Management Information System Development at Water for People. Deadline 22nd October 2021

SCOPE OF WORK

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

 1. Background

Isoko y’Ubuzima is a five-year Rwanda Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) activity funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), awarded in July of 2021. The activity is being executed by a consortium led by Water For People and including IRC, CARE International, and VEI. It will take place in ten districts that are still being determined.  

The overall goal of the Isoko y’Ubuzima project will be achieved through three interrelated and mutually reinforcing strategic objectives: 1) Improving decentralized WASH Governance; 2) Improving Rural Drinking Water Services, and 3) Improving Rural Sanitation and Handwashing Services and Products.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

Isoko y’Ubuzima project will collect substantial amounts of quantitative and qualitative data at the process, output, outcome, and impact level—which will be used to monitor implementation progress, inform decision-making, and program adaptations, assess the impact, and report to the donor through quarterly and annual reports. Data will primarily be collected through digital forms (e.g. tablets, cell phones). Water For People seeks a consultant to develop a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) information management system that will be used to maintain data, enable rapid data analysis and visualization, and track program progress in real-time for evidence-based decision-making and reporting to the donor. We desire an MIS system that is compatible with Google sheets, ODK and mWater data collection tools, Kobo data aggregator, and Power BI platform to clean and visualize data in a dashboard format. The database will be aligned with our MEL systems, processes, and tools, following our evidence-based approach to monitor, evaluate, and document lessons learned. It will also be designed to capture information aligned with AidTracker Plus and, where possible, National WASH MIS and Water For People’s level of service monitoring data on the mWater platform as well as additional organizational databases.

The database will be aligned to the Isoko y’Ubuzima MEL and learning plans, which describe how the team will organize its performance management system, learning processes, and decision-making. The MEL plan also provides a Theory of Change and a Results Framework, depicting the direct causal relationships between an overall goal, the three Strategic Objectives, and the Intermediary Results (IRs). It puts forward performance indicators to track implementation and determine whether or not the results and targets are met.

Data Sources:

3 . Terms of Consultancy

Consultancy Nature: Short-term, individual, organizational, or group contract

Consultancy Duration: 3 Months (Plus 6 months support)

Consultancy Oversight: The consultant will work closely with the MEL Manager, MEL Team, and the Chief of Party to ensure that all data management needs are addressed in the database design.

The Isoko y’Ubuzima members will provide the following to inform the development of the MEL database:

• Project overview and background documents, as relevant to MEL/database.
• List of all data inputs- source, qual/quant, frequency of collection, etc.
• List of decision-making points- nature, timing, evidence/data needed.
• Additional MEL database design parameters, as needed and identified by the awarded MEL consultant.
• Any logistical support (if needed)
• Isoko y’Ubuzima resources: There will be five MEL support staff, one MEL manager, and the COP available to support.

 Data sharing and ownership: Any qualitative or quantitative data resulting as a product of the consultancy and activities contained therein are ultimately the property of the Isoko y’Ubuzima activity donor organization (USAID). Any data, and subsequent reporting, will be shared with WFP (as prime of Isoko y’Ubuzima) and with USAID (through the DDL and DEC).

4. Specific tasks

The specific tasks for the consultant are the following:

• Review Isoko y’Ubuzima MEL plan, including Indicator tracking table (ITT), Performance Indicator Reference Sheets, and type of information to be gathered, data collection tools, timelines, data flow, and reporting requirements.
• Co-develop with Isoko y’Ubuzima MEL team a process flow diagram to illustrate data flow—from indicators to collection to analysis/visualization to decision-making to reporting. This will inform data feedback loops, needed data analysis/visualizations, and ultimately MEL database design.
• Submit a document outlining proposed processes and steps to the design of the database, including user interfaces, and describing how the contractor will support Isoko y’Ubuzima’s MEL plan for managing data, as well as users’ access and permissions/rights in line with the anticipated roles and responsibilities.
• Develop a database with user interfaces, ensuring it integrates requirements of performance indicator reference sheets and Isoko y’Ubuzima’s plan for managing data, as well as security features to protect and secure data.
• Create an interface that supports the project’s data collection tools (ensuring data can be collected using tablets, smartphones apps, or paper-based tools), data-entry, analysis tables, and forms based on the requirements described in the performance indicator reference sheets: disaggregation, data collection method tools, type of analysis, Market Based Sanitation components and data presentation.
• Develop a MEL Database interface suiting the data user roles described in the MEL Plan.
• Establish relations between data analysis tables to produce a range of analyses through different combinations and formulas, and to optimize evidence-based decision-making that informs needed implementation adjustments and planned interventions.
• Design the format of data visualization and reports to be generated by the database (including analytical charts, dashboards, and other analytical tools), with options to select what fields and what period the report covers (monthly, quarterly, and annual) and what scope (activities/interventions, type of beneficiaries, geographic location, residence, wealth quintile, etc.).
• Ensure that generated reports align with the donor reporting guidelines and minimize the amount of additional time/effort needed to develop quarterly/annual reports.
• Design a series of data quality assurance and control mechanisms, including rules to minimize duplicate data entry and others.
• Install the database on a local storage server and create roles for the users and administrators.
• Pre-test the database for data entry, validation, and analysis, data visualization, and produce reports.
• Train the MEL team on managing the database, as well as other users on data entry, verification, and validation.
• Train key technical leads from each consortium member and provide an additional 3-6 months of (limited) remote Q&A/troubleshooting after the handover of the database.
• Develop documentation on the usage, update, and maintenance of the database.
• Provide 6 months of remote support to the MEL team in the use, maintenance, expansion, and troubleshooting. This shall include, but not be limited to assist in resolving any problems with data entry or management and reporting from existing tables; assisting staff to add new fields or modify data tables and queries; creating new tables and reports to accommodate new data collection tools and reporting requirements; run advanced queries per staff needs.

5.Deliverables

The contractor shall provide the following deliverables:

• A document outlining proposed processes and steps to the design of the database, including revised user interfaces, and describing how the contractor will support Isoko y’Ubuzima plan for managing data, as well as users’ access and permissions/rights in line with the anticipated roles and responsibilities, to be presented to the MEL team and COP for review and approval.
• A database, having user interfaces that are compatible with the Microsoft Windows Operating System, and with the ability to export data. This includes data collection tools (paper forms, data entry and analysis tables, and forms, etc.) and report formats to be presented to the MEL team and COP for review and approval.
• A database with an interface that accommodates the different tiers of user roles, at different levels such as data input, data analysis, and data validation.
• Installation of the database on a local storage server.
• Data preparation and cleaning scripts- preferably ones that automate extraction, cleaning, shaping of submissions submitted and update the data visualization models accordingly.
• Dashboard: A dashboard that consolidates and visualizes data from the MEL data inputs and data cleaning scripts.
• Standard operating protocols (SOP) or equivalent manual to document the technical and development process, and to guide users on the use of the MIS system.
• Pre-test the database for data entry, validation, analysis and produce reports for their immediate use.
• Database training modules and agenda on its management and use.
• 2-day training on the management and use of database directed the multiple users and associated training report.
• Database user manual describing roles of the multiple users, and all pertinent aspects of database’s usage, update, and maintenance.
• 6 months of remote support in the implementation, management, expansion, and troubleshooting of the database.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer engineering or related field.
• Technical expertise in DHIS2, DATIM, MIS, and M&E database programming.
• Database maintenance, system analysis and design; and geographic information systems (GIS).
• Ability to use multifaceted platforms such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL-Server.
• Experience in M&E framework design, data management, and database administration.
• Experience with data visualization platforms and dashboards
• Familiarity with mobile data collection platforms and proven ability to integrate them into MIS systems
• Evidence of similar work completed in the last 3-5 years, with links to equivalent dashboards or examples requested.

Additionally, the following experience will be an added advantage:

• At least 4 years of professional experience supporting USAID-funded international development program.
• Understanding of USAID Program Cycle, WASH indicators, policies, and frameworks.
• Experience designing databases for USAID-funded MEL activities, including MEL platform activities.
• Familiarity with USAID CLA frameworks and application of MEL to CLA and program decision making
• Experience with spatial data (e.g. GIS) analysis, visualization, and integration of spatial analysis into databases.

Note: The required /qualification skills could be possessed by an individual or a team working together to develop this database.

Selection Criteria

• Method: Proposed problem definition, system requirement analysis, technical recommendations.
• Timetable/Workplan: Realistic and meets the needs of the project.
• Cost: Reasonable and feasible.
• Experience: Experience of consultants in creating similar systems and recommendations from organizations for whom these systems were created.

How to Apply:

 Please visit our Career Center and apply no later than October 22, 2021, at 5:00 pm (Rwanda time).