This document provides an overview of the VAC Benin Ushahidi Project workflow and process. The workflow involves victims or observers sending SMS reports of violence to Plan Benin, which are then forwarded to various actors and mapped on Ushahidi. PU focal points investigate reports, update information, and approve reports if credible. The project coordinator monitors the system and creates reports. The ICT manager maintains the technology and the program support manager provides strategic oversight. Reports are reviewed and either approved or unapproved based on credibility and privacy standards before being published.

1. VAC Benin Ushahidi Project
Workflow / Process Documentation
Plan Benin | Paul Goodman | May 30, 2011

2. Overview
VAC
SMS reports of
Benin
Awareness
violence
Ushahidi and Action
VAC
SMS reports of
Benin
Awareness
violence Ushahidi and Action

3. Workflow
Violence System
Management
1 Victim / Observer / Advocate: CO Project Coordinator / Intern:
• Sends SMS report to Plan CO including name, age, • Responsible for day-to-day operation of the project.
and gender of victim, locality, and type of violence. • Monitors system to ensure that messages are being
received and forwarded to all actors.
2 Plan CO (FrontlineSMS): • Creates reports for incidents outside PUs and works
with the Rights of Child Adviser to notify the
• Automatically replies to sender.
appropriate authorities; updates these reports.
• Automatically forwards message to CO PC, PU Focal
• Reviews all reports and corresponds with PU Focal
Points. Points weekly to ensure timely updating of reports.
• Automatically forwards message to Ushahidi. • Prepares analysis for Plan Benin staff.
• Leads government relations.
3 PU Focal Point
ICT Manager:
• Creates report in Ushahidi and if credible, approves • Monitors system to ensure that messages are being
report. received by FrontlineSMS and forwarded to all
• Notifies CPS/BPM, supports investigation of parties and Ushahidi.
incident, and updates report with relevant information. • Issues credentials for new users.
• Follows up with CPS/BPM. If violence verified by • Maintains latest version of FrontlineSMS and
CPS/BPM, verifies report. If report was Ushahidi.
false, unapproves report. Updates report with relevant • Supports CO PC with system improvements.
information.
Program Support Manager:
• Responsible for strategic oversight of the project.
• Responsible for evaluating the long term success of
the project.

4. Workflow – Individual Message
New Message
Yes Is it
Delete
spam?
DEFINITIONS
Relevant: falls within the scope of this project.
Complete: contains location, name of child, and type of
No violence. Can also include gender and age.
Emergency: requires immediate action. VAC Benin is not
responsible for emergency response but should refer cases to
No authorities. See VAC Benin guidelines for more information.
Is it
Ignore relevant?
Yes
Yes Is it an No
Is it
complete?
emergency Create Report
?
No Yes
Contact the sender for Contact the appropriate authorities &
more information Create Report

5. Workflow – Report Creation
New Report
• Enter a title for the report using language consistent with other reports.
• Copy the original message to the private “Original Message” field.
• Remove personally identifying information from the description.
Complete • Select the categories that the report belongs to.
Form • Enter any relevant comments into the private “Comments” field.
• Review the message to determine the approximate geographic origin of the message.
• Select the location on the map. Use the drop-down menus for help finding the location.
• Enter a name for the location. City names are fine and the names of nearby cities can be used for
Map small villages.
Report
• Check for any mistakes.
• Verify that no personally identifying information is visible in the public fields.
Review • Determine if report is ready to be approved or verified (see next graphic for more information).
Report

6. Workflow – Report Approval & Verification
New Report Approved Report
Has it been
No Is it ready No investigate
Do not approve to be Do not verify d by Plan
public?
or gov’t?
Yes
Yes
Approve
According
Unapprove &
No to staff or
add comment
gov’t, is the
with relevant report
information genuine?
DEFINITIONS
Ready to be public: contains location, type of violence, and Yes
any other relevant information. Does NOT contain name of
victim or information that could identify the child.
Approve: publishes the report to the public VAC Benin site.
Verify: signals that Plan Benin has reason to believe the report
Verify & add comment with
is accurate. Information from government authorities or Plan relevant information
Benin staff are sufficient to warrant verification.

7. Workflow – Privacy Checklist
Information that Plan Benin can publish on vacbenin.ushahidi.com:
• Gender of child
• Age of child
• Approximate location of incident (e.g., City X)
• General description of violence including category and any pertinent facts
Information that Plan Benin cannot publish on vacbenin.ushahidi.com:
• Exact location of incident (e.g., Ecole X)
• Victim’s name (first or last)
• Name of any other person included in message
• Other information that could potentially reveal the identity of the parties involved

8. • Violence against children
• Although the UN CRC places the responsibility of child protection on duty bearers, and specifically the
state2, many children are still victims of violence in Benin. Estimates in 2007 indicate that 40,317
children were victims of trafficking (of which 86% are girls residing in Benin). This figure represents
2% of the total children in Benin between 6-17 years old. In 2008, approximately 598,521 children
were subjected to the worst forms of child labor (e.g. breaking stones, mining, use of pesticides in
farms, working in construction, etc.)
• Girls and women also face additional gender-specific forms of violence that includes: Female Genital
Cutting (FGC), early and forced marriage, abusive speech, confinement, sexual
harassment, rape, trafficking and child murder (especially in the northern part of the country). For
example, amongst females between ages 15-19, 8% were subjected to FGC in Benin in 2008
• Figures for child marriage suggest that 2 % of children between 10-17 years old are married (0.4% for
boys and 3% for girls). By the age of 15-17, this rate rises to 5.2 % for both sexes, with a huge gap
between boys and girls (at 0.7% and 10.8 %, respectively).
• Given the vulnerabilities of children with disabilities as well as Orphans and Vulnerable Children
(OVCs), they are most likely to be victims of violence. The particular vulnerabilities of these groups of
children are compounded by a general lack of education, traditions that are unsupportive to child
rights, and poverty. There is also a conspicuous absence of children’s organizations that can give voice
to children’s perspectives in Benin.
• Studies conducted by Plan Benin have revealed other causes of child violence not commonly cited in
development literature, such as: the destruction of family unity, the weakening of traditional
solidarity, and the non-participation of children and women in the decision-making process, as well as
growing importance of money in social and interpersonal relationships.

9. • Violence against children
• Moreover, the government resources allocated to child protection services are inadequate and not
well managed at the state level. This is further compounded by a wide-spread ignorance of laws and
regulations and a lack of laws specifically safeguarding female children against violence and corporal
punishment at school. Key actors, including NGOs who support child rights, are largely unaware of
quality standards and the government’s
• commitments to the international community. Nor are private sector actors called upon to account
for their obligations with respect to child rights in their economic activities, and, as a result, children
become easy prey of economic exploitation.
• The situation analysis conducted by Plan Benin also brought to light serious gaps in the nation’s
response to the wide-spread scourge of violence against children in spite of the existence of a
ministerial department dedicated to ending all forms of violence. These gaps in addressing violence
can be explained by the state’s general lack of: awareness of children’s rights, financial resources,
expertise and technical skill on relevant human rights
• instruments as well as the inadequate institutional frameworks to effectively coordinate a variety of
responses at country level. Critical issues such as child trafficking, gender-based violence and the
protection of children with disabilities are also largely overlooked in the current response.