Presentation Objectives: Computerized management information - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)

Cooperative Data Management Methods and Techniques

A Workshop Paper Presented at the Co-operative Registrars/Commissioners/Directors, Co-operative Leaders and Managers Workshop Held in Harare. 08th – 12th June 2015.

By: Joseph Mutisya

Presentation Objectives:

Computerized management information systems overview. Approaches to management of software projects. Software development cycle. Data management and systems acquisition at Society Level. Cooperative monitoring at country level: CODAS case study. Discuss strategies of strengthening data management methods and techniques.

Introduction

• “Whatever we do, we are guided

by figures” Yoweri Museveni, President of

the Republic of Uganda.

• “information is at the root of

everything we do” Prof. Francis

Omaswa, former Director General, Ministry

• f Health, Uganda.

Introduction

• “An essential component of any

development planning is data. Without data, a country’s efforts to plan for future growth and welfare

• f its people cannot be grounded in

reality and therefore may be severely flawed”.

• Hon. Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, former

Minister for Planning and National Development, Kenya.

Definitions Data. Information. Database. Software. Information systems (components). Integration. Source codes

Application Software

Software that solve specific problems or perform specific tasks. It is divided into;

i. Off – the – shelf application software – programs developed by software engineers and made available in the market for sale. Normally sold in bundles called program suites e.g. the Microsoft Office programs suite.

• ii. In – house –developed packages –also referred to as tailor –

made – application software. Designed or tailored to solve problems specific to an organisation.

Software Development Project

Facts about Software

• Relative cost of software is

growing.

• Increase in demand for

software.

• Increase in size and

complexity of software.

Successful Project Approach

SMART Goals – Specific

• Clear to anyone with a basic knowledge of the project.

– Measurable

• An indicator that the goal is achievable.

– Agreed upon

• Agreement between the users and the project team on the

goals.

– Realistic

• The goal can be accompanied with the resources, knowledge

and time available.

– Time Framed

• Determine the time needed to accomplish the goal.

Software Crisis

• Faulty software.
• Delay in completion time.
• Over budgeting.
• Difficult to maintain software.
• Bad documentation.

Attributes of a successful project

• Senior management should monitor the

progress in project.

• Regular progress reporting should be

available for senior management and other interested parties on a regular basis.

• Planning and organizing for the project

delivery of benefits should start as early as possible in the project life cycle inorder to achieve benefits realization.

Measure of Project Success

• The resulting information System is

acceptable to the customer.

• The system was delivered on time.
• The system was delivered within

budget.

• The system development process

had a minimal impact on ongoing business operations.

Causes of Project Failure

• Failure to establish upper-management commitment to

the project.

• Lack of organization’s commitment to the system

development methodology.

• Taking shortcuts through or around the system

development methodology.

• Poor expectation from the management.
• Premature commitment to a fixed budget and schedule.
• Poor estimating techniques.
• Over-optimism.
• Inadequate management skills.
• Failure to adapt to business change.
• Insufficient resources.

Major processes in developing a Software System

• Feasibility study.
• Full Systems study.
• Requirement determination.
• Evaluation of alternative system.
• Selection of hardware and software.
• Designing of new system.
• Construction new system.
• Implementation new system.

Software cost Estimation Techniques

• No well defined standard of software

costing.

• Most techniques assume firm

knowledge of requirements which rarely is the case in practice.

• 1. Expert judgment.
• 2. Analogy.
• 3. Work breakdown structure.

Systems Evaluation Criteria

Modular evaluation. System's security.

Unreliable software. Accidents/natural disasters. Hackers/crackers/modifications/copying. Disgruntled, blackmailed, bribed, greedy employees or ex-employees. Consultants/ ex-consultants. Industrial spies. Competitors. Disgruntled customers. Malicious programmed threats. Amateur/career criminals. Terrorists.

Systems Evaluation Criteria Cont.

System's security Continued….

Password levels.

Definition of users and respective privileges. The privileges linkages to a particular time window. Transaction authorization by atleast two people.

Audit trails. Disaster recovery and systems backup. Failure of hard drive. Power outage. Physical security of the equipment.

Web based. Barcode, ATMs, mobile technology integration, online transactions, biometrics etc. Querying capability.

Systems Evaluation Criteria Cont.

User interface. Reports. User documentation. Technical documentation. System design. Source codes. Support and maintenance. Number of system users. Compliance with standards. Validation checks. Communication infrastructure. Integration.

Systems Testing

– To be carried out for the entire system to find out errors that may result by incorporating other modules

• Unit testing.
• Integration testing.
• system testing.
• User acceptance.

Qualities of a Good System

• User Friendly.
• Reliable.
• Efficient.
• Secure.
• Adaptable.
• Valid.
• Interoperationable.
• Economical.
• Maintainable.

Data Management and Systems Acquisition at Society Level

• Need to have an integrated system.
• Avoid silos approach.

Formation of MIS implementation Steering Committee.

• The mandate of this committee is to ensure and oversee

successful delivery of MIS to the society.

• Develop a systems user requirements/specifications.
• Formulate a tender document (if need be, system to be

implemented in modular form).

Integrated MIS Acquisition

Advertise the system development and implementation tender. Tenderers to undertake site visit to clarify any grey areas in the tender document. 2 proposals to be presented in 2 different envelopes:

Technical. Financial.

Open financial proposals for only the firms whose technical proposal have been approved.

Visit sampled sites for the first 3 or 2 firms (top scorers). .

Integrated MIS Acquisition

After the site visits, the qualified firms may be called in for negotiations. The appointed firm should undertake a detailed information systems requirements analysis and come up with system’s requirements/specifications document. After the production of the above document, a letter of award should then be offered by the cooperative. Thereafter, a detailed contract should be signed between the 2 parties preferably in presence of a lawyer. Need for constant monitoring of the project. NOTE: the new system must be able to efficiently

receive data from the existing systems (via migration).

Co-operative Data Management Methods and Techniques: CODAS Case Study

Monitoring Systems

 Monitoring is a continuing function that uses systematic collection of data on specified indicators to inform management and the main stakeholders of an on-going project of the extent

• f progress and achievement of results in the

use of allocated funds.  Evaluation is the systematic and objective assessment of an on-going initiative or completed initiative, program or policy, its design, implementation and results.

Monitoring Systems

An appropriate monitoring system is a pre- condition for proper evaluation. The evaluation exercise measures the success of a project in relation to its objectives, and the extent to which the intended beneficiaries have really benefited. Evaluation is an integral part of the implementation process; it compares current information and monitoring data relating to

1. the project. 2. the beneficiaries. 3. the conditions existing at the onset of the project, and 4. the conditions expected at various stages of the project.

The evaluation process allows for timely changes to project strategy or implementation, i.e. when it becomes apparent that project objectives are not being met. Without an appropriate monitoring system, the above is not possible.

The importance of measuring results

• « If you cannot measure results, you cannot

differentiate success from failure

• If you cannot highlight success, you cannot

reward it

• If you cannot reward success, you probably

reward failure

• If you cannot highlight success, you cannot

learn from it

• If you don't point out failure, you cannot

rectify the situation

• If you cannot show results, you cannot

benefit from the help of the population».

Osborne and Gaebler, 1992

Introduction Cont….

Information management challenge e.g. the trend of activities, membership tracking, threats etc. Data unavailability. CODAS is a tailor made software managed by ICA in collaboration with the Co-

• perative Movement, partners and

respective Governments to manage the available data within ICA member countries. Developed in Microsoft Access database. If need be, it can easily be upgraded to

• ther databases e.g. Oracle, Navision, SQL

server, Mysql etc. Can easily integrate household surveys to capture the impact of cooperatives at that level. Logical Framework Matrix.

Introduction Cont….

• On agreement, CODAS can be integrated

into the World Wide Web (WWW).

• It can be customized to allow automatic

data importation from existing computerized cooperatives.

• If customized to a country’s information

needs, the system has full capacity to monitor status and growth of cooperative societies in any country. The system allows easy data analysis and offers instant answers to many queries posed to the database on a day-to-day basis.

• If need be, some components of SACCOs

may be monitored on quarterly/monthly period.

System’s Background

CODAS was first designed as a tool for national cooperative data management around the year 2001. In the design phase, it was based on the cooperative sector landscape in Kenya. The study, covered seven provinces comprising of 43 districts. However:

 The 2001 study covered only the primary agricultural marketing cooperatives.  Classifications of different parameters were collectively agreed upon by the ministry and stakeholders e.g. an active society is a society that is operational.  After successful implementation of the database, ICA made a decision to expose the database to its member countries.

Introduction Cont….

• CODAS has todate grown to cover all

sectors of cooperative movement.

• Despite its evolvement with time, CODAS

retains a core set of parameters and standards that cut across all cooperatives

• perations including the following:

– Membership, Age and gender profile of membership. – Sector analysis. – Leadership. – Management. – Trainings needs within the movement. – Affiliation and networks. – Employment. – Business performance. – Products and services etc.

Introduction Cont….

• CODAS implementation in ICA

member countries:

– Enhances government’s efforts to strengthen cooperatives. – Monitors coop. numbers, types, locations, status, strengths, weaknesses, threats, assets, liabilities

• etc. The analysis is undertaken at

different levels e.g.:

• Sectors
• Regions
• Status etc.

– Monitors the trend of cooperatives’ activities, performance and legal compliance, and tracks membership in terms of growth or decline, gender composition, participation etc. – Monitors Coop. Officers’ performance

Introduction Cont….

– Enhances efficiency in planning, management and productivity. – Guarantees prudent allocation/utilization of resources. – Facilitates policy formulation and implementation – Provides accurate, timely and relevant data for prudent decision making. – Offers quick response to needs of the entire cooperative movement, consequently improving the cooperatives’ performances. – Facilitates establishment of actual contribution

• f cooperatives in the national economy e.g.

employment, financial institutions etc. – Contributes to poverty alleviation and women empowerment

Introduction Cont….

– Enables the coops movement to:

• Identify existing capacities within the movement

i.e. leadership, membership and staff

• Establish partnership levels within the movement

and its benefits

• Identify training needs of the movements i.e.

leadership, membership and staff

• Identify challenges faced and competitors
• Contribute possible solutions to the challenges

faced

• Establish business areas ventured by coops.
• Establish the extend of governance strengths
• Monitor liquidity status of cooperatives etc.

CODAS Implementation

CODAS implementation process commences with the CODAS awareness seminar (Phase I). During this seminar:

• Perusal/discussions on various

cooperatives’ documents within a country e.g. strategic plans, policy documents etc. is carried out.

• CODAS is exposed to interested co-
• peratives’ stakeholders to stimulate

interest and illustrate its potential to satisfy the country's information needs

• CODAS is either accepted or rejected by

the hosting country.

CODAS Implementation

Phase I cont……

• The hosting country’s information needs

are established.

• The projects scope is ascertained and

agreed upon.

• Budgetary expectation and CODAS

implementation process is preliminary discussed.

• Implementation team is constituted.
• Draft data capturing tools/instruments

may be formulated.

CODAS Implementation

Implementation Stage (Phase II) Formulation/Fine-Tuning of Survey tools The questionnaire being the backbone of CODAS entail intense scrutiny from all

• stakeholders. The challenge is to formulate

tools that would:

– Be all-inclusive – Stand the test of time – Capture the entire needs of all the cooperatives’ stakeholders in the country – Be user friendly etc. – Cut across all society types and sectors in the entire country e.g. Agriculture, Insurance, SACCOs, Industry etc. – Accommodate all categories of societies i.e. primary, secondary and Apex.

CODAS Implementation

Implementation Stage (Phase II)

• The questionnaires among others cover:

Cooperative register. Membership. Governance. Capacity building. Financial reporting. Employment. Performance. Products. Challenges,Solutions etc.

Pre-testing. Cooperative verification/census design. If need be undertake tools translation to make it bilingual. Questionnaire guide formulation. Questionnaire Application Training.

CODAS Implementation

Implementation Stage (Phase II) Cont… CODAS Implementation Strategy

Piloting National Region wise

CODAS Customization

Regional Module Administrator Module Management Module

CODAS System Training

Data Entry Personnel CODAS System Administrators Management/Stakeholders

CODAS Implementation

Implementation Stage (Phase II) Cont…

System’s Documentation

User Manuals Administrator Manuals Management Manual

Commissioning

System Administrators may produce a co-operative status report

Introduction Continued…...

• CODAS awareness workshop has been undertaken

in:

• 1. Kingdom of Lesotho
• 2. South Africa
• 3. Tanzania
• 4. Ethiopia
• 5. Kingdom of Swaziland
• 6. Uganda
• 7. Namibia
• 8. Nigeria
• 9. Rwanda

10.Botswana

Introduction Continued…...

• The following countries have fully

posted their baseline data:

• 1. Kingdom of Lesotho (2)
• 2. Kingdom of Swaziland (3)
• 3. Tanzania (1)
• 4. Botswana (2)
• The following ICA Member countries

are in the process of implementing CODAS:

• 1. Nigeria
• 2. Uganda

Common Findings …...

• Improver cooperative registration process.
• Resistance due to the findings.
• Shortcuts in the CODAS implementation process.
• Too many dormant societies
• Data collection resource intensive.
• Low cooperative knowledge.
• Illiteracy.
• Low cooperative computerization.
• Low budgets.
• Unclear Government and cooperative movement

structure.

• Illegal registrations.

Common Findings….

Society Registrations

Improper Registration Procedures (e.g. cooperatives registered without bylaws, unknown members). Outdated cooperative registers e.g. repetition of cooperatives, to many dormant coops etc Many coops never operate after registration. Double Registrations with same registration number. Irregular naming of cooperatives. Cooperatives with same names.

Common Findings…….. Cooperative Officers’ Performances

Some do not know the total number of societies in their jurisdiction. This leads to:

Lack of proper supervision of societies Poor deployment of resources Poor records management Poor cooperative monitoring

Common Findings……..

Society Controls

Many cooperatives not audited (backlog). Some cooperatives’ members’ register not up-to-date. Societies have poor record keeping systems e.g. missing basic information, bylaws, no gender or age segregated data, governance tools etc Most societies do not comply with the Cooperative Act e.g. AGM, auditing, elections etc. Mixing of several activities in accounting.

Common Findings………………

CODAS Application

Most countries appreciate the benefits of CODAS:

Assist them in analyzing their data. Enhance their reporting process. Enable stakeholders to answer many queries Feel confident. Monitor the cooperatives.

Fear (their efficiency and workload now well known)

Recommendation

• To reduce data collection costs, cooperatives

should be empowered to fill the questionnaires.

• Automated cooperatives should be encourage to

export their data online to CODAS.

• Need to update cooperative registers after surveys

by deregistration.

• Data collection should be continuously monitored

by the steering committee members.

• CODAS data collection exercise should be

calenderlized.

• Registration of cooperatives processes should be

streamlined.

Recommendation

• If acceptable, registration numbers of

cooperatives must be agreed upon between ICA and respective member countries.

• Countries should partner with development

partners on data collection.

Recommendations: ICT Policies for Cooperatives

• The ICT policy guides the development of

ICT infrastructure and facilitates the achievement of the overall organization’s strategic plan. The policy should stipulate and give guidelines on:

– How to communicate – Who controls the flow of information – Access to ICT services and agencies and job and educational opportunities.

• It also enhances the ability to be civically

engage, to organize and mobilize resources, to provide quality services more efficiently, and to improve overall economic and social conditions within society.

ICT Policy Content:

• The proposed Policy Paper on

ICT should cover major areas such as:

• Detailed situation analysis of ICT

within the entire organization

• The challenges of applying ICT to

achieve overall strategic goals and

• bjectives of the Organization
• The

proposed policy direction guiding ICT diffusion and utilization

• Institutional framework
• Implementation framework of the

ICT Policy.

END

Thank You! ines@nbnet.co.ke Jmmutisya@yahoo.com Tel: +254 020 7122627 +254 722 712149 +254 733 537875