Transcript TASC2 Project - Eritrea

Improved Resource Utilization Decisions
through Strengthened and Sustainable
Management Information Systems
James (Kip) Eckroad
BS, MS, MBA
TASC2 Project - Eritrea
Three Intermediate Result Areas
IR1: Active Demand for Primary Health Care Expanded
IR2: Quality of Priority Primary Health Services Improved
IR3: Institutional Capacity for Resource Allocation
Decisions Improved
IR3 Strategies
Develop and strengthen health management information
systems
Strengthen the management systems, practices and
procedures
Develop and improve capacity for decision making
Continued support for decentralization and hospital
autonomy
MIS Assessment: Initial Findings
MIS function and responsibility dispersed throughout the
Ministry of Health
All systems highly dependent on outside assistance for
modification or maintenance
Most systems in MS Access database but programmed in
Visual Basics
Significant unmet need for improvement of existing or
development of new systems
Recommended Improvements in System
Development
Priority given to sustainability through independence from
outside sources
Sustainability and independence directly related to the
degree of openness and access
Standardization important for integration and sharing of
data; as well as for building an internal body of knowledge
for supporting the systems
Information Systems Design Based on
Sound Database Theory
Database design based on relational database theory
Follow the three levels of normalization
This greatly facilitates growth and expansion, additional
attributes and new entities
Try to identify the single most important table and build
around it
An “Open Access” Approach
Maximum use of Access wizards, tools and especially the
query capabilities
Menu structure based on Switchboard Manager, common
user interface
Reliance on forms for data entry and editing
Standardization of nomenclature for tables, forms and
queries
The incremental approach to information systems
development
Implementation of the Approach
Development of 3 new systems in key resource area:
drug logistics, personnel management and donor
financing
Implementation and capacity building for the new
information systems
Capacity building focus on continuous learning models:
mentoring and formative supervision
Principal Challenges
Importance of documented specifications as
form of communication with client
Direction, coordination and integration among
the various MOH information systems
Invoice Editing and Posting Form