Expression of Interest "NKE to support MEHE in Track 8.1 Data Supply Management – Transitioning from SIMS to EMIS" TA to MEHE 72.3038.6-001.00

Project Background

Lebanon has been suffering from instability on all levels for decades, but the situation has further aggravated in the last few years. Three years of layering of crises on top of one another - the economic crisis, compounded by COVID-19, the 2020 Beirut Port explosions and political instability have left all families residing in the country struggling to survive. Currently, Lebanon finds itself in a never before faced compounded crisis of extreme complexity, which was the result of several factors including the refugee crisis that started in 2011, noting that country is currently hosting 831,053 Syrian refugees and 479,537 Palestinian refugees according to latest UN agencies reports, in addition to the economic vulnerability and contraction, continuous political crisis, social unrest and heightened challenges since October 2019, the on-going debt crisis, COVID-19 and health crisis, banking and currency crisis, cumulative inflation rate, education sector crisis, which was preceded by teachers’ protests since 2017-2018 against low remuneration and the Beirut Blast in August 2020 and its on-going consequences. All these crises resulted in enormous strains on population’s physical and mental health, access to food, basic services, education and safety among others.

Current situation in the target sector

The events that took place in the last few years have added further layers of obstacles on top of an already compromised Lebanese public and private schooling system in its efforts to provide education for children residing in Lebanon. The crisis left an impact on the different levels of the education system, starting with MEHE’s inability to perform normally due to the economic and social situation, teachers and staff’s losing motivation and students unable to attend classes on daily bases for several reasons among many other levels. The crisis’ impact on the educational sector affects children’s wellbeing and threatens their future, the social stability (including people’s ability to escape the vicious cycle of poverty) and country’s abilities to overcome the socioeconomic and political depression and to set up a sustainable governance and economic model. The below provides a detailed insight on the current situation in the education sector in Lebanon and sheds the light on major gaps and existing issues:

• Access to education opportunities and disruption of education services
• Quality of education services
• Governance of education systems
• Education-related expenditures for families and MEHE
• Large donor group involved in the sector
• MEHE needs and gaps
• Budgeting and Planning
• Capacity Gaps
• “Internal Politics”

About the project

With the country slipping deeper into an economic and financial crisis, the education sector and the Ministry Education and Higher Education (MEHE) are in high need of support to ensure their ability to sustain their operations and remain able to deliver high quality education to all children residing in Lebanon. While the complexity of the situation is increasing, with high number of dropouts and out-of-school children, a significant number of students migrating from private to the public school because they cannot afford the high fees anymore, low teachers’ motivation, challenges on the level of transportation and unavailability of basic needs at schools such as power, in addition to a considerable decline in the quality of education, support is needed to ensure that MEHE, including the Directorate of General Education(DGE) and all other departments, guarantee learning continuity under a multiple crisis context through a more resilient education system, that is able to provide quality, inclusive and safe education for all children.

To cover the existing gaps, the Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (TA to MEHE), aims at “building an education system (Ministry for Education and Higher Education) better equipped and able to deliver quality basic education”, through the below 3 outcomes:

• Outcome 1: enhance the governance capacities of the MEHE in the field of strategic and operational planning, monitoring, and reporting, budgeting and public finance management.
• Outcome 2: enhance the capacities of the MEHE for the delivery of quality teaching and learning by management and educational staff empowered with 21st century skills development.
• Outcome 3: enhance the performance of the public education system (MEHE) through improved management and business operating procedures.

The assignment

Background for the assignment

The Education Management Information System (EMIS) plays a central role in fortifying education systems by offering a comprehensive and unified platform to manage various aspects of educational data and information. EMIS is responsible for gathering, organizing, and storing data related to students, teachers, staff, and educational resources. It aids in shaping planning and policy decisions by providing valuable insights to policymakers and decision-makers. EMIS also facilitates monitoring and evaluation processes and plays a key role in allocating resources based on data-driven analyses. Additionally, EMIS enables the assessment of school performance at different administrative levels, including Regional Education Offices (REOs), Secondary Education Department (SED), Primary Education Department (PED), and other levels within the Directorate General of Education (DGE) along with other MEHE’s affiliations.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) acknowledges the importance of data management and analysis in advancing education systems. MEHE is committed to enhancing the effectiveness of its Education Management Information System (EMIS) for this specific purpose. Within this, MEHE is actively searching for a skilled and experienced EMIS Consultant who can thoroughly evaluate the current status of the School Information Management System (SIMS) and all related applications across various directorates and advise on the transition to a fully comprehensive Education Management Systems (EMIS). The ultimate aim is to implement significant improvements to the education system based on a comprehensive and insightful assessment.

The main goal of this consultancy is to evaluate the existing state of the systems utilized at MEHE, including SIMS, MEHENSL, Official Exams, LMS, and other systems across different MEHE directorates and entities. The consultant is expected to gather input from various stakeholders and assess the quality of the collected data, proposing improvements to the current system. Based on this assessment, the consultant is expects to develop a detailed  TOR (Terms of Reference) entailing all the aspects of the development and implementation of a robust and comprehensive EMIS system.  This is further to other outcomes enlisted in the deliverables section.

Description of the assignment

Outline of the mission

To support MEHE to improve the quality of its data systems while planning the transition to a single EMIS system for the entire Ministry of Education across DGE and its affiliations.

Description of the activities to be performed by the STE

• Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of various existing systems at MEHE, pinpointing deficiencies, and identifying the necessary specifications for the implementation of a new EMIS.
• Use the needs assessment findings to develop a Functional Specification Document (FSD), Technical Specification Document (TSD), and System Design Document, which collectively outline the blueprint for the new system's structure and functionalities of the new EMIS at MEHE.
• Support ICT unit in designing the bidding document pertaining to the procurement of EMIS based on the general procurement law adopted by MEHE.
• Develop and provide a thorough implementation plan for the introduction of the new EMIS at MEHE entailing  detailed strategies for data collection, architecture overview, data base design, data integration, APIs and interfaces, technology stack, security, deployment and installation guidelines, testing, quality assurance, and  troubleshooting and support.  This also includes preparation, conversion, migration and the actual implementation process, assuring a smooth transition from the existing SIMS to the new EMIS.
• Generate a backlog plan outlining any data or tasks that require specific attention during the migration process along with the strategies and steps ensuring a seamless transition to the new EMIS.
• Contribute to streamline different processes at DGE, REOS and different entities and departments at MEHE to assure standardization and harmonization of the various forms used to implement an effective EMIS.
• Design a “Proposal for Procedural Enhancements and Modifications" plan addressing suggested changes and improvements to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of public  K-12 schools streamlining and optimizing their operations.
• Integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Business Intelligence (BI) functionalities into the design and development of EMIS  to empower schools and other departments and entities affiliated to DGE with valuable data-driven to enhance decision-making, and create a more effective, efficient, and student-centric learning environment.
• Contribute to building familiarity around the implementation of an effective EMIS at MEHE.
• Develop any presentation, communication or training plan within MEHE and in close collaboration with the ICT unit to assure a smooth transition from different management information systems applied at MEHE to an effective EMIS.

Outputs/Results of the mission

The outputs/results requested from the NK Expert are:

• Stakeholders Analysis Report identifying and evaluating key individuals, groups, and organizations involved or interested in this task. It assesses their level of influence, level of interest, and potential impact on the project's success after  DG approval
• Process Improvement Plan entailing a structured and systematic approach to improve efficiency, effectiveness of overall data within MEHE. It outlines the steps and strategies to identify, analyse, and implement improvements in data quality.
• A Functional Specifications Document (FSD) outlining a detailed description of the features, and capabilities of EMIS to manage educational data and information. This will serve as a main guide to developers to develop the new EMIS. This may include EMIS requirements and analysis, user roles and permission, functions and roles, data collection, integration and migration design, user interface design, data validation, quality assurance, data backup, reports and dashboards, communication levels etc…
• A Technical Specifications Document (TSD): this complements the FSD and should focus on the technical aspects and specifications of EMIS such as system architecture, generic coding standards and guidelines for technology stack, database design, API design, data integration with external systems, EMIS modules and components, etc…
• An EMIS TOR entailing scope, objectives, constrains, functional and technical requirements and expectations of all other stakeholders involved this task.
• A system implementation roadmap outlining a step-by-step EMIS implementation plan providing a clear and structured approach to guide the implementation process from the initial planning stages to the final deployment and beyond.
• A transition process plan from SIMS to EMIS detailing the steps and activities required to assure smooth transition within MEHE. This should provide a structured approach to managing the transition effectively, minimizing disruptions, and ensuring a successful outcome.
• A risk management plan to identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor risks that could impact the transition from SIMS to EMIS addressing proactively  uncertainties and challenges , ensuring that  MEHE is well prepared to handle risks  and capitalize on opportunities.
• A change management plan addressing the  steps that MEHE should  take to effectively manage and guide individuals, teams, and stakeholders through a significant change or transformation to ensure that the change is well-understood, accepted, and smoothly integrated within MEHE, minimizing resistance and maximizing the chances of successful implementation.
• A Quality Assurance (QA) plan detailing processes, procedures, and activities that MEHE should undertake to ensure that the implementation of EMIS meets minimum quality standards. to prevent defects, and deliver high-quality outcomes.
• A Training Plan detailing the activities to equip users and stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively use the EMIS for an improved data management, decision-making, and overall efficiency at MEHE.

Administrative Deliverables

• Monthly Time Sheets according to the template provided at the beginning of the mission which includes a brief description of the task(s) conducted each day signed and submitted to team leader for revision and approval. Holidays, weekends and working days outside Lebanon could not be included in the Time Sheet as working days unless there is a prior written approval from the contracting authority.
• A comprehensive end of mission’s report submitted to team leader for revision and approval including:
• Scope and objectives of the mission.
• Approach adopted for conducting the mission.
• List of outputs produced during the mission (including meetings and people met).
• Description of the outputs produced during the mission.
• Problems and challenges encountered during the mission.
• Recommendations for the follow-up of the mission (if any).
• Recommendations for the improvement of project implementation (if any).
• Documents produced during the implementation of the mission in the form of definitive version (drafts can be included if and only if are relevant for the implementation of the mission or its follow-up).
• All documents should be delivered in hard copy and in digital form using exclusively MS Office applications.

Expert Profile

Qualifications and skills

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in management information systems, computer engineering, computer science, or related fields.
• At least 7 years’ experience in the development, and design of  management information systems, with emphasis on the education sector.
• Strong experience in the education digital transformation sector specifically in the Lebanese context.
• Previous proven experience in SIMS, EMIS and other educational management information systems is highly desired.
• Demonstrated knowledge, experience and update in the application of information technology for management, administration at the largest scale and/or in the business environment levels.
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with senior MEHE and government staff.
• Ability to engage in substantive technical discussion with all stakeholders.
• Good knowledge of database environment and development tools and knowledge of computer communication systems (i.e., wide area networks), software operations and aspects, learning management systems, APIs, data integration, or security protocols.
• Strong leadership skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team of ICT professionals with a clear results based focus;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Arabic and English.
• Fluency in Arabic and English, French is desired.
•  Excellent skills in developing and conducting training.
• Excellent reporting skills.
• Excellent computer and IT skills.