Type of Services

TASK 1 - USER REQUIREMENT ASSESSMENT AND PARTICIPATORY DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM

• Study thoroughly the project documentation and current indicator matrix (to be issued).
• Support improving familiarity with all project activities through project documentation, field visits and discussions with stakeholders.
• Detailing business requirements of the project for all stakeholders (Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Department of Statistics, and any other relevant authority) and different tiers of management including but not limited to:

• Requirement of MIS stakeholders/ users (all who have a role in data acquisition, processing, reporting, or use/ decision making with regards to the action)
• Project management requirement

• Assess the basic additional hardware/software/data set requirements and suggest a technological solution:

• Detailed functional design of the MIS arrived through participation of key stakeholders
• System requirement study for the proposed MIS. The design should be based on close participation of key users and be flexible to incorporate changes in activities during future phases of the programme.

• Basic data entry for demonstration purposes during the initial project period.
• Determine basic information flow requirements (into, within and out of the MIS).

TASK 2 - MONITORING PLAN

• Finalise baselines for the indicators of the action that will be verified each year in order to assess the progress made in implementing the budget support component and will trigger payment of the different tranches foreseen under the programme when targets are reached. Some of the data for the definition of the baseline is already available and needs only to be collected, while other data is to be developed.
• Develop templates for data collection and collect reliable data and other information to provide the baselines for the monitoring of the budget support component. Data collection should be paper-less to the maximum extent possible.
• Develop a monitoring plan for the budget support component, and in particular:

• Defining the data collection methods.
• Identifying the roles & responsibilities of key stakeholders involved. Attention shall be placed on ensuring that the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders are clearly defined. The consultant should describe for each indicator – with the help of a flow chart – the division of responsibilities among the authorities (all tiers) for data collection, data entry, data analysis and data reporting. Furthermore a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among relevant actors is to be drafted and submitted for endorsement and commitment of stakeholders.
• Determining a detailed costing plan for data collection (including surveys and equipment) and for the information system. The consultant shall ensure that the costing is clearly detailed in the MoU.

TASK 3 - DEVELOPMENT OF A WEB-BASED AND USER-FRIENDLY INFORMATION SYSTEM

Development of a web-based and user-friendly information system, designed on the basis of the following features and principles:

• It is based on an off-the-shelve solution requiring minimum cost for purchase and maintenance.
• It provides real-time information and data enabling to monitor the implementation of the budget support component.
• It provides different types of access (administrator, data entry, data consultation) and enables uploading supporting documents for each indicator. Baselines should include mapping and use of GIS.
• It provides for a two way flow of information, such that those who collect and transmit the information receive the feedback and the information flow synchronizes with the organisational structure
• As the major burden of collecting, reporting and transmitting information is to be borne by government staff, the MIS design should ensure that it does not impose a high work load at any level in the organisation.

The design should be intelligent to minimise data entry during routine use (e.g. drawing upon lists, dynamic menus/options, avoiding repetitive and unnecessary entries, etc.).

• It is flexible enough to accommodate internal learning changes in future.
• Develop test procedures for the developed MIS software which must also include procedures for the overall modular software testing. The MIS should be fully tested (at the program level, sub-system level and the overall MIS level) for all functionality before its acceptance.
• Prepare documentation that will be used for the maintenance of the system. The documentation will also be used as technical reference manual for IT staffs. Develop user guides to accompany the system.

TASK 4 - INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION

• Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to assist relevant authorities with the monitoring of the budget support component. The SOPs should be developed as a set of step-by-step instructions to help each entity in carrying out routine operations from data collection to data analysis and reporting. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output and uniformity of performance.
• Develop a training plan for the staff tasked with the collection, entry and analysis of information and data. Production of training materials (user and administrator training manual, PowerPoint presentation, exercises, trainer evaluation forms).
• Train all staff tasked with the collection, entry and analysis of information and data; train staff responsible for the administration of the information system; train end-users.
  Deliverables:
• A monitoring manual in English and Arabic comprising:

• Baseline for each indicator of the budget support component
• Monitoring plan including data collection method, roles and responsibilities (with the development of a flow chart), costing plan (including surveys, equipment and information system)
• Standard operating procedures for collection, entry, analysis and reporting of each indicator (including workflows)
• Templates for data collection

• A technical manual in English and Arabic for the maintenance of the information system.
• A draft MoU for the relevant authorities and stakeholders to endorse and buy into the monitoring information system.
• A web-based and user-friendly computerised information system.