News

7th meeting of IPS Trust Fund Support Group

On June 25 the IPS 2 TF Group organized its 7^th meeting to discuss the overall progress of IPS 2 implementation as well as challenges and risks and critical actions

The meeting was co-chaired, Mrs. Majlinda Dhuka, Deputy Secretary General at PMO, and Mrs. Adela Xhemali, Vice Minister of Finance and Economy. Mrs. Dhuka in her opening remarks congratulated all teams for successfully managing this project, despite interruptions from major forces like Earthquake which hit Albania in November last year and Covid-19 pandemic situation. Mrs. Xhemali made and overview of the IPS 2 project progress and its importance for the Government work and transparency. The meeting followed by a detailed presentation of Mrs. Oriana Arapi, Director of DDGG at PMO. Her presentation focused on the progress of the project that is being concluded, as well as on the project outcomes’ sustainability for the short term and medium term. Financial overview of the project and level of disbursements were made by Mrs. Veronika Korkaj, CFCU Director. As regards to communication activities, they are being carried out normally, the website www.ips.gov.al is regularly updated and the newsletters have been regularly published and distributed, while the number of subscribers has increased.

Donors asked more details on the short-term challenges and capacities to cope with as well the need for an action plan for sustainability of the project

Webinar on Challenges for ensuring IPSIS Usability

IPSIS system will improve policy planning and coordination, as well as linkages of public policies system with public finance system (AFMIS) and foreign aid system EAMIS.

The added values of the IPSIS system relies on providing overall monitoring of policy implementation, in real time, based on KPIs as primarily source for tracking performance.

The Development and Good Governance Department in the Prime Minister Office has led the process for analyzing and diagnosing the actual situation related to KPIs as IPSIS data.

The Department has initiated the process for finalizing the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) – as a systemic assessment of the data that IPSIS uses as primarily sources. The focus was to understand the level of current institutional capacities for strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of key performance indicators, etc, in Line Ministries and Local Government Units.

The National Systemic Data Plan 2027 represents a tool that addresses the needs and gaps highlights by the CAN, in order to achieve IPSIS population with quality data, primarily KPSs.

In this context a webinar on “Challenges for ensuring IPSIS Usability” with the Thematic group “Policymaking” was organized by Department for Development and Good Governance of the Prime Minister’s Office of Albania with the support of World Bank Office in Tirana on 29 June 2020.

The meeting presented and discussed main finding of the Comprehensive Analysis and through consulting the National Systemic Data Plan 2027. The thematic group meeting was chaired Mrs, Oriana Arapi from DDGG at PMO with participation of Line Ministries and Local Government representatives from all over Albania. The meeting was greeted by Deputy Minister of Interior, Mrs. Romina Kuko who highlighted the importance of the quality data and coordination among actors. The meeting followed with presentation of findings form the surveys prepared by DDGG and completed by stakeholders through IPS website.

Challenges and critical actions of all MIS

Now that IPS is live there are some critical actions and challenges ahead:
As regards to IPSIS: Policy basis and legal basis on IPS and IPSIS (including functional Manuals) needs to be finalized; Data management (data update, quality, elaboration) is identified as a challenge together with the continuous training of users (PMO, MEF, MFA and line ministry staffs)

Interfaces

The interfaces among AFMIS – EAMIS – AFMIS should be tested with real data ;
Interface between AFMIS and Procurement Electronic System; interface with customs need to be developed
Linkage between IPSIS & Official Gazette repository should be established.

Short term & Long Term challenges

Usability of the systems by all users
Continuous capacity building is needed (on the job- training and assistance of administrators and users)
Ongoing on the job training to be provided in short and longer term, to ensure capacity building of users
Data management and data quality with respect to system usage are important to ensure “populated systems” with accurate entered by appointed qualified employees.
Extension of systems to local level, to ensure harmonization of standards for policy and financial planning at central and local level

Latest updates from IPSIS

IPSIS has also made good progress in several areas during this time:

1.ToT and first phase of LM users training is finalized during 4-15 May 2020 with the support of the World Bank. More than 150 participants from PMO and line Ministries, DoPA and ASPA participated in the training

Operational Acceptance Testing (User Acceptance Testing included) is finalized in May 2020, with some improvements to be completed during maintenance period.
Submission of manuals (English and Albanian version) and test scripts are finalized in May 2020;
Improvements and testing for 2 web services (Public Consultation-testing and OPEN DATA- improvement and testing) are nearly finalized and will be followed by issuing the OA Certificate.
Actual stage – official acceptance for the system

Latest updates from EAMIS

With regard to EAMIS system here is a summary of main areas of progress:

7 MoUs are signed with the development partners, namely with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Switzerland, USAID, OSCE Presence in Albania, and the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Albania
Integration with IPSIS has been tested, but not with live data as IPSIS is still under development. Readiness of actual integration can only be resumed once IPSIS is populated with real data.
Integration with AFMIS has been carried out with live data and there is exchange of information between the two systems. From a technical point of view it is finished. It is expected that the quality of data coming from AFMIS’ PIM module to improve by its focal users in the long-term.
Integration with WB Client Connection database has been tested with real data and there is exchange of information from WB CC to EAMIS.
Integration With ATRAKO registry can be considered completed.

The post – warranty contract for EAMIS system has been signed within the project’s timeline, and the maintenance of the system has already commenced.

Latest update from AFMIS

According to the reports during webex, as regard to AFMIS progress, up to date approx. 110 out of 600 institutions have access to web portal while for the time being the roll-out is stopped as AFMIS team is looking to increase server capacity.

As regards to AFMIS -HRMIS interface the testing is ongoing, while the integration between General Directorate of Customs and PPA (Public Procurement Agency) is expected to happen.

As of today, 57 Line Ministries/Central Institutions consisting in 361 users are using PIM, MTBP and BPPM modules. As regards to IPSIS integration with AFMIS, both systems are fully compatible and real data is needed.

Because of Covid-19 pandemic, the AFMIS roll out activity was stopped, as this process involves a lot of staff training. MoFE has required the AFMIS guaranty period extension from 31 October 2020 until 31 January 2021 (three months extension), considering the fact that AFMIS roll out support interrupted during the March-May 2020

Technical group meeting on final stage of IPS2 project

A webex meeting facilitated by World Bank Office in Tirana, took place on June 9^th, 2020.

Meeting moderated by Ms. Evis Sulko, Mr. Cem Dener from World Bank with participation of representatives of all MIS teams, IPSIS system implementing company and NAIS team. The overall objective of the meeting was to give updates on MIS activities and share ideas and plans on sustainability. Ms. Evis Sulko, opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees, highlighting the need to focus on sustainability as the project is coming to closure.

All MIS representatives shared their updates about respective systems, current situation and challenges ahead. Ms, Aurela Velo gave updates on the status of web portal and access of institutions, other system integrations and challenges ahead.

Following the discussions raised by MoFE, Mr. Cem Dener advised to focus on the preparation of a defined methodology and procedures to be followed for system support. On the other hand a detailed analysis is required in order to make an informed decision on server capacity increase able to cope with workload and users.

As regards to EAMIS the post-warranty contract is signed within IPS 2 Trust Fund 2 project timeline. IPSIS system is reported to be in the stage of official acceptance for the system

Council of Ministers issues the decision for IPSIS use in April

Based on Council of Ministers Decision no 290 date 11.4.2020, “For the creation of Government Integrated Planning System Information System (IPSIS)”, central institutions are obliged to create strategic documents, define policies, costing measures planned under strategies, approve policy items and monitoring their implementation through IPSIS.
The main goal is to create a state database of the Integrated Planning Information System (IPSIS), which aims at reorganizing the design of strategic and medium-term policies, programming, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation and coordination of policies in order to avoid fragmentation and duplication between government key policies and financial planning processes.
This system will interact with a number of other government systems such as: Financial Management Information System (AFMIS), Government Financial Information System (AGFIS), Foreign Assistance Management Information System (EAMIS), Electronic Consumer Knowledge and Registration Public (ECKRP), the Archives System of the Center for Official Publications (QBZ System), the Statistical Database and the Open Data Platform. The platform also enables access to the portal and government network through a single user registration. The administrative institution of the IPSIS system is the Unit responsible for the Prime Minister’s Good Governance Systems.
The process started with the training of trainers, and gradually continuing with other users’ level. More specifically with staff of main departments of PMO, as well as with at least two representatives from each ministry in specific directorates: Policy directorates, Projects Directorates, EU integration Directorate, Regulatory Directorate and Programs Directorate.
The training of the key staff started from mid-March 2020 and continued until May 15, 2020

Testing HRMIS-AFMIS at Treasury office at MoFE

On 8 May started the process of testing with real data on the integration of HRMIS with AGFIS for the automation of payments of public administration wages. The testing process is going well, however some minor issues are encountered from HRMIS side on which the respective contracted company is working to resolve them. AFMIS team has been working intensively even at COVID-19 restrictions and a few meetings have been organized only in urgent cases, respecting the anti-covid measures

EAMIS is fully integrated & waiting Certificate of Acceptance

The good news for EAMIS is that during this period the integration with real data of EAMIS with AFMIS is completed. Another very important integration is with EAMIS and World Bank Client Connection platform. These enable EAMIS to get real data from World Bank projects in real time with no further need for manual work on entries. In the meantime, EAMIS team has tested all integrations mentioned above and the system seems to be normally running with no faults. In light of these developments, the working group of EAMIS has recommended to the Ministry of Finance and Economy to issue the acceptance certificate for the system to the developing company.