After a busy 2023, our team is glad to share an update on one of our biggest initiatives, Connect. Built on top of CommCare, Connect lets Frontline Workers and organizations opt into paid, purposeful work. Here are some reflections and early learnings from designing and testing the platform in 2023.
What is Connect?
Connect is the first digital tool that lets Frontline Workers autonomously learn, deliver, and be paid for verified services. It runs on four pillars:
- Learn: workers select and complete training through a digital platform.
- Deliver: workers deliver additional services through their active jobs, using CommCare.
- Verify: service delivery is verified with biometrics, GPS, and data algorithms.
- Pay: workers see what they are owed and are paid digitally or manually.
The platform creates growth opportunities for Frontline Workers and a more efficient way to expand frontline services. CommCare is the vehicle to reach them, with a user base of more than 150,000 and growing.
Results across a range of interventions
Connect launched in late 2022, when Dimagi established a dedicated team backed by a $25 million investment from the Steele Foundation for Hope. Since then, Dimagi and its partners have used Connect to deliver Child Health Campaigns, household safety checks, early childhood development programs, group therapy for depression, and vaccine promotion.
77,000+ clients reached, and $161,000 paid directly to Frontline Workers and organizations.
Through partnerships with 12 organizations, Connect reached more than 77,000 clients across seven countries: Kenya, India, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, and Malawi.
I must say the Community Health Workers are extremely excited about the app. We are getting more positive responses from the team in general.
Nama Wellness Centre, Uganda
Frontline Worker autonomy
One of the most exciting findings is that Frontline Workers independently completed the entire learn, deliver, verify, pay cycle. In Malawi, Dimagi rolled out the platform so workers could sign themselves up for Connect projects from their existing CommCare accounts. From there they learned new skills, delivered verified services, and were paid fairly, all through the platform. That level of autonomy is proving our hypothesis that Connect can unlock an ecosystem of greater impact for Frontline Workers and locally led organizations.
We are seeing high demand from community members who were not targeted, requesting the volunteer to visit their households.
Everlisto Phiri, monitoring and evaluation lead, Pachi, Malawi
Looking ahead to 2024
There is still much to explore: more pilots across essential services such as Kangaroo Mother Care and vaccine promotion, and new group therapy pilots reaching 2,500 people in Tigray, Ethiopia, with World Vision. We are also prioritizing the scale-up of the Child Health Campaign, and we are seeking partners to support the next million verified child visits, on the way to more than 10 million per year.