MSIT Theses and Dissertations (2014)
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- ItemAn m-education prototype for data collection : a case of Teachers Service Commission - Kenya(Strathmore University, 2014) Muthangya, Joshua MusyimiTechnology provides technical support to organizations by automating business processes in-turn enhancing productivity and service delivery. Management Information System (MIS) are one such technology whose integration with mobile phone technologies has aided business process optimization. The integration of mobile phone data collection applications with management information systems has enabled data driven decision making and bridging of information gaps by providing decisions makers, planners, managers and other stake holders with relevant, reliable, comprehensive, unambiguous and timely information, Data collection in government sponsored schools in Kenya through existing Education Management Information Systems is still largely paper based as data is collected through Data Return Forms similar to questionnaires and later keyed into systems for analysis and reporting. This process takes time and eventually creates an information gap within the Education sector. This research aimed at realizing the use of mobile phone applications to collect and present real time data on the actual state of respective government sponsored schools and learning institution in Kenya. It involved a review existing data collection techniques and open source mobile phone application frameworks that informed the development of the M-Education application prototype.
- ItemSimulation of a smart security system: a case of Strathmore University(Strathmore University, 2014) Njiru, John NjururiThe concept of human beings providing physical security to protect their valuables from threats is as old as mankind. In the past human beings protected their crops against destruction by wild animals and bird by building fences and erecting scarecrows as a primitive type of physical security in their gardens. Organizations and home owners use physical security to provide first line of defense and logical security to reinforce surveillance in order to protect their assets. The use of human guards has for a long time been the primitive way to protect the organizational assets. Attacks launched by terrorists and extremist groups are common in many parts of the world and result to massive destruction of properties and loss of life. Human guards sometimes work under very risky conditions where they stand between the enemies and the target. Guards are more often than not killed or injured in the line of duty by criminals who masquerade as genuine visitors or by suicide bombers while inspecting them hence organizations spends large amounts of money to compensate the victims. There is lack of smart security system in Strathmore University and therefore the study sought to understand the current security situation with an aim of simulating a smart security system for use as a base to develop a smart solution. The study analyzed the merit and demerit of the use of human security in comparison to the use of technology. The simulated system is hardware dependent to make it more secure against hacking. Model compound of the Strathmore University incorporated a system of sensors that simulated the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras for surveillance. A screen console uses Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for real-time reporting on activities in the premises. The main gates average opening time was 3.4 seconds against set time of 3.5 seconds implying a deviation of 0.1 second. Phase two main gate average response time was 2.53 seconds against the set 2.5 seconds implying 0.03 seconds delay. Sensors that simulate CCTV cameras surveillance recorded an average response time of 0.1342 second. RFID Card reader for the main gate recorded 20% false positives while phase 2 main gate was 15%. There were no false negatives. The system stores credentials for each person in a common database. An electronically controlled pop-up barrier provides second line of defense. The simulation process envisages facilitating the development of intelligent and robust systems that integrate physical and logical security agents through collaboration while in operation.
- ItemInter-shift mobile application: case of Kenyatta National Hospital(Strathmore University, 2014) Gesicho, Milka BochereEnsuring continuity of patient healthcare IS very important III all healthcare institutions. The communication process between nurses in passing down information upon completion of each and every shift plays a key role in ensuring patient care is maintained. Inter-shift reports are therefore used by nurses across the world to communicate information about patients. Despite the key role played by inter-shift reports, little attention has been given especially when it comes to automating or computerizing this process. Ineffective inter-shift reports can lead to risks in patient healthcare and even death III some cases. Inefficiencies can be as a result of omission of information, unstandardized reports, inaccuracy and illegibility. The purpose of this research was to provide a mobile technology solution to the problems mentioned using a case of Kenyatta National Hospital. The research undertaken was applied research study which used a mixed method approach. Literature review, open and closed ended questionnaires, focus groups and observation of handover processes were used to develop an efficient handover process. Participants who took part in the study included 67 nurses from oncology ward, pediatric ward, maternity ward, orthopedic ward and a few chosen. Results from the survey identified weaknesses in the current handover process which are discussed in detail in this research. In addition, results indicated it was clear that the nurses could benefit from the use of an automated handover system in which identified problems can be solved. Therefore, a prototype inter-shift mobile application was developed that was simple, intuitive and user friendly, in attempt to solve the issues facing handover process.
- ItemDevelopment of an automatic forum moderation tool(Strathmore University, 2014) Mathia, JoelIn ensuring that only appropriate and relevant information is posted in online discussion forums, some form ofmoderation have to be devised to monitor and control the user generated content. A tool for moderation of a Kenyan online discussion forum will be developed to provide control and monitoring of the Comphub online portal through policing and enforcing offorum rules and policies. Comphub is a Kenyan discussion forum where members register to discuss on the various Operating systems i.e. Linux and Microsoft. Various problems such as disturbances, irrelevant comments, trolls and spam have escalated in the online platform, To maintain these type of forum clean and relevant moderation plays a major role in ensuring that discipline and tolerance is observed in online discussion forums. A structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from the sample population which was analyzed in various categories using computer aided software (e.g. SPSS). The research questions on the kind of moderation methods in use at Comphub forum, the features within this methods and how it's implemented within the forum. This study aimed to develop an automatic moderation tool that would assist in monitoring user generated content in the Comphub discussion forum.
- ItemPrototype to analyze customer online sentiment in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2014) Kishara, Rono Peter KiprotichThe advent of Web 2.0 has meant that an average user can be able to generate content on the Internet simply by making a post on a social media site or a blog entry in their personal blog or filling out a customer feedback form. Micro-blogging sites like Twitter make it possible for people to quickly comment on things around them or how they feel about something without having to publish a whole article on the specific issue. These opinions are important both at an individual and organization level in that they help guide the decision making process. Given that the number of comments posted about various topics is enormous, it is not feasible for human beings to sift through the constant flow of comments and make a valid assessment. This big data problem would require, opinion mining, an automated way of extracting and analyzing sentiments about various topics. This research looks into the components of opinion mining and explores how it can be applied in real life. We develop a prototype that reads through various twitter posts (tweets) and determines which statements express positive, negative or neutral sentiment based on the available training data. The Naïve Bayes and Maximum Entropy algorithms were used in this implementation. The research concludes by testing the prototype and assesses its accuracy in determining opinion orientation. This research study provides companies with a basis for a tool to quickly establish public perception about their goods and services. The prototype tool was able to obtain an accuracy of 81%. It will be useful in helping companies gain knowledge of consumer sentiment in a real-time basis.
- ItemConverged network access solution for mass network connections : case of Last Mile Networks(Strathmore University, 2014) Makhaso, Byron ChesoliIn current network access, customer premises equipment (CPEs) connect to a single network option at a time, the CPEs operate based on established connections. Although telecommunication companies have designed and established various last mile networks, limitations of the access lines has been the major impediment to the end user. ISPs last mile infrastructure that is based on per user connectivity has proved to be very expensive and only minimal connections have been established, another major limitation is the creation of a single point of failure with no failover techniques to enhance availability of network resources. A critical key to support mass network connection is therefore a converged network access module. It is vital to build the access module as a fundamental resource in enabling mass network connectivity. Since a converged network access module will enable mass network connectivity, accurate methods for network access technology data collection must be used to help evaluate those measures that are already in place. This study explores kenya’s communication infrastructure and proposes a converged network access solution that would address kenya’s last mile network connectivity challenges, that traditionaly had hindered mass network connectivity, and denied millions of users access to networked/internet services. Converged network access invention relates to a multiservice platform which allows a plurality of CPEs accesing any services provided by a plurality of service providers which may utilize any of the plurality of telecommunication networks. For the purposes of this study and due to the difficulty of accessing relevant parties : ISPs and modifying platforms to meet the requirements of the proposed system, a mobile based application prototype is implemented on the android platform. The prototype captures information for connected established link only, further research is to be done to develop a complete system. In conclusion this paper examines the mix of technical, regulatory, and business strategy issues that arise if one contemplates implementing the converged network access solution.
- ItemPhonetic-based keyboard mapping for Tigrigna language(Strathmore University, 2014) Okbeab, Tewelde YohannesIn today`s world, technology is changing lives across the world. As a result, millions of people are living in the information age and they derive great benefits from the use of their native languages. Unfortunately, people of Eritrea and entire Ethiopia face a myriad of challenges mostly derived from their writing system which consists of a large number of characters that are not fully supported on all operating systems. Currently, all operating systems come without standard Input Method Editor for Tigrigna writing and no input method solution and standard keyboard layout for Tigrigna writing system has existed so far. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to design Phonetic-based keyboard mapping algorithm and keyboard layout for Tigrigna. Designing such an algorithm and a corresponding keyboard layout, however, requires scholarly investigation of challenges that are associated with Tigrigna scripts and immediate solution for a number of technical challenges like mapping about 300 characters onto the limited number of keys on standard keyboard, character entry speed and easiness to use among others. This study proposed an algorithm that used Phonetic-based keyboard mapping technique, highest frequency among Tigrigna order forms, and syllable matrix of Tigrigna scripts arrangement. The designed algorithm and keyboard layout was implemented and tested by developing JavaScript Tigrigna Input Method Editor. Finally a comparison test among the developed Editor, Google IME and Microsoft IME was done to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the newly designed algorithm when compared with these pre-existing IMEs. The test results showed that; the new Editor gives the fastest typing speed with minimum key combinations and errors free. Therefore, for Tigrigna language, Phonetic based keyboard mapping is more efficient compared other keyboard mapping techniques.
- ItemAn unsupervised credit scoring system for unsecured loan lending(Strathmore University, 2014) Kinuthia, StevenDue to growmg competition, over-indebtedness, and economic crises, banks have to pursue their social and financial objectives in an increasingly constrained environment. The key determinant of Survival, competition and profitability is the quality of bank loans they give to their customer. Consequently, developing powerful risk management tools becomes more than ever crucial to survive. Credit scoring has been discussed in this study as one of the most important kits to classify loan applicants as "good" or "bad" The study also discusses how a credit scoring system can be developed to remove redundancies and biases of credit officers in the credit scoring process, mitigate the risk of lender to borrower and reduce the turnaround time of loan application. It discusses the best techniques and key determinants in developing such a systems and factors that should be considered to guarantee the accuracy of the system. A mixed method research design was used to investigate and review the various credit evaluation techniques and to also analyze various credit scoring techniques that may be used to develop the unsupervised credit scoring system. Discriminant analysis was the preferred technique in development of the credit scoring system due to its ease of use and implementation. Literature reviewed also discusses it as one of the most widely used technique. The research findings showed that even though credit scoring tools were in place, the reliance on them was very low. Age, marital status, education and history of the applicant have been discussed as some of the most important factors in developing a credit scoring system.
- ItemAn incident management prototype: a case study of County Government of Nairobi(Strathmore University, 2014) Mugasia, Benn MwalaToday, citizens have become more vocal about their needs and more sophisticated in their expectations of the government. The government‟s mandate is to improve public service to its citizens through e-governance. However, the government has failed to interact with its citizens. The only attempt at e-governance by the authorities is putting up static websites. But these websites provide no form of feedback, interactivity and participation by the citizens. Ideally, local authorities are supposed to have real time information on the status of infrastructure in their localities for them to be able to manage them effectively. Lack of real time and accurate information on incidents, therefore leading to poor service management due to inadequate information, is considered a problem in discharging these duties. The purpose of this research was to find out the relevant information and structure that would be suitable in an e-government platform. The researcher studied and reviewed the existing e-government architectures and studied the system in use by the County Government of Nairobi. The research done revealed that the public had no real time participation and interaction with the government when it came to incident reporting. Incident management was therefore almost impossible due to little or no information and this impaired service delivery by the County Government to its citizens. The results of the study were the design and implementation of an incident management prototype to connect citizens and the government. To achieve this, a web based platform was developed, which allows a public user to log an incident through a web portal. A trigger is sent to the CGN helpdesk notifying them of an incident that has been reported, with its particulars including location via GPS. The helpdesk then re-directs the incident to the relevant department for action, where the department supervisor assigns the task to an artisan electronically for action. Once the artisan completes the task, it is marked in the system as completed. Reports from the prototype helped management make informed decisions and improve service delivery.
- ItemA smart phone based dodel for tracing beef products in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2014) Chebet, EstherFood traceability has been faced with challenges like lack of records, paper work challenges and lack of rapid response to trace back. Most food safety outbreaks are traceable to the processing or slaughter house but cannot be traced to individual feedlots or ranches. At present, beef products can be traced from retail back to the processor, but not to the producer or animal. In light of recent food safety crises and international trade concerns associated with food or animal associated diseases, traceability has once again become important in the minds of public policy-makers, business decision makers, consumers and special interest groups. This study aims at proposing a mobile Model that can be used to trace beef products from the animal to the distributor/ retailer. Mobile based traceability system takes advantage of the existing telecommunication infrastructure. A mobile Model was developed to be used for data collection to enhance the efficiency of traceability. It traces farming activities by using handheld mobile device to capture information of day to day livestock operations. Each livestock is uniquely identified and details stored on a central database. The frontend service application uses the mobile device while the backend uses a webserver where retailers can access traceable information from a website. The techniques employed in the study was applied research design. This was because the study focused on developing a mobile application to capture a farmers day to day livestock operations. This data is then stored on a central database that is used for the traceability of a particular beef product from farm to the retailer/distributor. Key findings in the research was used for traceability of beef products and this also helped farmers keep records of their livestock. The model was tested through simulation of various modules. 15 participants took part in the exercise. 66.67% of the participants who took part in the exercise received an immediate response on the history of a particular livestock while the remaining 33.33% received the same feedback but with some delay. The Model was therefore successful in tracing a beef product to its origin.
- ItemA framework for assessing information systems success in the Kenyan public service(Strathmore University, 2014) Owino, Daniel OumaThe introduction of Information systems within the public service has primarily been concerned with moving away from traditional information monopolies and hierarchies. IS aims at increasing the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens. Providing services to the public through the ISs may lead to faster and more convenient access to government services with fewer errors. It also means that governmental units may realize increased efficiencies, cost reductions, and potentially better customer service. The main objectives of this work are to study and identify the success criteria of Information systems delivery and to propose a comprehensive, multidimensional framework of IS success. To examine the validity of the proposed framework, a sample of IS users will be asked to assess their perspectives towards IS delivery in the selected Ministries. The results found will determine whether the proposed framework is applicable and implementable in the IS assessment; it will also determine whether the proposed framework may assist decision makers and IS system designers to consider different criteria and assessments before committing to a particular choice of Information system.
- ItemUsing GIS and laser technology in planning and cost estimation of transmission projects: a case study of electricity transmission companies in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2014) Waithaka, Robert GakuoEnergy is an essential commodity in Kenya and worldwide. Energy is in any nation’s economy and in Kenya is among the key drivers of Vision 2030. In recognition of its importance to help in the realization of our vision, the government has invested a substantial amount of money towards improving the existing power lines as well as constructing new power lines. During the research, it was found that the Government through the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), a state corporation charged with the responsibility of planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining high-voltage electricity transmission lines, fiber optic cables and associated substations in Kenya, that key power lines have already been proposed for construction within the next eighteen years at an approximated cost of over Two Billion Five Hundred Million UD Dollars (2.5B US$). The research done however revealed that there is a lack for a more accurate and transparent method to compute cost estimations for this lines. It is in this light that a more comprehensive research was embarked on to find ways in which more accurate cost can be acquired using the existing tools and technology. The primary factor of cost estimation in the currently employed method of estimating cost of the proposed power lines is distance. One of the main objectives of this research was therefore to establish all the factors that influence a cost of a power line. After identifying these factors, it was then essential to find out ways in which the factors could be consolidated in a way that they can be analyzed for a useful purpose. The research done therefore ensured that all the tools proposed for this task were the most useful for this purpose and that the most reliable implementation technique is employed. In carrying out this research, it was of paramount importance that the right technology and tools are identified and implemented in the most appropriate way. The main tools identified were Geographic Information System (GIS), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Inertial Navigation System (INS). The research tried to provide a solution to the challenge facing Transmission companies in the cost estimation of transmission lines. In the pursuit to achieve this objective, the above mentioned tools were identified as the most suitable for the task. The research done confirmed GIS to be the most ideal for this implementation. The other tools (LiDAR and INS) were qualified due to their ability to provide topographical data with the precision required for this undertaking. In order to qualify the research as a viable venture, a model was developed to show how data collected from GPS enabled tools like a mobile phone can be captured to a relational database and analyzed from a web-based system. As the government embarks on the mission to expand the power transmission network Kenya, in line with Vision 2030 Master Plan, it is of great importance that the current methods used to estimate the cost of high voltage transmission line projects are improved in order to enhance to achieve transparency and accuracy. This will not only help in appropriating funds more efficiently but also win confidence with financiers as well as taxpayers who meet the cost at the end of the day.
- ItemAn information management tool for project monitoring : a case of humanitarian organizations(Strathmore University, 2014) Atieno, ImmaculateThe study aimed at solving the gap existing for improved monitoring and reporting processes due to lack of an ICT application, designed to depict the project implementation plan utilized in humanitarian organizations. This leads to less information captured on the project progress and thus future decisions are difficult to handle leading to minimal accountability risks and less transparency on project outcomes. The descriptive research methodology was used in tackling the problem identified which provided a means to statistically analyze the responses obtained and graphical representations of the data collection was carried out. A review of the project implementation and monitoring methodologies used was done, including an assessment of current architectures and ICT applications supporting monitoring of project activities and what features were lacking to improve the monitoring mechanisms. In view of this a conceptual framework for common approach of a web based information management application was designed and utilized to develop the prototype tool. The outcome of this study was thus a solution of a web-based information management tool for project monitoring. This brought about improved reporting and collaboration of project team members for better implementation and defined outcomes to improve decisions when it was implemented as a case study. Results of the study provided clear detailed information of this gap in project monitoring to allow users to collaborate and share project information for improved project outcomes and informed decision making especially during the project implementation period. Hence it is concluded that the prototype tool can be utilized in humanitarian organizations that would require improvement in their project monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
- ItemSecured web service model for public service interoperability : case of Kenya’s e-government(Strathmore University, 2014) Mulandi, Richard SillaA major challenge in E-government application developments for better service delivery is inadequate security features in e-government. This results in untrustworthy websites with stunted growth so that most e-government websites are confined to an informative goal as opposed to offering services. In addition, lack on interoperability within disparate information systems reduces efficiency and effectiveness of public service delivery. These two aspects determine the usability of e-government websites to deliver an online presence that offers end to end services. The purpose of the research was to propose a model that encompasses Service-oriented governance approach in the development of e-government applications using a case of Kenya’s e-government infrastructure. The research was conducted through literature reviews, surveys of the public and ICT government employees working in e-government service delivery initiatives, and observation of key government websites. The sample frame consisted of 36 respondents of which 16 worked in e-government as ICT administrators. The results from the survey identified that inadequate security and limited usability of online services as the source of low adoption rates by citizens and users. The results also indicated that lack of technology was not the issue but the poor implementation of technology and infrastructure requirements devoid of serious security integration. The results also indicated that there is a need for information as this was the most commonly used feature on the e-government websites. Consequently, the key research question in is how interoperability and security can improve usability. Therefore, a model was derived from the research findings which formed the basis of the requirements. The SUI Model was validated to prove that e-government implementations are compliant with underlying standard specifications and how interoperability can be ensured among different implementations beyond the technical approval mechanisms currently used. The infrastructure and security components attained a progression iteration rating of between 70-80% indicative of a successful implementation. The study recommended that the government of Kenya should adopt a SUI model to address cross-border issues of authentication. Additionally, for the SUI model to efficiently and optimally work the government also needs to improve Internet Infrastructure and update its data sharing policy together with their systems usability.
- ItemA traceability information system for curbing counterfeiting: case of the health sector in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2014) Thuku, Ndungú EricThe pharmaceuticals industry in Kenya is lucrative and fast growing and as a result of this, counterfeit pharmaceutical products have made it into the market, Nzomo (2011). End consumers do not have a way by which they can confirm or check the authenticity of the medicines they purchase at the point of sale. In addition, the large volumes of pharmaceutical products and the large numbers of pharmacies in the market have become impossible for the regulatory body to monitor, UNIDO (2010). The counterfeits market is demand-driven, the more the consumers purchase counterfeit products the more the market thrives. Therefore, by getting rid of the demand, the counterfeits market would eventually die out. Getting rid of the demand involves enabling end consumers avoid purchasing counterfeits; this can be achieved by providing a platform through which the end consumer can tell apart a genuine product and a counterfeit at the point of sale. This thesis proposes implementation of a prototype of an automated traceability system to help end consumers verify the authenticity of the products they purchase. The prototype creates electronic linkages of the products as they move downstream through the supply chain. With the creation of these linkages, product information is captured at each step. The prototype makes it possible for the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to monitor flow of the products as well as the suppliers. It also makes it possible to query for a particular medicine and get its details on the spot. End consumers are thus able to accurately verify the authenticity of the medicine they purchase at the point of sale and are therefore able to avoid purchase of counterfeit medicines. The results of this study revealed loopholes that are exploited by counterfeiters allowing counterfeit products to enter the market. It became apparent that there is a need of an automated traceability system to seal these loopholes. A prototype was developed based on user requirements gathered and put to test using selected participants. It was observed that the prototype offers for easy traceability, prompt product recall procedures and an easy way to query for medicine details.
- ItemE-agriculture prototype for information dissemination among Kenyan farmers in the food crops subsector(Strathmore University, 2014) Mbarani, David KederaAgriculture information is a tool by which farmers are able to gain power in making decisions for food crop farming. The integration of electronic tools in agriculture is increasingly becoming important due to issues surrounding last mile information distribution and dissemination. Lack of access to information related to agriculture, coupled with decreasing number of extension staff in the food crops subsector possess a big challenge to food security and poverty alleviation. Electronic Agriculture (e-agriculture) is a field focusing on the enhancement of agriculture through improved information and communication processes. The research questions on what kinds of information are most necessary for the farming community, how agricultural information is delivered to the farming community, what are the main sources of agriculture information and what kind of Information Communication Technology tools are available to people in the daily life’s in Kenya were investigated through a design science research approach. The research aim was to develop an e-agriculture prototype tool that will avail and present information in a user friendly manner to farmers with a main aim of empowering them in carrying out the daily agricultural activities in the food crops sub sector. It is expected that the tool will go a long way in bridging the gap created by the declining numbers of extension workers, the varying information needs of farmers and the challenges posed by the dispersed nature of the farming community. Its major contributions include informing policy on the real needs of farmers and how information can be packaged and disseminated to help farmers in their daily agricultural activities.
- ItemA requirements elicitation process model for health management information systems(Strathmore university, 2014-04) Gikura, Mary WambuiRequirements Elicitation (RE) is about learning and understanding the needs of users and stakeholders with the aim of communicating these needs to the system developers. Requirements Elicitation is an important stage in Information Systems development (ISD), and has substantial impact on software costs.RE has remained a key topic of interest for researchers and they have stated that a large number of Information Systems development (ISD) projects fail resulting in high costs to organizations. One of the reasons that these projects fail is the inability of the Information System to precisely satisfy user 's requirements which is a result of inaccurate and incomplete requirements collected in the Requirements Elicitation (RE) stage. Considering the importance of the RE stage in information systems development projects , this stage therefore becomes a critical area for IS research. This research focused on the process of RE in the development of the Heath Management Information Systems (HMIS) in Kenyatta National Hospital. Using data collected from the developers and users in the hospital the study presents a Requirements Elicitation Process model for Health Management Information systems. The results showed that the greatest challenge in the RE process was communication and the study suggests requirements prototyping to solve communication challenges. The implementation was conducted in Kenyatta national Hospital 's Comprehensive care centre. In conclusion the study elaborates a RE model that incorporates communication and requirements prototyping as key elements in the model.
- ItemSoftware as a Service Application Evaluation Framework Addressing Configurability(Strathmore university, 2014-06) Owiti, Yvonne Mwajuma; Marwanga (Dr.), Reuben; Orero, Joseph Onderi; Kiraka, RuthSoftware as a Service (SaaS) is a global technology trend to watch as adoption keeps soaring, yet configurability concerns linger. SaaS users may make uninformed decisions when choosing an application by failing to factor in configurability limitations. In view of the frameworks reviewed by the researcher, there is no framework for SaaS applications that can be used to evaluate a system that meets users' requirements with configurability limitations addressed. In an attempt to determine the specific configurability limitations currently experienced by SaaS users in Kenya, the study listed sixteen (16) configurability items. Fifty (50) percent of them were reported to have configurability limitations. These include; custom fields' definition, data export, in-house application integration, domain name modification, listing report pagination, custom fields' behavior modification, plug-in installation and dashboard customization. SaaS industry is yet to mature the processes and models of dealing with these configurability concerns. This means that configurability limitations will still linger. SaaS users therefore need to be armed with the knowledge of such weaknesses ill order to source wisely for a SaaS application. An evaluation framework was proposed by the researcher. This was validated by two IT managers. The feedback from the validation process (usefulness -100%, effectiveness - 100%, completeness- 90% and accuracy 95%) was used to further enhance the framework. This framework will help prospective SaaS users make the right choices during sourcing.
- ItemA framework for selecting a secure cloud service provider : a case study of Kenyan banks(Strathmore University, 2014-06) Njeru, Anthony MwanikiThe rate at which cloud services are being adopted by financial institutions in Kenya is increasing on daily basis despite, increased insecurity incidences associated with the cloud service, one of the major cause for this is lack of standards. Many banks in Kenya are faced with a challenge when deciding to move to cloud because there is no prudent guideline for selecting CSP which has resulted to loss of millions of money and reputation of institutions. Because of the above challenge, the researcher recommend a framework to guide the financial institutions in selecting an appropriate and secure cloud CSP in the midst of many unsecured providers. The research mainly focused on Kenyans banks and identified the following as the key variables; resource capacity, trust, availability, confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation as indicated in chapter four of this report. Questionnaires, observation and interview were used for collection of raw data as indicated on chapter three for analysis, The research had a finite population of 15 clouds service providers selected based on availability and 40 users based on usability, hence all entities in the universe were identified through purposive sampling. Solutions to the existing security challenges in cloud services were proposed in the framework on chapter five based on analysis of the data collected and the information gathered from literature review. The proposed framework was used to make decision based on trust and the available solutions evaluated with the prevailing security challenges for their enhancement. To achieve this, first, the researcher used descriptive design to get the variables on a targeted population of 55 sample size then, critically reviewed each of the identified factors to see the relationship to be considered before finally developing the proposed framework. Data gathered reviewed that, the choice of CSP is an emerging determinant for success or failure of many banks moving to the cloud, hence various factors in selecting a trusted CSP were identified such as trust as indicated in the framework to get data from the registry of the framework based on previous feedback from the users and capacity. The proposed framework utilized data mining techniques from a third party mandated with the role of collecting such information from various CSP and disseminating this refined information to various financial institutions in Kenya at management level to help them make prudent decision on the CSP to host their data. Finally, the framework was validated by two banking institutions to check on its reliability. The evaluated results obtained confirmed that the developed framework was effective in selecting a secure and trusted CSP and pinpointed areas requiring further research and improvement such as factors of trust. Various suggestions and recommendations were given as indicated on chapter six by the evaluating teams to be incorporated in the final framework template. In addition, the researcher later discussed a scheme for a secured third party cloud services and how these users' rights can be protected technologically by adopting the framework.
- ItemAn Incident Management Prototype(Strathmore university, 2014-06) Mwala, Mugasia BennToday, citizens have become more vocal about their needs and more sophisticated in their expectations of the government. The government's mandate is to improve public service to its citizens through e-governance. However, the government has failed to interact with its citizens. The only attempt at e-governance by the authorities is putting up static websites. But these websites provide no form of feedback, interactivity and participation by the citizens. Ideally, local authorities are supposed to have real time information on the status of infrastructure in their localities for them to be able to manage them effectively. Lack of real time and accurate information on incidents, therefore leading to poor service management due to inadequate information, is considered a problem in discharging these duties. The purpose of this research was to find out the relevant information and structure that would be suitable in an e-government platform. The researcher studied and reviewed the existing e-government architectures and studied the system in use by the County Government of Nairobi. The research done revealed that the public had no real time participation and interaction with the government when it came to incident reporting. Incident management was therefore almost impossible due to little or no information and this impaired service delivery by the County Government to its citizens. The results of the study were the design and implementation of an incident management prototype to connect citizens and the government. To achieve this, a web based platform was developed, which allows a public user to log an incident through a web portal. A trigger is sent to the CGN help desk notifying them of an incident that has been reported, with its particulars including location via GPS. The help desk then re-directs the incident to the relevant department for action, where the department supervisor assigns the task to an artisan electronically for action. Once the artisan completes the task, it is marked in the system as completed. Reports from the prototype helped management make informed decisions and improve service delivery