Tracing success: Improving book supply chains through Track and Trace technology in Cambodia

• In Event: Streamlining success through system-wide efforts: Empowering every child with quality books by improving the book supply chain

Proposal

Background
Quality books are essential to children’s school achievement. In 2017, Cambodia, facing persistent shortages and poor management of quality books for children, implemented a digital solution for systemic textbook ordering and distribution called Track and Trace (TnT). TnT allows government officials, school directors, and other local partners such as school support committees and book distributors to track the ordering and distribution of textbooks in real time. It shows the actual location of textbooks throughout the ordering and distribution process,ensuring that books reach classrooms on time and in good condition.

Purpose
This study examines how TnT is implemented in practice, what factors affect its implementation, and its impacts on departments responsible for supplying textbooks and schools in their efforts to secure and manage quality books for children. The knowledge generated will contribute to a broad policy and research discussion on improving the provision of quality books to children through a system-level solution, such as TnT, which strengthens the country’s BSC.

Methods
We use a case study approach. Data include semi-structured interviews with 31 stakeholders including government officials at the Provincial Office of Education, District Office of Education, and the Printing and Distribution House (PDH); school-level actors including school directors and school management committee members; and international development organizations who supported the design and implementation of TnT.

Results
Participants across all levels recognized various benefits of TnT in securing, managing, and providing books to children. School directors mentioned the time-saving aspect of TnT, as it automates calculations and eliminates manual processes, thereby freeing time to focus on other critical tasks. TnT also enables direct online communication between school directors and PDH staff, eliminating the need for in-person travel. This online interaction expedites the process and saves valuable resources.

Several government officials also viewed TnT’s impacts positively, emphasizing that it has simplified the process of book requests, cross-checking of orders, and verification, significantly reducing their workload compared to manual methods. The reduced administrative burden allowed government officials to allocate time and resources more effectively, ultimately benefiting the whole education system.

However, some challenges persist. School directors only know how to make orders and confirm textbook receipt, and rarely use other functions such as checking the status of their orders and saving and printing request files. PDH wants to add more functions to the application to enhance its effectiveness, but it cannot do so due to high costs.

Conclusion
In summary, TnT significantly improves textbook accessibility in Cambodia, and has been praised by officials and directors. The digital solution saves time and resources at all levels. Localizing the system allows prompt textbook allocation before the new academic year, benefiting schools. These findings hold policy implications which will be shared at the conference for countries seeking technology-assisted BSC improvements.

Authors

• Sopheak Song, Cambodia Development Resource Institute

• Phoury Bun, Cambodia Development Resource Institute

• Phal Chea, Cambodia Development Resource Institute

• Jeongmin Lee, University of Notre Dame