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CIRM Profile – What and Who
The Centre for Information Resources Management (CIRM) offers information, village poverty data, training and advisory services in participatory approaches and community development and monitoring. CIRM customises its products and services to the specific requirements of the government departments, special projects and non government organisations. CIRM started its activities on January 1st 2004 to promote community centred rehabilitation, development and good governance among the government institutions, non-government organisations and special projects in the Eastern and Northern Provinces of Sri Lanka. CIRM also aims to promote the dissemination of relevant best practices so organisations don’t have to ‘invent the wheel‘ again.
Our objectives are:
- Support the provincial administration in disseminating and efficiently applying the best practices and products developed by different stakeholders.
- Assist the provincial administration in the processes of developing and applying concepts, strategies, methods and tools for community centred development.
- Harmonise and unify the various development approaches and promote the utilisation of information so as to increase the quality of development and promote transparency for good governance.
Organisational Structure
CIRM is a unit of Chief Secretaries Secretariat, Eastern Province. It has 20 staff members, three units and is headed by a director. CIRM receives funds from the Eastern Provincial Council.
The Information System (IS) Unit of CIRM has 4 professional staff members who develop tools for planning and monitoring. CIRM collects data, integrate, analyse and provide information on e.g. poverty. The spatial maps of districts, DS divisions and GN divisions and various thematic maps produced by CIRM are simple tools for analysing and planning development activities.
The Mainstreaming Best Practices (MBP) Unit has 6 professional staff members who focus on promoting community centred rehabilitation and development. This objective is addressed through providing training on community development and participatory approaches to the government officers, NGO staff and special project staff in the Province. Monitoring is a special area of CIRM, where CIRM provides training and also undertakes process monitoring and impact assessment assignments. The Administration and Finance Unit is responsible for the financial and office management.
The work of CIRM is characterised by constant developments. In order to have the skills and knowledge to meet the changing demands CIRM staff are continuously trained.
Products and Services of CIRM
- VILLAGE POVERTY PROFILES
Village Poverty Profiles can be obtained for a single village or of an entire district. The poverty profile of a village appears in one sheet and indicates the analysed information of poverty. Poverty profiles are available for 2129 villages in the eastern province. It also contains general village information, data of the tsunami catastrophe, conflict effects, living conditions, main livelihoods, agriculture/food production, water and sanitation facilities, basic health services and education services.
- FUNDAMENTAL SPATIAL DATA SET AND MAPS
The fundamental spatial data set is based on the 1:50.000 scale maps and covers the whole province as a seamless database. It contains the themes of administration units of GN divisions, selected topographic features and village locations. With the fundamental spatial data set maps can be designed and tailored to suit for particular uses in development activities.
For every district and DS division, there are maps depicting the GN boundaries and selected topographic features.
- THEMATIC MAPS
CIRM offers a wide range of thematic maps by linking the poverty data and fundamental data sets. It is possible to obtain customised maps for different development factors e.g. connectivity (derived from travel distance and travel time for basic services), deprivation of water and sanitation facilities etc. Trends and distribution patterns are effectively visualised through the thematic maps.
The GIS maps provide an overview for high level planning and decision making.
- IN HOUSE TRAINING ON GIS APPLICATIONS.
CIRM staff provides in house training and coaching on the use and application of GIS for other organisations in the Eastern province.
The Mainstreaming Best Practices Unit disseminates strategies, methods and tools for participatory approaches and develops designs for and training in monitoring. All can be customised. The products and services can be used to:
•promote participatory development approaches;
•develop the capacities of the intermediary organisations and service providers for community centred rehabilitation and development.
•develop the capacities of the community based organisations.
- CUSTOMISED PARTICIPATORY RURAL APPRAISALS (PRAs) and PRA TRAINING
PRAs can be designed to prepare village development plans. CIRM can combine training and coaching of officers in designing and implementing PRAs.
- COMMUNITY ORIENTED TRAININGS
The trainings can include the following components:
•Basics of community development
•Community animation
•Community mobilisation
•Project management cycle with participatory approaches
•Participatory approaches, relevant methods and tools
•Strategies, methods and tools for public engagement in development planning
- DESIGNS FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEYS
Socio-economic surveys can be designed by CIRM to suit the need of the client. It can be combined with coaching of the enumerators.
- CUSTOMISED DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MONITORING:
•Process monitoring and Impact assessments for projects.
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