IPIS

IPIS - Integrated Planning Information System - organizes all sorts of information on a nation, region, zone, or district/county (woreda) and uses the information to effectively address the problem of information poverty. Running over a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN), IPIS assembles and organizes reliable socioeconomic data with a flexible information structure, making it an important tool for socioeconomic development.

In addition to its ability to function as a reliable source of information on a nation or different administrative levels within a nation, IPIS serves as a strategic tool for policy formulation and is an invaluable aid for development planning and monitoring.

IPIS makes it possible to plan with facts. The system makes the preparation of reports quick and easy. With access to the necessary local information, an efficient monitoring system can be facilitated by compiling the necessary information on local Natural Resources. This allows the smooth flow of research and other forms of intellectual exercise. The information structure provided by IPIS goes a long way in bringing about consensus on development strategies.

SOURCE OF RELIABLE INFORMATION

IPIS contains all types of information on a nation/region/zone/woreda(county/district) at required aggregation levels. The Information contained could include socioeconomic data, demographic data, natural resources, regional income accounting, development projects and programs and their implementation level, donors' profile, external loan and grant, NGOs, sectors, policies, strategies, etc. Data from different sources are updated regularly ensuring that the quality of information improves continuously.

DEVELOPMENT PLANNING & MONITORING

IPIS provides useful information for charting a viable long term development plan of different sectors. The system offers the facility to identify, appraise, plan, monitor, and evaluate different development programs and projects with the functionality of its powerful planning and monitoring subsystems : Strategic Planning, Public Investment Program, Capital Budgeting, Project Appraisal and Management, and Loan and Grant.

STRATEGIC TOOL FOR POLICY FORMULATION

Policies affect the pace of socioeconomic development or transformation. And Policy formulation is a highly information-intensive process requiring accurate information on various aspects of the specific region. Recognizing that the effectiveness of a policy is directly related to the quality and quantity of information it is based on, IPIS provides a large number of powerful subsystems dedicated to the accurate analysis of data.

BASIC  FEATURES

The Integrated Planning Information system has the following features that make it the powerful software that has grown to be one of the most - if not the most - complex ever developed in Ethiopia :

• Open Architecture;
• Remote Accessibility;
• High Degree of Maintainability and Evolvability;
• High Degree of Flexibility;
• Powerful Security, Language Support, and Import/Export utilities;
• Rigorous and formal documentation;
• Integration with third-party software such as GIS, SPSS, etc.

INTEGRATED SUBSYSTEMS

The powerful subsystems comprising IPIS cover every aspect of the planning and information management involved in engineering long term development plans. The following are the major subsystems of IPIS :