Student Control System

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

• Basically, the problem is that educational institutions do not have an automated study control system, therefore, academic processes are slower, cumbersome and with a high rate of error in the process, prolonging response times.
• Therefore, the proposal to automate this process would not only reduce response times but also increase the productivity of the study control personnel, the digitalization of the files (which are currently handled physically) and significantly reduce errors due to human intervention.
• This proposal involves all public and private educational institutions (elementary, middle school, high school and professional).
• The implementation of this system will be carried out gradually, starting with pilot institutions to test the performance and measure the response times to the request and flow of information.
• One of the most outstanding elements of this proposal is that it will implement nft technology to generate verifiable documents, i.e., degrees, certifications and grades will be unique documents that cannot be altered or violated.
• By implementing blockchain technology under the Cardano platform, we encourage the use of decentralized technologies by giving them a different functionality to the exchange for products, goods and services. This would give a significant and very relevant boost to the Cardano platform.
• Currently there is an approximate student population of 6 million students in Venezuela, about 350 educational institutions (from elementary school to universities) nationwide, more than 40% of these institutions lack an automated study control system and 100% of them do not implement any type of technology to generate unique documents that can be verifiable using decentralized technologies (blockchain).

[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.

The most significant contribution of this proposal is the intensive use of the catalist platform, through the creation of nft and smart contracts between each student or graduate of these institutions and the institution itself, encouraging the use of technology and promoting its expansion. 

[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?

The main problem to carry out this proposal is the implementation time of the same, although all educational institutions carry out the same processes, not all do it in the same way, so adjust the application according to the needs of each institution.

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.

The project is divided into 3 phases, the first one contemplates the development of the application, the automation of the process, the second phase establishes the implementation and creation of NFT for titles, degrees and certificates, and the third phase is the implementation in each educational institution.

For this an estimated time of 6 months is contemplated (2 months per phase) where concrete results will be delivered at the end of each phase.

In the first phase we contemplate the development of the application using web technologies, in order to make the tool independent of any platform or operating system. For this, we will implement conventional technologies (client server) to, at first, centralize the information in databases that will be hosted in the control center of the institutions. It is estimated that the development will take approximately 60 days (2 months) for its implementation.

In the second phase, the development of the "products" resulting from the process and the analysis carried out by the system will be contemplated, these products are: Certifications of Courses, Diplomas, Training Workshops, Degrees, Certified Notes and any other document of generated by the study control office that is of interest to the student. For the development of this second one an estimated time of 60 days (2 months) is contemplated. At this point we will implement technologies based on blockchain to manage and develop a document that is praised and certified by the community and whose authenticity can be verified at any time and by any institution inside and outside the national territory using Catalist as the base platform for development.

In the third and last phase, we contemplate the implementation, which is nothing more than the installation and commissioning of the tool, it is estimated a period of 2 months to perform the implementation process of a tool, however this estimated time can be much less if we size the implementation to only a sample because in Venezuela the education system is very large.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.

The DATA CENTER would be installed in a physical space conditioned for such purpose, which would contain all the necessary equipment for its operation, these equipment are the following:

• Wireless router = $30
• swiche 24 ports = $140
• Server with the following specifications or similar to: = 2140$.

    ◦ RAM: 24GB

    ◦ 2x QUAD CORE XEON X5520 2.26GHz

    ◦ 4x 2TB HDD 7.2K SAS 

    ◦ 4x 500GB HDD 7.2K SAS 7.2K SAS SEAGATE DELL CONSTELLATION 64MB 

    ◦ 4x 500GB HDD DELL NEAR LINE 7.2K SAS 

    1x DVD DRIVE

    ◦ 2x 750W POWER SUPPLY

    2x POWER CABLE

• ADSL communication modem (cantv or reaction) = 34$.
• Alternative communication system (wireless bam with high power satellite connection) = $28
• Split air conditioning system (to maintain the temperature of the equipment) = $250
• utp cable reel = $21
• rj45 connectors (5 packs of 100 units) = 15$.
• Networking kit 1 Crimper + 1 Tester + 1 Impact punch down = 15$.
• Rack (support for server, swiche and other components) = $52
• Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse = 75$.
• 3 ups (electrical backup battery systems for the devices) = 306$.
• A power generation plant (preferably with 6 hours of autonomy or more) = 1300$.
• Set of tools (testers, screwdrivers, exactos, cable cutters, among others) = $100
• 6 Lenovo Thinkpad T440 Core I5-4300m 8gb Ram 500gb Dd (for the development team and user support) = 2087$.
• Additionally 2 programmers in haskell language are required. 1000$ per month C/U
• An expert analyst in server configuration $1000 per month.
• Cancel ISO 9126 quality certification (nowadays replaced by SQuaRE set of standards, ISO 25000:2014) $5000 approximately.
• Server hosting space rental costs $2000 per year.
• Professional fees $3000. 

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.

Ust. Naudy Peña, infrastructure and network specialist

Eng. Roller Ladino, Telecommunications and Systems Specialist

Bertha Arias, Systems Administrator

Wilfredo Salazar, systems technician

[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.

Yes, for the simple fact of supporting entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or any member of your team working on any other proposals in this Fund9?

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or your team working on any other proposals from previous Funds?

[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?

The proposal seeks to reduce the response time, so that is the first indicator that we will measure. We also contemplate measuring the scope and impact that the implementation of such a system will have on the Venezuelan student population. 

[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?

When we manage to automate the process of student admission, continuation and graduation, we will be able to say that we have been successful.

[AUDITABILITY] Please provide information on whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project in Catalyst or an entirely new one.

No, this proposal is new and totally original on this platform.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Rating

When we manage to automate the process of student admission, continuation and graduation, we will be able to say that we have been successful.