MineFreeUkraine: Coordination and DeFi Platform for Large-Scale Humanitarian Demining and Socio-Economic Recovery of Ukraine

[GENERAL] Name and Surname of Main Applicant

Yosef Akhtman

[GENERAL] Email address of Main Applicant

ya@gamma.earth

Additional Applicants

Vadym Lysenko

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

10

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” in this field.

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project outputs be fully Open Source?

No

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.” in this field.

The platform will not be open-sourced as security will have a paramount importance.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

DeFi

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

300,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian land (equivalent to almost the entire area of Germany) are contaminated by mines and explosives, as a result of large-scale military invasion. Full demining of affected territories will take many years and billions of dollars to complete, but the rapid and effective demining of critical infrastructure and agricultural land in the coming months can play a critical role in the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine.

As of June, 540,000 items of unexploded ordnance have already been cleared, but making Ukraine safe is a difficult and very expensive long-term prospect. Almost 10.7 million people are in need of mine action services, according to UNDP. The World Bank estimates that the full demining package will cost more than $37 billion. 

From "Demining Ukraine": https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138477

Ukraine is one of the leading exporters of agricultural produce including #1 in Sunflower Oil (46% of Global exports) and #3 in Rapeseed (20% of Global exports). Many of the world’s major international corporations, particularly in the food sector depend on these supplies. At present, it is estimated that 30% of agricultural land in Ukraine will not be cultivated this year due to occupation, military operations, mines and lack of fuel. This will have a significant impact on food markets for years to come, including potential significant food shortages in the near term.

It is expected that major financial organisations and international corporations shall become a source of significant financial support intended to both expedite the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine itself, as well as help resolve global food-shortages and restore vital supply chains and markets that these organisations and their businesses depend on. Every dollar invested in demining today will save hundreds and thousands of dollars of economic damages in the coming years.

https://www.globsec.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/Demining%20in%20Ukraine%20report%20ver5%20web.pdf

Our Mission: Help rapid socio-economic recovery and rebuilding of Ukraine from the horrors and destruction inflicted by the large-scale invasion. Providing lifesaving information to the citizens today and capturing information that will enter into the history books of tomorrow.

The proposed information management and DeFi platform will form an integral part of a major 5-year programme that will be carried out in close collaboration with the State Emergency Services of Ukraine to deploy a systemic solution for rapid large-scale humanitarian demining of Ukraine that will also include recruitment and training programme for demining personnel, as well as the development and deployment of autonomous demining equipment.

 

Specifically, as part of the proposed project we will develop and deploy a comprehensive information system for reporting, collection of data, planning of demining operations, removal of threats and clearance of contaminated land, as well as certification of cleared territories for civilian use.

The envisioned reporting and information management system will comprise three main components:

1: Mobile application for civilian crowd-sourced reporting, mapping and tagging of suspicious objects, including remains of machinery, ammunition, mines or suspected mines, as well as potential human remains, or military personnel-related item. Already deployed and has 50,000 active users

The submitted reports will be accompanied by automatically generated geolocation information that would dramatically simplify the collection and assimilation of relevant information. The reports will be identified by the user’s mobile number providing a mechanism for authentication, security, protection against misuse, as well as mechanism for potential communication with the reporting user. 

The mobile application will also include educational material that will inform the public about the extent of affected territories, presence of potential threats and instructions pertaining to the safe conduct in affected areas. Users will be able to check whether particular locations are safe for civilian activity and will receive automated alerts in case of proximity to zones of danger. The users will further receive an acknowledgement of their submissions and the subsequent updates on the status of their reported locations, providing incentive for active reporting of suspected objects. 

2: Centralised database for management of geospatial and contextual data, including an interface for reception and approval of incoming reports as well as an interface for planning and deployment of demining operation

The system will provide an infrastructure for blockchain-based distributed financing of humanitarian demining action, where the international community and the general public will be invited to engage and contribute financial support of the demining action. Specifically, platform will provide the following functionality

• Collection of philanthropic donations in support of humanitarian demining action
• Reporting of up-to-date information regarding the progress of the demining operations
• Donors, including global financial institutions, international corporations, as well as the general public will be able to to financially support the demining of a specific area of land, as well as track the progress of the demining action
• In the case of agricultural land, field boundaries will be provided that will allow for the support of demining action of a specific field, and subsequent tracking of agricultural activity on that field
• Local communities and farmers will be able to engage the international community and the general public to mobilise financial support for local demining action
• Donors will be able to engage directly with the land owners provided the consent of the owners
• Accountability and transparency reports on the use of finances

3: Mobile application for use by demining professionals for in-field mission planning, reporting and certification of cleared territories

• GIS-based mission planning and coordination
• Automation and digitalisation of reporting
• On-chain tracking of documentation and certification
• Transparency and accountability of demining action-related financial transactions

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed system will showcase a quality Dapp with rapidly scalable adoption and immense socio-economic significance and will position Cardano as a leader in impact and government blockchain applications. The system will demonstrate effective integration with existing National Government Systems, including GICHD Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and Digitalisation of Public Services of Ukraine (DIA). The system will further demonstrate a strong use case for impact DeFi infrastructure.

The envisioned system will significantly improve the efficacy of humanitarian demining action in Ukraine, reduce the risk of further loss of life, increase confidence of the population and the agricultural professionals in particular, and accelerate the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine. It will allow for effective coordination between multiple state-funded and private demining operators, as well as provide an additional source of financial support for demining action.

Furthermore, the proposed system will increase the awareness of the public to the threats of mines and military conflict-related debris, provide a platform for discrimination of educational material and best practices for conduct and rules of personal safety in the danger zones, where many Ukrainian civilians are now forced to carry out their everyday activities.

The system will further maximise visibility, accountability and transparency of the nation-wide humanitarian demining action that will increase the confidence of the potential donors in the efficacy and positive impact of their support, thus helping the mobilisation of the required financial resources.

The mobile interface for demining personnel will help streamline reporting and certification of cleared territories by reducing the heavy load of existing pen-and-paper reporting methodology.

The broader scope of our 5-year programme is aiming at reaching the rate of 20 ha per day per team for clearance of agricultural land by the end of the first year of operations. Our objective over the entire 5-year period is to make a significant contribution to the clearing of 300,000 ha of agricultural land that will unlock EUR 100M worth of annual agricultural production, or equivalent to 3.2MT of wheat sufficient to feed 40 million people.

We aspire to work with the leading global experts in humanitarian demining, such as GICHD (https://www.gichd.org/en/) to extend the scope of the project beyond the current conflict in Ukraine and provide technological infrastructure for humanitarian demining action worldwide.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

The success of the project will be measured as follows:

1. Performance criteria: The project has set specific targets for different time periods, such as six months and one year. These targets include the number of installations of the MineFree mobile application, the number of reports of suspicious objects, the area demined and certified using the MineFree platform, and the demining action area funded through the MineFree DeFi platform. These performance criteria will track the progress and impact of the project.
2. User engagement: The number of installations of the MineFree mobile application and the number of reports submitted by users will indicate the level of engagement and adoption of the platform. Increasing user participation and reporting will be an important measure of success.
3. Feedback and user satisfaction: Gathering feedback from users, including both civilians and demining professionals, will provide insights into the usability and effectiveness of the platform. Positive feedback, user satisfaction, and constructive suggestions for improvement will be indications of success.
4. Public awareness and educational impact: The success of the project will also be evaluated based on its ability to raise public awareness about the threats of mines and military conflict-related debris. The dissemination of educational material and best practices for personal safety in affected areas will contribute to enhancing public knowledge and safety.
5. Financial impact: The success of the DeFi platform component will be measured by the amount of philanthropic donations collected to support demining action. The platform's ability to provide transparency and accountability in financial transactions related to demining efforts will also be an important measure of success.
6. Alignment with project roadmap and milestones: The project has defined a detailed plan and timeline with specific milestones and deliverable. Meeting these milestones and delivering the planned outputs within the allocated timeframes will be an indication of progress and success.

By tracking these metrics and evaluating the project's ability to achieve its goals and targets, the team will be able to measure the success of the project and assess its impact.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

The plans to share the outputs and results of the project include communication and marketing strategies to disseminate information to various stakeholders and the general public as follows:

1. Publicity and awareness campaigns: The team will collaborate with the State Emergency Services of Ukraine to conduct widespread publicity campaigns about the MineFree platform. These campaigns will raise public awareness about the project, its objectives, and the importance of humanitarian demining. They may involve press releases, media interviews, social media campaigns, and awareness events to reach a wide audience.
2. Official project website and documentation: The team can create an official project website where they can provide detailed information about the project, its progress, achievements, and key milestone. This website can serve as a central hub for sharing project updates, reports, and other relevant documentation.
3. Stakeholder engagement: The team will actively engage with stakeholders, including government agencies, demining organizations, humanitarian organizations, and the international community. They will share project updates and results directly with these stakeholders through meetings, workshops, conferences, and collaboration platforms. This engagement will help build partnerships and foster support for the project.
4. Reports and publications: The team will produce regular reports and publications that highlight the progress, impact, and lessons learned from the project. These reports can be made publicly available on the project website, shared with relevant organizations, and submitted to academic journals or conferences to contribute to the knowledge base in the field of humanitarian demining.
5. Media and press coverage: The team will actively seek media coverage for the project's achievements and outcome. Press releases, interviews, and articles in relevant media outlets can help reach a broader audience and raise awareness about the project's impact.
6. Collaborative platforms and forums: The team will participate in relevant collaborative platforms and forums related to humanitarian demining, technology, and blockchain.

By utilizing these communication and marketing strategies, the team will effectively share the outputs, results, and impact of the project with stakeholders, the general public, and the wider community. This will help create visibility, generate support, and promote the adoption of the MineFree platform and its contributions to humanitarian demining.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

We have outlined several measures to ensure high levels of trust and accountability in delivering the project as follows:

1. Expertise and experience: The core team members and external partners have relevant expertise and experience in their respective field. This includes expertise in Geo-Information Systems, Digital Agriculture, Remote Sensing, product.
2. Collaboration with stakeholders: The team emphasizes close collaboration with stakeholders, including the State Emergency Services of Ukraine and relevant government agencies. This collaboration ensures that the project aligns with the needs and expectations of the stakeholders, fostering trust and accountability. By involving key stakeholders in the project's development and decision-making processes, the team can address concerns and incorporate valuable insights.
3. Transparent reporting and deliverables: The project has a detailed plan and timeline, with defined milestones and deliverable. This provides a clear framework for tracking progress and holding the team accountable for meeting objectives. Regular reporting on the project's status, achieved milestones, and outcomes will contribute to transparency and accountability.
4. Testing and user feedback: The team plans to conduct extensive testing with various user groups, including civilians and demining professionals, to ensure the usability and effectiveness of the platform. Gathering user feedback and incorporating it into the development process demonstrates a commitment to user satisfaction, responsiveness, and accountability.
5. Security measures: The team acknowledges the security risks associated with the project and intends to implement robust security measures.
6. Public visibility and engagement: The team aims to maximize visibility and public engagement by sharing project updates, progress, and results through various communication channel.

By employing these measures, the team will deliver the project with high levels of trust and accountability. Openness, collaboration, transparency, security measures, and public engagement are all key components that contribute to building trust in the team's capability to successfully deliver the project.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals of the project are as follows:

1. Improve the efficacy of humanitarian demining action in Ukraine: The project aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of demining operations by implementing a comprehensive information system
2. Enhance public safety and awareness: The project seeks to raise public awareness about the threats of mines and military conflict-related debris
3. Mobilize financial support for demining action: The project includes a decentralized financing (DeFi) platform to engage the international community and the general public in financially supporting demining operation
4. Accelerate socio-economic recovery: By effectively coordinating demining teams, the project aims to contribute to the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine

To validate the feasibility of the approach, we will undertake several steps:

1. Technical feasibility: The team can assess the technical feasibility of the project by conducting a thorough analysis of the required infrastructure, software development, and integration processes
2. Stakeholder engagement: Engaging with stakeholders, including the State Emergency Services of Ukraine, demining professionals, and potential users, can help validate the feasibility of the approach
3. Prototyping and testing: Developing prototypes and conducting testing with representative user groups can validate the feasibility of the proposed system
4. Financial viability: Assessing the financial feasibility of the project is crucial
5. Risk assessment and mitigation: Conducting a thorough risk assessment and developing mitigation strategies can help validate the feasibility of the approach

By conducting these validation steps and addressing any identified feasibility concerns, we will ensure that the project approach is practical, achievable, and aligned with the project's goals.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: Mobile Application for Civilian Users (Development completed)

Tasks/Activities:

• User management and authentication
• Reporting of suspected objects
• Camera workflow
• Tagging workflow
• Submission MobileDev+BackEnd
• Display map of threats
• Alerts and feedback workflow MobileDev+BackEnd
• Educational content

Estimated Cost: Self-funded

Milestone 2: System Operator Interface (Development completed)

Tasks/Activities:

• Geospatial database setup
• Processing and assimilation of reported data
• Review of submitted reports
• View report
• Edit report
• Approve/reject report
• Update database
• Planning and scheduling of demining operations
• Assignment of priorities
• Management of teams and schedules
• Submission of demining operation requests

Estimated Cost: Self-funded

Milestone 3: Micro-financing Infrastructure for Humanitarian Demining Operations (5 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• Ledger for site management
• Ledger for site reporting
• Ledger for site certification

Timeline: 5 months

Success Criteria:

• Micro-financing infrastructure implemented
• Ledgers for site management, reporting, and certification established

Milestone Cost: ₳180,000

Milestone 4: Mobile Application for Demining Professionals (3 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• User management and authentication
• Mission planning
• Mission reporting
• Site certification

Timeline: 3 months

Success Criteria:

• User management and authentication implemented
• Functionality for mission planning, mission reporting, and site certification developed
• Mobile application tailored for demining professionals

Estimated Cost: ₳108,000

Milestone 5: Beta Deployment and In-field Testing (2 months)

Tasks/Activities:

• Internal deployment and testing
• Limited beta deployment and testing
• Public deployment and testing

Timeline: 2 months

Success Criteria:

• Internal deployment and testing completed successfully
• Limited beta deployment and testing conducted with positive feedback
• Public deployment and testing of the platform

Estimated Cost: ₳72,000

In terms of the project's overall implementation plan and project management approach, the team intends to follow the following steps:

1. Project Initiation: Set up project infrastructure, establish communication channels, define roles and responsibilities, and align with stakeholder
2. Requirements Gathering: Engage with stakeholders, including the State Emergency Services of Ukraine, demining professionals, and potential users, to gather requirements and understand their need
3. Design and Development: Use an iterative approach to design and develop the various components of the platform, including the mobile applications, database infrastructure, and micro-financing system
4. Testing and Quality Assurance: Conduct thorough testing at each stage of development to ensure the platform functions as intended, meets user requirements, and adheres to security standard
5. Deployment and User Engagement: Release the platform's MVP and engage users for feedback
6. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement: Continuously monitor the platform's performance, collect user feedback, evaluate the project's impact, and make necessary improvements to enhance functionality, usability, and security

The project will follow a project management approach that involves regular communication, coordination, and collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and external partners. Milestones will serve as important checkpoints to assess progress and ensure alignment with the project's objectives.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Reporting Mobile Application for Civilian Users (Completed)

Deliverables:

• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the mobile application
• User management and authentication system
• Reporting, camera workflow, tagging, and submission functionalities
• Map display of threats
• Alerts and feedback system
• Integration of educational content

Outputs:

• Released MVP of the mobile application
• Functioning user management and authentication system
• Core reporting and submission features implemented
• Display of threat map and alerts system
• Integration of educational material in the application

Intended Outcomes:

• Availability of a user-friendly mobile application for civilians to report suspicious objects and receive safety information
• Increased public awareness of threats and adherence to safety guidelines

Measurement:

• Successful release of a production system with 50,000 active users
• User management and authentication system implemented
• Core reporting features, threat map display, and alerts system operational
• Educational content integrated into the application

Milestone 2: System Operator Interface (Completed)

Deliverables:

• Geospatial database setup
• Processing and assimilation of reported data
• Review, view, edit, and approval/rejection functionalities for reports
• Planning and scheduling features for demining operations
• Team and schedule management system
• Demining operation request submission functionality

Outputs:

• Operational geospatial database
• System for processing and assimilating reported data
• Functioning review and approval workflows for reports
• Planning and scheduling features for demining operations
• Management system for demining teams and schedules
• Demining operation request submission system

Intended Outcomes:

• Effective management of reported data and demining operations
• Streamlined processes for review, approval, and planning
• Efficient assignment and coordination of demining teams

Measurement:

• Successful setup of the geospatial database
• Functioning processing and assimilation system for reported data
• Implementation of review, approval, and planning functionalities
• Team and schedule management system operational
• Demining operation request submission system available

Milestone 3: Micro-financing Infrastructure for Humanitarian Demining Operations

Deliverables:

• UX/UI designs
• Web system portal
• Ledger system for site management, reporting, and certification

Outputs:

• Functional web system portal
• Functional ledger system for managing, reporting, and certifying demining sites

Intended Outcomes:

• Implementation of a transparent and accountable micro-financing infrastructure
• Facilitation of financial support for demining actions through the DeFi platform

Measurement:

• Testing and Q/A report for the web portal
• Completion of ledger system for site management, reporting, and certification

Milestone 4: Mobile Application for Demining Professionals

Deliverables:

• User management and authentication system for demining professionals
• Mission planning and reporting functionalities
• Site certification system

Outputs:

• User management and authentication system tailored for demining professionals
• Functionalities for mission planning, reporting, and site certification

Intended Outcomes:

• Empowerment of demining professionals with a mobile application for efficient mission planning, reporting, and certification of cleared sites
• Improved coordination and documentation of demining activities

Measurement:

• Successful implementation of user management and authentication system for demining professionals
• Availability of mission planning and reporting features
• Functioning site certification system

Milestone 5: Beta Deployment and In-field Testing

Deliverables:

• Internal deployment and testing of the platform
• Limited beta deployment and testing with selected users
• Public deployment and testing of the platform

Outputs:

• Internal testing of the platform for bug identification and improvements
• Limited beta deployment to gather feedback from selected users
• Public deployment of the platform for broader testing and user engagement

Intended Outcomes:

• Identification and resolution of platform issues through internal and beta testing
• Feedback-driven improvements based on user experiences and needs
• User engagement and validation of the platform's functionality

Measurement:

• Completion of internal testing and bug identification
• Successful limited beta deployment and feedback collection
• Public deployment of the platform for broader testing and engagement

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

The detailed budget breakdown is as follows:

Milestone 1: Mobile Application for Civilian Users (self funded)

• User management and authentication
• Reporting of suspected objects
• Camera workflow
• Tagging workflow
• Submission MobileDev+BackEnd
• Display map of threats
• Alerts and feedback workflow MobileDev+BackEnd
• Educational content

Milestone Cost: -

Milestone 2: System Operator Interface (self-funded)

• Geospatial database setup
• Processing and assimilation of reported data
• Review, view, edit, approve/reject report
• Update database
• Planning and scheduling of demining operations
• Assignment of priorities
• Management of teams and schedules
• Submission of request to demining units

Milestone Cost: -

Milestone 3: Micro-financing Infrastructure for Humanitarian Demining Operations (₳180,000)

• UI/UX design for the system portal: ₳60,000
• Development of the system portal: ₳60,000
• Ledger for site management, reporting and certification: ₳30,000
• Project management: ₳30,000

Milestone Cost: ₳180,000

Milestone 4: Mobile Application for Demining Professionals (₳108,000)

• User management and authentication: ₳30,000
• Mission planning: ₳30,000
• Mission reporting: ₳30,000
• Project management: ₳18,000

Milestone Cost: ₳108,000

Milestone 5: Beta Deployment and In-field Testing (₳72,000)

• Internal deployment and testing: ₳30,000
• Limited beta deployment and testing: ₳30,000
• Project management: ₳12,000

Milestone Cost: ₳72,000

Total Cost: ₳360,000

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

1. Impactful Solution: The proposed MineFree platform addresses a critical humanitarian and socio-economic challenge in Ukraine by enabling efficient demining operation
2. Comprehensive Approach: The project encompasses the development of a mobile application for civilian users, an operator interface for managing demining operations, a mobile application for demining professionals, and a micro-financing infrastructure
3. Cost Justification: While the budget breakdown provided in the proposal may seem high, it is important to note that the costs are estimated based on the project's specific requirements and the expertise needed to deliver the desired outcome

   a. Skill and Expertise: The costs reflect the need to engage experienced professionals in areas such as mobile application development, database management, UX/UI design, and blockchain integration. The expertise of these professionals is crucial for the successful implementation of the project.

   b. Market Rates: The estimated costs may align with prevailing market rates for specialized services in the industry. For example, the cost of hiring software developers, designers, and blockchain experts can be based on average freelance rates or industry benchmarks.

   c. Impact and Scale: The project's ambitious goals, such as demining 300,000 hectares of agricultural land, highlight the scale of the challenge and the corresponding resources required. The costs associated with achieving these goals can be seen as an investment in a high-impact initiative with long-term benefits for the affected communities.

   d. Transparency and Accountability: The budget breakdown provides transparency regarding the allocation of funds, ensuring that the resources are directed towards the key components and activities necessary for the project's success. This transparency enhances accountability and demonstrates responsible financial management.

By considering the value derived from the project's impact, the comprehensive approach, and the justifiability of the costs based on required expertise and market rates, the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem. It aligns with the mission of driving positive change through blockchain technology and has the potential to deliver significant socio-economic benefits to the target region.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept