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Information Systems for the North East
Alexander Austin
Trincomalee and Berlin, March 2003
Contribution to post-conflict development
The present context is ripe for a discussion and development of an information system. Sri Lanka is in the process of moving towards a stable peace and this has resulted in a tremendous focus by the international donors as well as the Government of Sri Lanka to rebuild the North East. To address these challenges, two donor conferences were conducted/are underway and further the eLanka initiative was launched by the prime minister. All of these initiatives concern the rapid and accurate disbursement of funds, the ability to track the projects both in terms of financial and impact monitoring.
However, there is an opportunity to place the specific focus of this consultancy directly within these developments. IFSP, especially with its spatial data base could contribute to assist the North East Provincial Council and their planning unit to move towards the aims outlined on the ministerial level. Through training and the establishment of an Institute of Information Resource Management, IFSP can play a complimentary role by creating greater capacity through the proposed two new positions (technical and training officers), providing training at the provincial level in database management, providing IT equipment and the provision of hard copies of maps to all actors including donors, government officials and NGOs.
The three databases reviewed in this consultancy, RRAN, IFSP & NECORD, although different in content, can work synergistically together. If RRAN, a database for the Vavuniya district, chooses to explore further districts, then the IFSP is well positioned for information and data-source sharing. NECORD on the other hand, with its focus on project management and tracking, can play a crucial advisory role to both donors as well as agencies in the need for monitoring implementation.
The second area of this consultancy reviewed the possibilities for a new information system within the NEPC. The underlying assumption taken in the choice of approach is that the present challenges must be addressed before any work begins, or even continues, on information systems. Three workshops were held with the aims to: isolate the vision for an information system, identify current challenges and then to use these to formulate lessons learned and best practices, and finally to find and articulate constructive ways forward to address these challenges.
The role of an information system can be best assessed if the role is understood as essentially a component and expression of the management structure. Any rough framework describing the most important influences on the information system should therefore highlight six fundamental areas: training (computer literacy & awareness), data collection, capacity, hardware & software, lack of a clear strategy, and structural issues.
This framework allows for the exploration of the interrelationships of the six components under various scenarios. If, for example, computer training is seen as the best starting point to improve decision making through providing training on the provincial level, it must be realized that any efforts in this direction will unfortunately remain unsuccessful, while there is a continual transfer of personnel, or while there are still limitations in data collection.
Ways in which these challenges were then explored through a meta plan workshop. The findings can be summarised as follows: Track I actors need greater ‘computer awareness’. It was felt that there was a lack of understanding about both the potential as well as the limitations of information systems. There was strong emphasis placed upon the lack of using already existing computer skills by the Track I of Track II and III.
Track II actors are in need of a higher level of computer skills ranging from database reprogramming as well as database management. For the Track III actors, although crucial in the information systems, there is a need for a higher level of computer skills but not as demanding as the former level. This was expressed through data entry and the need for wider and not deeper training in computer usage.
Cross cutting these issues, was the requirement for cross-level communication. The grass root actors felt that the top level management neither understood the challenges nor articulated their goals clearly. The middle management recommended that it would be of good utility to hold monthly meetings for the sole purpose of information exchange.
The final area addressed concerned the transfer of the IFSP into an IIRM. Four possible scenarios concerning the future and transfer of IFSP were identified:
- to be transformed within the NEPC as an Institute for Information Resource Management
- to pare off the sub-structures within the IFSP into self contained units, such as the engineering section
- to transfer relevant information to appropriate partners
- to cease activities as climate has changed into a post-conflict setting
Within the context of information systems, IFSP has a wealth of knowledge and, what is more, ‘producted knowledge’. Both in the form of village data sheets (profile of war affectedness, social deprivation and food deficit) as well as the maps, this knowledge can play a crucial role in the planning and decision making process of various organisations and bodies.
This report is intended for a variety of readers which means that some sections are relevant for one reader while the others not. The report is written for IFSP, GTZ, NEPC, planners, and those people currently engaged in developing information systems.
Download Working Paper 51 pdf (442 KB)
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