Case Study: Kerala Legislative Assembly-BPO-Process Overview

The main scope of the project was to maintain a comprehensive Digitized Information Management System about Kerala Assembly Proceedings which comprised of Kerala Legislative Assembly, Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly and Cochin Legislative Council from 1888. The development of the system was a difficult and challenging one as it had records from 1888 which needed to be digitized and this was a unique project carried out for the fist time in a Legislative Assembly in any part of the world.

Outsourced Process

Digitization has become the need of the present time. The process in simple terms is making data present in the hard copies digitally available. Documents, all over the world are available as piles of papers, or discs or other form of hard copies and though they form authentic proof, the accessibility is a problem when faced with an emergency.

• Scanning from the bounded volume of books of daily Assembly Proceedings
• Image enhancement and cropping.
• Metadata preparation (The title and members participated and page no in the book).
• Translation of Malayalam subject to English (which needs experienced hands to do the work).
• Data entry with our own developed software.

Volume

Approximately 5, 70, 000 records were processed as a part of this project for 7-12th KLA, and from the year 1888 to 1957.

Time Period

From January 2011 to March 2012.

Solution Overview

The project required a dedicated workforce with uttermost attention to details since the process is further complicated by the absence of universal guidelines regarding which data is considered critical. Altogether the number of staff engaged was 25 for all the processes of this project. Translation was another category that needed some grave consideration, from English to Malayalam and vice versa. The software team of SBL developed the software DMS to facilitate data entry in regard to the process adopted. The image was processed at our graphics division.

Client Advantages

KLA is reaping a number of benefits from the services of SBL. The process started with just the digitization of records for archival purposes. After gaining the confidence on the data entry and imaging, KLA decided to outsource the second phase of digitization to SBL which included incorporation of Committee Reports, Bills and Acts, News paper clippings etc. On 27th December 2011, the Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri Oomen Chandi- officially inaugurated the website of 7th to 12th KLA digitized by SBL. The function was presided over by Opposition leader, Shri V.S. Achuthanandan.