Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities (ERPAT) Management Information System with SMS Support: Usability and Performance Assessment

Abstract

Objectives : Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities or ERPAT are current trends in local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines. Thus, this study aimed to provide a new way of storing and retrieving data and status of membership of ERPAT members in a digital platform. Methods: This study employed a developmental-descriptive research design. There were 80 respondents for ERPAT members and 15 respondents for staff. Also, five experts as evaluators participated in the study. The data were gathered using the PSSUQ instrument for usability and a researcher-made survey questionnaire based on the ISO/EIC 9126 standards for performance efficiency. Rapid Application Development was used as a software development cycle model. Findings: Results show that the level of usability in terms of functional accurateness and suitability were all interpreted as "Very Good." The level of performance in terms of resource utilization and time behavior was also interpreted as "Very Good." The developed system was deemed to be efficient and effective to address the needs of the ERPAT Coordinator and the ERPAT members. This significant result implied that the respondents were quickly impressed by the system features of the developed system. Mobile phones in ERPAT are essential as a tool of communication nowadays. The study results showed SMS has a great potential for storing and retrieving data for ERPAT members. Novelty: The study improved the traditional way of storing and retrieving data and delivering communication using SMS technology to clients digitally. However, further studies are required to ensure the effectiveness of the innovations.