Terms of Reference (ToR): Development of an Integrated Digital Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Management Information System (MIS)

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to create a comprehensive digital Management Information System (MIS) for the RAYEE II programme that supports Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL). In simple terms, its purpose is to design and implement a centralized system that collects, manages, and analyses programme data in one place. This system will enable real-time tracking of activities, participants, enterprises, and partnerships, while also supporting performance monitoring, financial and governance oversight, and safeguarding.

Ultimately, the MIS is meant to strengthen decision-making by providing dashboards, analytics, and evidence for programme evaluation. It will help shift the programme from basic reporting toward data-driven management, continuous learning, and measurable impact.

3. Objectives of the Digital MEAL MIS

The digital MEAL MIS is expected to achieve the following strategic objectives.

3.1. Centralized Programme Data Management

The system will provide a centralized digital repository for programme data, integrating information across multiple programme components and partners.

The MIS will consolidate data related to:

• Youth outreach and participant registration
• Enterprise profiling and business performance
• Workforce development and training activities
• Financial inclusion interventions
• Institutional partnerships and governance engagement
• Gender and social inclusion initiatives
• Safeguarding and accountability mechanisms

A centralized system will ensure data consistency, traceability, and accessibility, enabling programme teams and partners to make informed decisions based on reliable evidence.

The system must comply fully with Ethiopia’s Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024, including:

• Data localization requirements
• Secure storage within Ethiopian-based servers
• Role-based access control
• Encryption and secure authentication protocols
• System audit trails and monitoring mechanisms

These safeguards will ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of programme data.

3.2. Real-Time Monitoring and Performance Tracking

The MIS will enable real-time monitoring of programme activities and performance indicators across all programme components.

Programme teams should be able to monitor:

• Activity implementation progress
• Work-enabling outreach and youth employment outcomes
• Enterprise development milestones
• Financial access interventions
• Governance and partnership activities
• Safeguarding and accountability reporting

Real-time monitoring will support timely decision-making and proactive programme management.

3.3. Integrated Programme Tracking

The MIS will enable integrated tracking and analysis of relationships between programme interventions and outcomes. This includes monitoring linkages between:

• Training and enterprise performance
• Financial access and business growth
• Market linkages and employment outcomes
• Governance engagement and programme results

This integrated approach supports systems thinking and cross-sector programme analysis.

3.4. Evidence Generation for Impact Measurement

The system will support the programme’s impact measurement and evaluation framework, enabling the collection, management, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The MIS should support tracking of:

• Work-enabling outreach interventions
• Youth-in-Work outcomes
• Dignified and fulfilling work indicators
• Enterprise growth and performance
• Financial inclusion outcomes
• Gender and social inclusion indicators
• Safeguarding and accountability reports
• Policy and ecosystem change indicators

The system should also enable structured documentation of programme evidence, stakeholder feedback, and strategic updates to support programme learning and decision-making.

3.5. Learning and Adaptive Management

The MIS should support the programme’s Learning, Accountability and Adaptive Management (LAAM) approach. The system should include tools for:

• Lessons learned documentation
• Learning agenda tracking
• Reflection and review processes
• Knowledge management and dissemination

These tools will support continuous learning and adaptive programme implementation.

Vendor Qualifications

The vendor must demonstrate strong technical, institutional, and operational capacity to design, develop, deploy, and maintain a comprehensive digital Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Management Information System (MIS) for a large-scale, multi-sectoral programme. Given the complexity and scale of the RAYEE II programme, the vendor should possess the following qualifications:

Institutional Capacity and Experience

The vendor must demonstrate proven institutional experience in designing and implementing large-scale digital systems that support programme monitoring, enterprise management, and data-driven decision-making. The vendor should:

• Have at least 5 years of experience in developing enterprise-level digital platforms or management information systems.
• Demonstrate experience delivering digital MIS solutions for development programmes, government systems, or large-scale institutional platforms.
• Show proven capacity to manage complex, multi-user digital platforms serving multiple stakeholders including programme teams, partners, government institutions, and donors.
• Demonstrate experience supporting large-scale programmes involving hundreds of thousands of users or participants.

Preference will be given to vendors with experience working with international development organizations, donor-funded programmes, or national-level digital systems.

Technical Expertise

The vendor must demonstrate strong technical expertise in the design and development of integrated digital platforms. Required technical expertise includes:

• Design and deployment of cloud-based enterprise information systems.
• Development of mobile data collection applications with offline functionality.
• Experience in API-based system integration with external platforms.
• Development of interactive dashboards, analytics platforms, and visualization tools.
• Experience integrating geospatial (GIS) data and mapping systems.
• Development of data validation systems, audit trails, and automated quality assurance mechanisms.
• Ability to support large-scale databases capable of handling high-volume datasets and multi-layered programme data.

Data Security, Privacy and Legal Compliance

The vendor must demonstrate strong expertise in data governance, cybersecurity, and privacy protection, particularly within the Ethiopian regulatory context. The vendor must demonstrate:

• Compliance with Ethiopia Personal Data Protection Proclamation No. 1321/2024.
• Capability to ensure data localization, including hosting sensitive programme data within Ethiopian-based servers.
• Experience implementing secure authentication systems, including OTP-based verification, biometrics and facial digital solutions suitable for rural young women.
• Expertise in encryption protocols, role-based access control, and system audit logs.
• Experience implementing secure consent mechanisms for collecting and managing personal data.

The vendor should demonstrate adherence to international data protection standards and best practices for safeguarding sensitive participant information.

Digital Identity and Verification Systems

Given the importance of accurate participant identification and prevention of double counting, the vendor must demonstrate experience integrating digital identity and verification systems. The vendor should demonstrate:

• Capacity to integrate with national digital identity systems such as Fayida (National ID).
• Experience implementing Know Your Customer (KYC) verification systems.
• Experience with OTP-based digital consent and verification mechanisms.
• Ability to implement biometric or facial verification technologies where appropriate.

These capabilities will support secure registration, verification, and tracking of youth participants and enterprises.

Infrastructure and Cloud Services

The vendor must demonstrate capacity to provide secure, scalable digital infrastructure capable of supporting the operational scale of the RAYEE II programme. The vendor should demonstrate:

• Access to reliable national cloud infrastructure or certified data centres.
• Capacity to host secure cloud-based systems within Ethiopia.
• Ability to provide high system uptime, data redundancy, and backup services.
• Capacity to support large numbers of concurrent users across multiple programme regions.

Implementation and Project Management Capacity

The vendor must demonstrate strong project management capacity to ensure successful implementation of the system within the programme timeline. The vendor should demonstrate:

• Ability to deploy the system within the required three-month implementation period.
• Availability of qualified technical staff, including software developers, system architects, data engineers, and cybersecurity specialists.
• Proven track record of delivering large-scale technology projects on schedule.
• Experience providing technical support, system maintenance, and platform upgrades.

Training and Capacity Building

The vendor must demonstrate capacity to provide comprehensive training and user support to programme teams and partners. The vendor should demonstrate:

• Experience delivering user training for digital systems.
• Capacity to develop training manuals, user guides, and system documentation.
• Ability to provide ongoing technical support and troubleshooting.

Experience supporting multi-user systems across decentralized field operations.