Conducting a Situation Assessment for Establishing a National Social Protection Management Information System in Bangladesh

Under this assignment, MSL worked to achieve the following tasks:

• Agreement with SPPS team on planned methodology: A pre-assignment meeting with the SPPS project team to ensure that all parties are in specific agreement on details of the assignment. Day long in-depth discussion with SPPS project team. A methodology briefing meeting with the SPPS project team to approve planned activities (in-person in Dhaka).
• Engagement with key stakeholders: Key Informant Interviews with the GoB focal points. Meetings with SPBMU MIS team, Ministry of Health (and UNICEF representative), BBS representative etc.
• Complete a Situation Assessment of the following national initiatives: Social Protection Budget Management Unit MIS (integrated beneficiary registry), Social Protection Budget Management Unit iBAS++ (payment gateway), Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Household Database, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) National Population Registry (concept stage only), Ministry of Health (in partnership with UNICEF) Maternal Health Birth Registration Database (concept stage only).
• The Situation Assessment will indicatively include: Operations, coverage and key variables / information stored (focus on key business processes and understanding of which are electronic: registration, eligibility determination, enrolment, payments, case management, grievances etc.). Technologies including hardware, software and database, data security / privacy. Personnel (staff, capacity). Standards, Processed, and Protocols (and any standardization across, if at all). Enabling Environment including Policy Strategy, Legal (cyber security, information access, etc.), Political economy, Broader e-governance context, Budget, Unique ID (on-going debate in Bangladesh on what this should be). Existing data sharing, MoUs, networks.
• Recommendations on how to move forward according to the NSSS mandate, while adding value to the ongoing reform commitment and building on the latest progress in this area: Suggested vision and prioritization of actions. Road map in terms of integrating other components (Social Registry, GRS) and key options in terms of information system architecture and institutional set-up (including opportunities and challenges for each). Ensured these reflect the information needs of different stakeholders (Ministry of Finance, BBS, GED, Ministry of Health) i.e. Policy / planning and managerial / implementation needs, Needs at centralized and decentralized levels. Clearly addressing barriers with recommendations.
• Government Briefing: Facilitated one national workshop on the national MISs and their implications according to the NSSS mandate (may do this pre or post completed assignment; UNDP will arrange the workshop and all logistics, approximately 25-35 individuals present). Present output findings to a M&E technical committee comprising senior GoB officials (meeting to be arranged by UNDP).