Infrastructures’ shortage defied monitoring and evaluation information system
The monitoring and evaluation information system (MEIS), was highly defied by the infrastructures’ shortage, during its first step of implementation. This was said in a presentation of LODA (Local administrative entities Development Agency) in a two days’ workshop with theme “towards accountable social and economic development at local level, through citizen participation and digitalization”, that happened on 7th -8th of June 2018, at Marriot hotel.
MEIS is a tool designed to manage local development projects and social protection activities using digital means. It was developed as monitoring and evaluation system in 2013. The first prototype came out in 2015 and rolled out to all 30 districts in 2016, it extended to project management system in 2017 and in 2018 all stakeholders had to gather in order to discuss about its future vision.
The system’s idea came after realizing that the way of sharing and linking information and reports from different local entities was tough, with the government’s program of changing working system from analog to digital, there had to be a way of solution. It is when LODA came up with MEIS.
With MEIS, the report is supposed to come from local leaders at cell level, and be transferred to different high entities through digital ways. Its implementation faced different challenges, among them infrastructures’ shortage; while some districts still have rural areas where there is no electricity or internet facilities, and still they need to use the same MEIS as their peers.
Measures were taken to face the challenge
To face the infrastructures’ challenge, measures were taken. Mr. Saidi Sibomana is the head of local development, planning and program division in LODA; he said that they made an offline system to facilitate users from the areas without internet connection or facilities. This system can be used even by citizen to access common information like ‘mutuel de sante’, irembo services, election lists and some others.
They can also use the offline system to give some other information like reporting violence in family. For local leaders, they can use this offline system while recording data on field and send them later, when they get access to internet.
Sibomana said that they are still talking with the Ministry of infrastructure, in order to resolve among priorities this issue. But while not yet resolved, he advises users to get modem for internet.
He added; “From now on, LODA will work to raise awareness and attract stakeholders to make efficient use of MEIS, focusing on citizen monitoring system, to inform its improvement and further development, including for participatory planning and budgeting. In near future, the system will link many information agencies like Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), National Identification Agency (NIDA) and others.”
Francine Andrew Mukase