Service reach to marginalized populations

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions ​

Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against children

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Direct intervention in child abuse, exploitation, and trafficking cases
  • Coordination with law enforcement and child protection services
  • Data-driven insights to identify and prevent violence patterns
  • Quality assurance ensures effective case handling

Target 16.9: Provide legal identity for all, including birth registration

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Identifies children without legal documentation
  • Provides information on birth registration and legal identity
  • Refers families to legal identity services

Impact Metrics:

  • Violence and abuse cases addressed
  • Successful interventions preventing harm
  • Referrals to child protection authorities
  • Cases involving legal identity support

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals ​

Target 17.17: Encourage effective partnerships

OpenCHS Contribution:

  • Open-source collaboration across countries, organizations, and sectors
  • Technology transfer enabling innovation in child protection
  • Partnership between UNICEF, BITZ IT Consulting, and child protection organizations
  • Community-driven development engaging global contributors

Impact Metrics:

  • Number of organizational partnerships
  • Geographic reach of collaborations
  • Open-source community growth
  • Technology adoption by new organizations

Project Timeline ​

2024 Milestones ​

  • Q1: Foundation complete, core systems operational
  • Q2: Feature development, AI models deployed
  • Q3: Testing, refinement, pilot deployments
  • Q4: Documentation completion, UNICEF compliance, production readiness

2025 Roadmap ​

  • Q1: Production launch across all four countries
  • Q2: Community growth, additional features based on feedback
  • Q3: Geographic expansion planning
  • Q4: Evaluation and impact measurement

Budget & Resources ​

Funding ​

UNICEF Venture Fund: Primary funding for development, deployment, and initial operations

In-Kind Contributions: Partner organizations provide testing, feedback, and local infrastructure

Future Funding: Grant applications and partnerships for sustainability and expansion

Team Resources ​

Core Development Team: 8-12 developers and engineers (backend, frontend, AI, DevOps)

Project Management: Project lead, product owners, coordinators

Technical Advisory: AI ethics specialist, system architect, data privacy expert

Support Staff: Documentation writers, trainers, community managers

Risk Assessment ​

High-Priority Risks ​

Risk 1: Data Breach or Security Incident

  • Likelihood: Medium
  • Impact: Critical
  • Mitigation: Comprehensive security measures, regular audits, incident response plan
  • Contingency: Breach notification procedures, remediation protocols

Risk 2: AI Model Bias or Errors

  • Likelihood: Medium
  • Impact: High
  • Mitigation: Regular bias testing, diverse training data, human oversight
  • Contingency: Model rollback, manual override capabilities

Risk 3: Failure to Meet UNICEF Requirements

  • Likelihood: Low
  • Impact: Critical
  • Mitigation: Regular progress tracking, early engagement with UNICEF
  • Contingency: Timeline extension, additional resources

Medium-Priority Risks ​

Risk 4: Staff Turnover or Knowledge Loss

  • Likelihood: Medium
  • Impact: Medium
  • Mitigation: Documentation, knowledge transfer, team redundancy
  • Contingency: Recruitment, training programs

Risk 5: Technology Obsolescence

  • Likelihood: Low
  • Impact: Medium
  • Mitigation: Modern stack, active maintenance, community support
  • Contingency: Migration plans, technology refresh cycles

Risk 6: Low Community Adoption

  • Likelihood: Medium
  • Impact: Medium
  • Mitigation: Marketing, partnerships, ease of deployment
  • Contingency: Direct sales, consulting services

Quality Assurance ​

Code Quality ​

  • Minimum 80% test coverage
  • Automated testing in CI/CD pipeline
  • Code review requirements for all changes
  • Static analysis and linting
  • Security vulnerability scanning

Service Quality ​

  • User acceptance testing with real counselors
  • Usability testing and feedback loops
  • Performance benchmarking
  • Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1)
  • Regular quality audits

Documentation Quality ​

  • Peer review of all documentation
  • User testing of guides and tutorials
  • Regular updates to reflect system changes
  • Multiple language support
  • Community feedback integration

Communication Plan ​

Internal Communication ​

Daily: Development team standups, Slack channels Weekly: PMO meetings, sprint reviews Bi-weekly: Technical advisory board, all-hands updates Monthly: Steering committee, partner updates

External Communication ​

Monthly: Newsletter to community and partners Quarterly: Public progress reports, blog posts Annually: Impact reports, conference presentations Ongoing: GitHub updates, social media, documentation

Crisis Communication ​

  • Designated spokesperson for incidents
  • Pre-approved messaging templates
  • Stakeholder notification hierarchy
  • Media response protocols

Project Governance ​

Refer to the detailed Project Governance document for comprehensive governance structure, decision-making processes, and accountability frameworks.

Key Governance Bodies ​

Steering Committee: Strategic oversight and major decisions Project Management Office: Day-to-day execution and coordination Technical Advisory Board: Technical standards and ethics oversight Development Teams: Implementation and delivery

Sustainability Plan ​

Technical Sustainability ​

Open Source Model: Community-driven development ensures long-term viability Modern Technology: Cloud-native architecture enables easy scaling and maintenance Documentation: Comprehensive docs enable self-service and community support Modularity: Component-based design allows incremental updates

Financial Sustainability ​

Cost Efficiency: Open-source model reduces licensing costs for adopters Revenue Streams: Consulting, training, and support services Grant Funding: Ongoing applications to foundations and development agencies Partnership Model: Shared costs with implementing organizations

Organizational Sustainability ​

Community Ownership: Distributed governance prevents single points of failure Capacity Building: Training programs create skilled maintainers globally Partnerships: Multi-organizational support ensures continuity Knowledge Transfer: Documentation and training materials enable handoffs

Exit Strategy ​

If the project cannot continue in its current form:

Graceful Degradation: Core services remain operational while seeking alternatives Technology Transfer: Complete documentation enables other organizations to maintain Data Migration: Tools and procedures for migrating to alternative systems Open Source Continuity: GPL-3.0 license ensures code remains available forever

Approval & Authorization ​

Project Charter Approval ​

Prepared By: Nelson Adagi, Project Lead, BITZ IT Consulting LTD Date: October 2024

Approved By:

  • UNICEF Venture Fund Representative: _________________ Date: _______
  • BITZ IT Consulting LTD Leadership: _________________ Date: _______
  • Technical Advisory Board Chair: _________________ Date: _______
  • Partner Organization Representatives: _________________ Date: _______

Charter Review Schedule ​

This charter will be reviewed and updated:

  • Annually as a minimum
  • After major milestones
  • When strategic direction changes
  • As requested by stakeholders

Next Review Date: January 2025

Conclusion ​

OpenCHS represents a transformative opportunity to improve child protection services across Africa through innovative, open-source technology. By combining advanced AI capabilities with a commitment to accessibility, transparency, and community collaboration, this project has the potential to reach millions of children who need support.

Success requires dedication from all stakeholders: technical excellence from the development team, strategic guidance from UNICEF and partners, active engagement from the open-source community, and most importantly, commitment to the wellbeing and safety of the children we serve.

This charter establishes the foundation for achieving our ambitious goals while maintaining accountability, quality, and alignment with global sustainable development objectives.

Together, we can create a safer world for children.

Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: October 2024
Document Owner: Nelson Adagi, Project Lead
Contact: info@openchs.org
Website: https://openchs.org
GitHub: https://github.com/openchlai