Developing a Mobile Coaching App: Testing the App in India

Over the past year, Childhood Education International has been working with the organization Trickle Up to develop a learning program and mobile app for a program focused on alleviating extreme poverty and strengthening women’s economic empowerment and inclusion.

Trickle Up partners with women living in extreme poverty and utilizes a coaching model, where experienced coaches help guide and support women in their communities as they improve their livelihoods.

An App to Support Coaches

CE International staff recently visited India to conduct testing of the learning program and mobile app, called Coach Up, which supports the coaches in their work. They joined Trickle Up team members in India to conduct app testing with coaches across communities in Jharkhand State in India.

They met with more than 20 Trickle Up coaches and program staff. Some coaches who tested the app are from PVTGs, or Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, classified by the Indian government in order to focus on improving the living conditions of minority groups living in very rural areas. Other coaches are from a nearby region. The coaches are referred to as “Smart Sakhis” due to their work guiding and mentoring other women as they move away from extreme poverty.

Building An Effective App

The coaches reviewed a beta version of the new Coach Up app, which they will use to support their coaching. They tested functionalities, learning concepts, and interactive exercises, all demonstrating to the program team what worked well and what could be updated to make the app more user-friendly, contextualized, and effective.

Coaches shared their knowledge about the interrelated root causes and challenges facing the ultra-poor in their communities and described how they plan to use the new app in their work with program participants (PP) – called “PP Didi,” or “sisters” in Hindi.

They also provided insights into how the app’s content, structure, and user experience could be improved and expressed an interest in additional topics, such as savings, effective communication, and the importance of education to assist in their work.

Improving the App

Most coaches were already familiar with the core content in the app but expressed excitement about the level of detail, imagery, and other interactive exercises the app provided. They felt it would build their capacities and deepen their learning about how to better coach program participants.

Coaches also noted that the app would help them better interact with participants and would provide a useful structure to the coaching process.

“We normally talk about [the livelihoods content in the app], but sometimes we may miss something,” one of the coaches said. “With the app, it will help us to ensure we talk about every topic.”

Coaches also felt the app could improve trust and participant engagement. They consistently asked when the app would be ready and expressed enthusiasm to use it in their work.

Imagery & Context

In addition to testing the mobile app, CE International staff visited one of the villages in Jharkhand State where coaches and the Trickle Up partner organization PRADAN work with program participants.

There, they were able to see the livestock and agricultural methods that the women work with for their livelihoods and get a sense of the look and feel of the community. This helped the team better connect with the coaches’ work and improve the graphics and written content on the app to make it more relevant to the coaches and participants.

Next Steps

The testing provided new insights about how to make the app better.

“The coaches who tested the Coach Up app gave such valuable feedback and showed us how we can make the app even better before it’s piloted and expanded elsewhere,” said Katherine Tek, Senior Project Manager at CE International. “We look forward to drawing on all of their insights to update Coach Up so it’s a strong app that supports the great work the coaches are already doing.”

CE International and Trickle Up are working hand-in-hand with education technology development company partner Beekee for creation of the mobile app. They will continue to collaborate together to produce Coach Up as a “1.0 version” for use across communities in the next few months.

Photo Gallery

Below are photographs of CE International staff, Trickle Up staff, and the coaches working together to review and test the new Coach Up app.