Blog Archives - CSF

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UN INFO: Promoting Transparency, Collaboration and Accountability in Country Programming

27/8/2018

Jon F. Kapp, Executive Director, Community Systems Foundation
Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation

While UN Country Teams (UNCTs) work in support of national development across the world; historically, it has been difficult to report with precision and timeliness of the UN’s contributions to development as a whole. In his end-of-2017 report, Secretary-General António Guterres outlined a need and mandate for unprecedented UN reform. According to the Secretary-General, “By the end of 2019, a system-wide online platform for monitoring and reporting on the contributions of the United Nations development system to progress in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals should be put in place.” [1]

UNFPA-UNICEF Regional FGM Workshop

20/8/2018

Community Systems Foundation REPORT

This 2018 CSF report to UNFPA-UNICEF outlines the objectives, highlights and key observations from the Regional Training on the Use of Data for Analysis & Evidence-Based Planning and Advocacy on FGM. In partnership with CSF technical partners, focal points from Djibouti, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen strengthened national capacity in the “use of data, derived from national monitoring frameworks, to formulate clear advocacy messages” towards the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation. In this regard, the workshop also enabled national, regional and global counterparts to discuss challenges and improvements “to the approach of the joint programme, particularly in terms of monitoring and reporting data.”

Regional Training on the Use of Data for Analysis & Evidence-Based Planning and Advocacy on FGM

Increased Analysis Capacity: A Key Driver in Educational Policy Reform

18/8/2018

Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation
Reblog: OpenEMIS

Education planners and data analysts in the Maldives are seeking to deliver high quality education through data analytics. From 15 July to 2 August 2018, 12 participants gathered in Male’ City for the Maldives Education Management Information System (MEMIS) Analyst Trainings. Trainings were held to assist Ministry of Education (MoE) staff with OpenEMIS reporting tools and visualization techniques. Having started the MEMIS initiative in 2015, the MoE is now seeking to strengthen their skills and abilities to fully utilize tools to analyze collected data.

Listening to Cities, Overcoming Challenges, and Achieving the SDGs

16/8/2018

Ruchi Varma, Program Manager - Urban Development, Community Systems Foundation
Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation

A powerful message was shared at the first Local and Regional Governments’ Forum during the 2018 High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on how Sustainable Development Goals are a unique opportunity to strengthen local governments. An unprecedented group of stakeholders which included policy-makers, mayors and ambassadors met at this forum to create an open dialogue on how cities can localize the SDGs. The forum, co-hosted by the UN DESA, UN-Habitat and the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, positioned policy-makers and mayors to share best practices, policy recommendations and promoted the #ListentoCities movement showcasing the role of ULBs in the implementation and the follow up to Agenda 2030.

The Human Impact Input in Jordan

14/8/2018

Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation VIDEO

Reblog; OpenEMIS

Since 2015, the Jordanian Ministry of Education (MoE) has “established 198 double shifted schools and hired nearly 6,000 additional teachers” to accommodate for the influx of Syrian refugee learners in the country. By offering a comprehensive, reliable and transparent method of collecting and disseminating data, OpenEMIS has enabled teachers and administrators to shift away from manual registration processes which has lead to an increase in efficiency and effectiveness of national education data collection. In this regard, OpenEMIS empowers administrators, policymakers, and stakeholders to make data-driven decisions, create updated education policy and develop national programmes aimed at aligning the education sector with the needs of the labour market.

Using Data for Action and Impact in Accelerating the Abandonment of FGM

13/8/2018

Menna El Shiati, Advisor - Gender and FGM, Community Systems Foundation

UN officers from Djibouti, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen are aiming to do more with data to combat Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). UNFPA’s Arab States Regional Office (ASRO) and UNICEF’s Middle East and Northern Africa Regional Office (MENARO), collaborated closely with Community Systems Foundation, to conduct a Regional Training on the Use of Data for Analysis & Evidence-based Planning and Advocacy on FGM. The regional training was conducted in Cairo, Egypt, where five programme countries, covered by the Joint Programme in the region, were in attendance. These five countries have some of the highest prevalence rates[1] of FGM in the world.

As Training Concludes, National Rollout out of OpenEMIS Begins

8/8/2018

Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation
Reblog: OpenEMIS

As highlighted in its Human Resource Development Strategy 2011-2016, the Barbados government seeks to create “a demand-driven education and training programme that incorporates…appropriate strategic measures to meet the needs of marginalized youth”. While Barbados Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METI) has implemented an Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the past, it faced difficulties reaching its objectives due to the limited capacities of the system. Most notably, the prior system was unable to display disaggregated information of pupils and education personnel, which significantly reduced the Ministry’s ability to track and assist at-risk and marginalized youth.

The Power of Data in Education Planning in Belize

6/8/2018

Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation
Reblog: OpenEMIS

With a continued commitment to capacity-building, the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture (MoEYSC), Belize is ready to use OpenEMIS tools to monitor education policy. Recent OpenEMIS training has positioned the MoEYCS to generate indicators, create visualizations, disseminate and undertake analysis of the data collected through OpenEMIS. As technical partners, Community Systems Foundation and specifically, a team of local and international OpenEMIS experts supported national education officials with training on specific data production and analytical tools including OpenEMIS Dashboard, DataManager, and Integrator.

Looking Towards the Future of Human Development: A Blockchain Solution

5/8/2018

Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation
Reblog: OpenEMIS

On 10 November 2017, the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs met at Fordham University to hold the Humanitarian Blockchain Summit 2017. Together with diplomats, industry experts, civil society organizations and scholars, the summit provided a space to share knowledge and discuss the future of Blockchain technology as it relates to education, regulatory frameworks, social good and humanitarian development.

Strengthening National WASH Implementation through the Reduction of Bottlenecks

3/8/2018

Seth Davis, Communications Officer, Community Systems Foundation

In 2016, UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Bottleneck Analysis Tool (WASH BAT) was updated by CSF to become an online and user-friendly platform called WASH BAT 2.0. In an effort to reduce barriers to WASH project implementation, WASH BAT 2.0 has acted as a decision-making support system for 848 projects in over 80 countries to reduce bottlenecks in the WASH sector.

Data For All – Building Trust in Data Platforms

2/8/2018

Kris S. Oswalt, President, Community Systems Foundation
Reblog: The World Data Forum

The world is going through an unparalleled transition affecting the way communities live and work together. Urbanization, Poverty, Inequality, Scarce Natural Resources, Gender, Health, Education, Climate. The issues are not new, but a challenge faced by many communities remains: How to put quality data in the hands of policymakers at the right time and in the right format to improve planning and decision making?

CSF Impact

1/8/2018

Jon F. Kapp, Executive Director, Community Systems Foundation

For over 50 years, CSF has been supporting human development by applying innovations in the area of information management. Our work has spanned six continents, over 130 countries, multiple languages and a range of development sectors. We welcome you to learn more about our work through a review of our portfolio.

On 1 August, we are launching an initiative to reflect on our work, to share the voices and experiences of our partners, and to discuss areas where innovations are leading to impact. We will aim to share not only what we do, but more importantly what results we have helped to achieve.

I encourage you to join us in discussions, to contribute and to grow together in responding to the challenges and opportunities that lie before us.