DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Renovation of The Gambia EMIS

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Renovation of
The Gambia EMIS

• BESPOR and Consultancy Objectives
• Situation Analysis (cons)
• Situation Analysis (pros)
• EMIS Renovation Plan Overview 2006 - 2007
• 1 EMIS Database Completion (2005/6)
• 2 Renovate HR Information Systems
• 3 Monthly Cluster and School Data Collection
• 4 Adjust EMIS System for Information Needs up to
  2015
• 5 Staff Capacity Building
• Initial Findings on ICT Requirements
• Draft Schematic Diagram of Planned ICT and EMIS
  Infrastructure
• Financing EMIS and ICT activities

Ian Attfield, BESPOR EMIS Consultant
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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 BESPOR and
Consultancy Objectives

• BESPOR Project Development Output 4
• Improved Knowledge Management throughout the
  Education Sector with EMIS related OVIs
• 1 EMIS fully operational by Nov. 2007
• 2 EMIS disaggregated data used to inform
  policy/planning (e.g. GESDP)
• Specific Consultancy Objectives
• 1 Situation Analysis of EMIS to meet long term
  needs
• 2 EMIS Design Review and Upgrading Plan
• 3 Budgeting for EMIS Upgrade
• 4 Capacity Building for Sustainable Operations

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Situation
Analysis Constraints

• Management and Co-ordination
• Problematic relationships with other GOTG
  agencies (e.g. PMO)
• Restructuring ITHRD/PPABRD gt HRD / PPABD
• No delegation/decentralisation of EMIS tasks
• Limited (i) management oversight of junior staff
  and (ii) acceptance of responsibilities by senior
  staff.
• Human Resources
• High turnover and change of management level
  staff
• High turnover and loss of technical and data
  entry staff, including international volunteers
• Limited incentives to motivate and retain good
  quality staff.
• Technical and Financial
• Continued power and telecommunication shortages
• Absence of recurrent funding 2003 - 2004
• Creeping EMIS complexity and need for design
  changes.
• Chaotic and inefficient working practices.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Situation
Analysis Positive Aspects

• Management and Co-ordination
• SMT with Institutional Memory and Willingness to
  Change
• Introduction of Management Accountability
• Combination of EMIS into logical home PPABD
• Decentralisation to RED and Cluster Monitor is
  Underway
• IFMIS likely to Improve Inter-Departmental
  Communications.
• Human Resources
• Significant staff retention since 2000, evident
  skills upgrade
• High quality international volunteers in place
• Better incentives to motivate /enhance Cluster
  Monitors.
• Technical and Financial
• New technology with price/performance falling
• Wireless technologies arriving, improved
  communications
• Short term availability of recurrent funding 2005
  2008 via EFA FTI and BESPOR.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 EMIS
Renovation Plan Overview

• Structured so that majority of Implementation
  Activity is over the period Jan 2006 Dec 2007.
• Catch up with backlog of data for 2005/6 school
  year and personnel records.
• Introduction of Cluster Monitors (CM) as Key
  Player for DoSE-School Interaction, piloted from
  Jan 2006 to support and monitor monthly school
  visits and WSD.
• Introduction of Revised Data Collection
  Instruments and Enhanced Output Information for
  2006/7 school year.
• Integrated with necessary HR Capacity building
  activities and the upgrading of ICT
  infrastructure.
• Built in requirements to introduce new changes as
  IFMIS and a revised SPAS are introduced.
• Aims to have in place a stable cycle and more
  comprehensive output by 2007/8 school year.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Activity 1
EMIS Database Completion (2005/6)

• Catch up with backlog for 2005/6 school year and
  output results over Jan June 2006.
• Pilot Use of Cluster Monitors to collect Madrassa
  School and ANFE centre data in all regions.
• Rapid Data Entry and improved central processing
  and checking of data quality.
• Introduction of 2003 based population data and
  projections as a basis for Enrolment Rate
  Calculation and EFA progress assessment
  reporting.
• Improved provision of output, tailored to needs
  of Directorates, RED, CM and Schools

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Activity 2
Renovate HR Information Systems

• HRD and PPABD to formally agree co-operation
  mechanism
• Catch up with backlog of Personnel changes (2002
  2005) to reflect current postings and active
  staff snapshot.
• Re-introduce Use of Postings Database in April
  June 2006.
• Cross Validation Exercise with Personnel
  database and new IFMIS Payroll in July 2006 to
  eliminate errors.
• Introduce mechanism in Jul Dec 2006 to keep
  Personnel database up to date with Incremental
  changes
• Revise HR data processes to accommodate
• Introduction of IFMIS Personnel/Payroll.
• A revised SPAS, potentially split for (i)
  teachers and (ii) management grades and head
  teachers based on agreed service delivery plans
  and other factors.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Activity 3
Monthly Cluster School Data Collection

• Utilise Cluster Monitors (CM) as key field staff
  to collect and verify regular monthly data from
  all schools, incorporating student and teacher
  attendance data and other WSD information.
• Train RED/CM and pilot Jan June 2006.
• End of Term data entry by RED into Term
  Attendance Data (TAD) database.
• Review and Revise system July- Sept 2006,
  introduce cluster and school annual record book.
• DoSE recognise TAD data as definitive
  quantitative source of records for CM school
  visits, attendance data (Student and Teacher) and
  WSD records.
• Use as assessment factor for SPAS (Teachers,
  Heads and CM) and provision of CM allowances for
  2006/7 school year.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Activity 4
Adjust EMIS System for Needs up to 2015

• 2000 system design requires adjustment to reflect
  current and anticipated requirements up to 2015.
  
• Cascade these changes into the operational EMIS
  system so information is available to support
  Gambian education sector management, planning and
  policy formulation.
• Review and revise formats and software July-Sept
  2006.
• Changes identified for BC schools, ECD/ANFE
  centres, facilities / furniture,
  textbooks/guides, girls scholarships and SN
  children.
• New GIS School maps, based on 2003 census
  settlements.
• New enrolment data with breakdown by student
  ethnicity.
• Repeat CM/RED training to mainstream CM as
  enumerators for all field data in Nov 2006.
  Distribute EMIS feedback.
• Present more comprehensive EMIS results by March
  - April 2007 for SMT review.
• Stabilise system from 2007/8, review system 2010?

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Activity 5
Staff Capacity Building

• Series of training workshops Jan 2006 mid 2007
  to introduce EMIS changes, with a focus on
  building the skills and capacity of RED and CM
  staff.
• Senior DoSE/RD management workshops (June/July
  2006) and March/April 2007) to review EMIS
  results and progress.
• Central Workshop on SPAS/HR data when new
  procedures are ready.
• Short training for general ICT skills for (i)
  DoSE/RED staff summer 2006, (ii) CM summer 2007.
• Short term database training DoSE/RED staff
  summer 2006.
• Long term Specialist EMIS/ICT distance learning
  course scholarships available, DoSE/RED staff
  competitively apply.
• SMT/BESPOR selection based upon objective
  criteria.
• Requirement to continue normal duties and bonded
  to future defined DoSE service.
• Another long term international volunteer late
  2006 - 2008.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Initial
Findings on ICT Requirements

• For further development by BESPOR ICT Consultant.
• Adequate Hardware emerging, draft proposals
  prepared for 2006 2007 to support EMIS
  operations
• Better management oversight of central DoSE ICT
  operations critical to reduce waste and free
  PPABD staff for productive work.
• Introduce wireless data links and power invertors
  to DoSE/HRD and RED locations to reduce
  vulnerability to state utility supplies.
• Install a new DoSE server (late 2006) at an ISP
  office to enable sustainable communications and
  web based document filing and accessible data.
  Outsource ISP based server maintenance.
• DoSE to consider adoption of MIT One Laptop Per
  Child scheme for mass introduction of ICT into
  school using BESPOR/DFID funds.

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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Draft Schematic
Diagram of Planned ICT and EMIS Infrastructure
IFMIS (Separate System from mid 2006, run by
DoSFEA)
(separate data import, no direct link)
Fiber Optic WAN
PCU Data
Main EMIS and central DoSE file records
Personnel/SPAS database
DoSE HRD File Server
DoSE PPABD File Server
PCU File Server
Wireless Datalinks, (replicating data to
Internet Server if not confidential)
ISP Office
DoSE Internet File / Web / Email Server
Internet Backbone
Wireless Links to 6 RED, upload to regional
section of Internet server
Paper based data feeds from Cluster Monitors of
school data and reports
6 RED computers with RED file system, USB backup,
TAD databases and access point for provision of
Internet to RED computers via peer peer LAN.
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DoSE EMIS Presentation Jan 2006 Financing EMIS
and ICT activities

• Adequate funding available 2006 - 2008 for
  investment and recurrent costs (BESPOR/ EFA FTI)
  allow for risk that 2009 2015 they may not be
  available.
• EMIS recurrent field data collection costs to
  transfer from PPABD to CM allowances.
• Already agreed CM fuel allocation and field
  allowance become linked to fulfilling TAD
  requirements without extra payment.
• Annual extra payment to CM for each school or
  ECD/ANFE centre data form collected, validated
  and submitted to RED.
• 100 D/ school or centre if data
  complete/adequate.
• 500 D bonus / CM for submission of all data on
  agreed date.
• 500 D penalty / CM for submission more than 2
  weeks late.
• Loss of all extra payment and transfer to other
  CM or DoSE staff if CM is unable to fulfill
  requirements.
• Overall cost of above 150,000 D / year, pilot
  for Madrassa schools in Feb 2006. Quality check
  at RED or DoSE essential.
• Introduce similar incentive scheme for RED and
  central DoSE EMIS staff to encourage timely
  completion of work.