This is one of the key support unit of the DRD. While the Unit offers technical support in research planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation at national level, it also handles TARP II activities and thus highly constitute the project implementation section. At the zonal level this function is performed by zonal monitoring sub-unit. This Unit ensures that the PM&E procedures based on February 1995 Workshop are correctly implementd by the zonal research teams. It works very closely with the zonal socio-economic units in instituting the agreed PME procedure and the INFORM package. It also plays a key role in the quarterly monitoring of on-going zonal research work, in collaboration with assistant directors. In order to improve its performance, the PME staff have and are receiving short-term training and appropriate hard on software.
Information for Agricultural Research Managers (INFORM)
The INFORM is a computer-based programme using a flat file database (Reflex) for data storage and handling as a management tool developed by ISNAR. Such critical factors as time devoted to research by individual research scientists, age, qualifications, their scientific disciplines, experiments being performed (principal and in collaboration), cost of individual research project/programmes and other inputs are taken and used as inputs to determine and harness the quality of research.
In order to introduce the INFORM package to the research system, DRD sought the services of a technical advisor from ISNAR for a two-year contract (1993-1994/95) and the institutionalization of INFORM in DRD has progressed well.
A two-week workshop on INFORM involving 20 commodity co-ordinators and middle-level research managers was conducted at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in September 1994.
The database for all priority one and two programmes has been created and the data entry of the corrected personnel and project forms is continuing and to-date, having so far recorded over 150 researchers with more than 400 individual research activities. Updating of these database is done regularly, particularly during the annual commodity co-ordinating meetings. Result of the great input by DRD personnel responsible to INFORM can be seen on tables for Scientists by Zone, Scientists by Gender , Scientists by Discipline, and Scientists by Station
SUN Accounting System
The SUN accounting package was meant to strengthen the accounting mechanisms in DRD and is currently in operation. The postings have been successfully accomplished by the use of this package. Now that the computing facilities (16 computers with accessories) were delivered during the reporting period, the task of institutionalizing this system in the zones is proceeding on well.
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