“OCISP Management Information System” Process, challenges, constraints Dr. Sacha Backes (former) OCISP International Team Leader Oudomxay Community Initiatives Support Project (OCISP)

Content 1. Introduction to OCISP 2. OCISP MIS system Context, process and status Context, process and status Design considerations Design considerations Demonstration Demonstration

Part 1. Introduction to OCISP

Project Logo In general: Five components Three external funding sources Based on “community initiatives” …. Bottom up planning for all activities

Logic of Project design Agriculture & Natural Resources Management Rural Infrastructure Development Rural Financial Services Institutional Development Community Development Sustained poverty reduction Entry point Exit strategy Project Goal

Project funding 10,800,000 SDR LoanIFAD 2,000,000 EURO GrantLuxembourg 1,700,000 USD GrantWFP (FFW activities) 3,600,000 USD Lao Government 540,000 USD Beneficiary Approximate total: 25,000,000 USD Project duration: 8 Years,

Map of Target Area Lao P.D.R. Oudomxay Province Beng District Houn District Pak Beng District Nga District Xai District Namor District La District Target area starting in project year 1 Target area starting in project year 2 7 districts 187 villages 10,000 HH 63,000 people Remotest parts 300+ Gov staff 20+ consultants Luang Prabang China 50 km

Part 2. OCISP MIS System Context, process and Status

Objective of OCISP MIS Project Management 1. Examples: finance, village data, planning and budgeting, etc 2. All projects have similar requirements 3. Generic Other information 1. Examples: market prices (agriculture), 2. Design depends on specific information needs 3. Not generic OCISP … focus on effective management, before considering other information management needs

Project launching Project start-up stress / pressure to show results quickly … management systems are improvised. Project start-up stress / pressure to show results quickly … management systems are improvised. These systems are not always perfect. These systems are not always perfect. IFAD / UNOPS does not give any assistance with the establishment of management systems. IFAD / UNOPS does not give any assistance with the establishment of management systems. “It is a loan so the Government should use its systems” is a flawed assumption. “It is a loan so the Government should use its systems” is a flawed assumption. Finally, many set up their own systems …. Many use Excel! Finally, many set up their own systems …. Many use Excel!

OCISP excel-based systems (improvised) Financial Management Reporting formats Government staff training Staff management Contract management Village-level staff training Village level M&E data Procurement documents Planning and budgeting Set up one by one during first two project years

Limitations of improvised systems Manual (Excel-based) MIS systems – not easy! Manual (Excel-based) MIS systems – not easy! –Easy to change raw data –Not easy to keep ONE data set on many levels –Error-prone and time consuming (time consuming and error prone) Data consolidation and storage … therefore also analysis, use and dissemination Data consolidation and storage … therefore also analysis, use and dissemination Finance and budgeting: No link with AWPB, No accounting transparency, financing percentages, withdrawal applications, flow of fund problems Finance and budgeting: No link with AWPB, No accounting transparency, financing percentages, withdrawal applications, flow of fund problems Audits and SMs cannot see the full picture Audits and SMs cannot see the full picture

Decision to make a computerized MIS system for project management OCISP is a large, multi-donor, multi-sector, multi-million dollar project. OCISP is a large, multi-donor, multi-sector, multi-million dollar project. Decision: It was irresponsible to continue to use manual data management systems and excel. Decision: It was irresponsible to continue to use manual data management systems and excel. Main objectives: Facilitate data organization, consolidation, storage, analysis, reduce staff time for administration, reduce duplication Main objectives: Facilitate data organization, consolidation, storage, analysis, reduce staff time for administration, reduce duplication

Convert excel-based systems to a data base Financial Management Reporting formats Government staff training Staff management Contract management Village-level staff training Village level M&E data Procurement documents Planning and budgeting

OCISP Project management Application Planning & budgeting Financial Management Monitoring and Evaluation Village AWPB

Basic timeline of MIS development Launching Oct yrs Excel systems development and use Now Oct yrs Development of computerized MIS system

MIS development.. More detail 12 months Dev Phase 1 10,000 $ 6 months Dev Phase 2 30,000 $ 4 months Dev Phase 3 35,000 $ 4 months Specifications design Luxembourg grant funds IFAD funds Total cost to date: approx 75,000 USD Testing / debugging

Current Status Can use the MIS for: Can use the MIS for: –Planning and budgeting (AWPB) –Financial management (day to day, consolidation, reporting, WAs, linked to AWPBs) Ongoing work Ongoing work –M&E functionality still under development –Testing and debugging

Main Constraints 1. Design of specifications (done internally.. Learning by doing, ITL & involvement of end users) 2. Coding of application (project recruited programmers at low cost) …. Debugging stage takes a very long time

Staff capacity has not been a constraint User friendly and intuitive design User friendly and intuitive design Logical steps in functionality Logical steps in functionality

Part 2. OCISP MIS System Design considerations

Menus Menus Language Language Login of users (control) Login of users (control) –Planning, Finance and M&E officers –Project Management (PCU) –System Manager Locality Filter Locality Filter –Filter for each machine, to allow users only to access, modify and view information from their account Basic design

Beng District Houn District Pak Beng District Nga District Xai District Namor District La District China 50 km Decentralization of MIS system PCU Office (central server), with wireless link to 10 machines inside PCU office 6 Line Agency Offices (stand-alone units) 7 District Offices (stand-alone units)

Defining the project in the MIS Project management has to enter the project design into the data base at the beginning of the project: Project management has to enter the project design into the data base at the beginning of the project: 1.Project components 2.Disbursement categories 3.Accounts (implementing agencies) 4.Funding sources & financing percentages 5.Units and unit costs 6.Project staff 7.Villages

OCISP Project management Application Planning & budgeting Financial Management Monitoring and Evaluation Village AWPB

Part 2. OCISP MIS System Module 1: Planning and Budgeting

Participatory planning process: 1.Village Development Plans 2.Prioritization on district level 3.Prioritization by Provincial Line Agencies 1. Define Activities 2. Define targets 3. Define plans 4. Print and use AWPB Module 1 Planning and Budgeting

1.Project Components 2. Disbursement Categories - Financing percentages - Funding Sources 3. Accounts (Line Agencies) 4. Units and unit costs Activities for implementation

Part 2. OCISP MIS System Module 2: Financial Management

Module 2 Financial Management Basic functions 1.Income 2.Cash Counts 3.Transfers 4.Advances 5.Expenditures 6.Reports

Sub-Account Bank Sub-Account Cash PCU / Project Account Bank TR IN AD EX CC Module 2 Financial Management WA

Strong point of the system, as it allows stakeholders on all levels (Province and District) to have up to date information of expenditures vs budgets Strong point of the system, as it allows stakeholders on all levels (Province and District) to have up to date information of expenditures vs budgets Provincial and District Level have exactly the same information Provincial and District Level have exactly the same information Allows the project management to have a “running” budget Allows the project management to have a “running” budget Module 2 Financial Management

Automatic production of Withdrawal Applications Automatic production of Withdrawal Applications Automatic monitoring of commitments under Lao Government contribution Automatic monitoring of commitments under Lao Government contribution Module 2 Financial Management

Part 2. OCISP MIS System Module 3: Monitoring and Evaluation

Design of M&E system is complete, including data collection mechanism and analysis, but highly manual Design of M&E system is complete, including data collection mechanism and analysis, but highly manual Recently reduced the volume of data (which was mainly intended for planning purposes) … can focus more on data quality Recently reduced the volume of data (which was mainly intended for planning purposes) … can focus more on data quality Up to now excel based Up to now excel based Large amount of data ….. Very difficult to manage this data in large project Large amount of data ….. Very difficult to manage this data in large project Module 3 Monitoring and evaluation

User definition of indicators within the application: User definition of indicators within the application: indicator indicator data type data type analysis type analysis type Module 3 Monitoring and evaluation

Information Transfer Import / Export System PCU Sub-Account Export Import Export Import The future is an online system

Part 3: Demonstration

Conclusion

Conclusion 1 Projects can function with simple (excel- based) management systems Projects can function with simple (excel- based) management systems However, there is much added-value in computerizing management systems to improve efficiency and therefore effectiveness of project... However, there is much added-value in computerizing management systems to improve efficiency and therefore effectiveness of project... Very difficult (time and cost intensive) to design Very difficult (time and cost intensive) to design

Conclusion 2 For project management it is possible to use a generic system which many (all) projects can customize to their own needs For project management it is possible to use a generic system which many (all) projects can customize to their own needs Can IFAD provide such a tools to projects?? Can IFAD provide such a tools to projects??

Thank you for your attention