Synergy PFM Archives -

Synergy Transforms Aid Management in Seychelles

Tatev Gyurjyan — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 12:37:08 +0000

In a remarkable move towards improving aid management and transparency through technological advancement, the Seychelles government has launched an Aid Information Management System (AIMS) designed and implemented by Synergy. This cutting-edge system streamlines aid coordination, improves decision-making, and strengthens accountability in the allocation and use of foreign funds.

Seychelles, a beautiful archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, has long been a recipient of development assistance from various international donors and organizations. While aid plays a vital role in supporting the country’s development goals, effective management and coordination have often posed challenges. To address those challenges, the Seychelles government commissioned Synergy for the design and development of AIMS in February 2023. This project aligns with Seychelles’ objective of achieving economic stability after the COVID-19 pandemic and is closely linked to AfDB’s Crisis Response Budget Support (CRBS) initiative.

Powered by Synergy’s IDM 8 platform, the AIMS project enhances Seychelles’ capacity to attract and manage international funds. It addresses gaps in aid management by creating a centralized repository for foreign aid data, promoting transparency in public resource management, and supporting the CRBS objectives of fiscal consolidation and debt management. The project focuses on strengthening the government’s aid management function, establishing a central database for foreign grants, improving aid data coordination, and enhancing the government’s capacity for balanced financing and payment obligations over the medium-to-long term. Synergy’s low-code technology reduces transaction costs and ensures sustainability through an enhanced country system.

This initiative represents a significant step forward for Seychelles in its post-COVID economic recovery strategy. It reaffirms the commitment to sound fiscal consolidation and efficient aid management. During a meeting with the Ministry of Finance on December 15, 2023, officials emphasized the crucial role of AIMS in managing a major aid donation following a recent disaster in early December.

Government officials responsible for aid management use essential AIMS modules such as Projects, Contracts, Donor Profiles, Foreign Donations, and Reporting to monitor data related to various sectors. These sectors include Finance, National Planning and Trade, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment. Through these modules, stakeholders record the details of the foreign funds received, allocate those funds across different projects implemented in the country, select donors, implementers, and contractors for those projects, track the project implementation, and generate various analytical reports based on the data in the system.

As end users start to use the system, Synergy remains dedicated to providing technical support for AIMS. Recognizing the system’s critical role in advancing aid management capabilities, Synergy pledges ongoing assistance to ensure a seamless and effective use of the system. The commitment extends beyond the initial implementation phase and focuses on continuous enhancements, addressing emerging needs and facilitating user training.

The AIMS project is Synergy’s 37th Development Assistance Database (DAD) and showcases the company’s commitment to employing technology for good.

Synergy International Systems, Inc. (“Synergy”) is a software development and consulting tech company built on hard work, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. Founded in 1997, we have worked in more than 80 countries to help organizations and governments to become more data driven. We are a privately held, 200+ person company headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area, USA, with a Development and Global Learning Center in Armenia, and offices in the Netherlands and Rwanda. Synergy has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 to certify its Information Security and Quality Management Systems (ISMS and QMS).

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Synergy Helps Boost Corruption Prevention in Armenia with a Robust Asset Declaration Platform

Tatev Gyurjyan — Thu, 04 May 2023 10:04:35 +0000

On February 1, 2023, Armenia’s Corruption Prevention Commission (CPC) launched the Electronic Platform for Declarations of Assets, Incomes, Expenditures, and Interests (EPD). The new asset declaration system will be pivotal in enabling the CPC to detect and prevent corruption. It is funded by the World Bank and developed by Synergy.

From now on, all high-ranking public officials and their family members will file declarations electronically using the EPD. The online system will help the CPC fulfill its mandate of reviewing, verifying, and analyzing disclosures and conducting integrity checks to spot discrepancies and potential cases of illicit enrichment. Armed with the EPD, the CPC will be in a stronger position to root out corruption and support the recovery of stolen assets.

The EPD will also benefit declarants by making it easier for them to prepare and file annual declarations. By automatically pulling data from other government databases and registries (cadastral, civil, state revenue, and police), the system auto-populates the relevant fields of the declaration form and thereby saves declarants a lot of time and effort. The EPD is now live, and different groups of declarants are already using it.

The CPC was established in November 2019 as part of a comprehensive reform of Armenia’s anti-corruption system following the 2018 Velvet Revolution. A recent USAID handbook highlights the importance of asset declaration systems in helping anti-corruption agencies combat kleptocracy and boost corruption prevention.

Synergy developed the asset declaration system using its IDM platform.

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PIDS Activity Project: Close Out Report 2021 – 2022

Anna Sargsyan — Fri, 27 May 2022 11:14:00 +0000

PIDS is the first online data monitoring system for USAID/Liberia, automating the annual performance review and informing Mission-level decision making. Mission users achieved 100% data collection from Implementing Partners while the system has fully automated the data aggregation for the Mission’s annual Performance Plan and Report and indicator-associated data, such as the last date when the Data Quality Assessment was conducted.

In February 2021, the PIDS Activity Project (PAP) was launched which is designed to support USAID/Liberia and its implementing partners. The primary purpose of the PAP is to support USAID/Liberia by maintaining and improving the existing PIDS functionalities, ensuring continuation of the performance monitoring activities.

During this year-long program, Synergy has provided technical support, hosting, and maintenance of the PIDS, and mobile app, electronic PIDS (ePIDS). Synergy also provided maintenance and operational support to the USAID/Liberia ArcGIS Online platforms. The Mission has relied on PIDS to prepare the PPR for USAID/Washington, and to prepare for the DIS data migration. Synergy managed these various platforms for USAID/Liberia that enhanced learning, reporting, and knowledge sharing.

In addition to supporting USAID/Liberia by maintaining and improving the functionality of PIDS, Synergy is providing technical assistance in the Mission-wide transition of indicator reporting from the PIDS to the Development Information Solution (DIS) platform. USAID/Liberia started the transition to DIS quarter one as USAID began piloting the global information system across several Missions in Asia and Africa.

Read the close out report to learn more about the methods and approaches we’ve used as well as activities and results achieved.

Download PDF

Disclaimer: the report was originally published here.

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Building Development Projects Management Information System for the Government of Zimbabwe

Anna Sargsyan — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 07:29:00 +0000

Synergy International Systems, Inc. (Synergy) is proud to announce that it has won the tender to create the Development Projects Management Information System (DevProMIS) for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Zimbabwe.

With development of DevProMIS underway, Synergy is providing the complete set of technology, knowledge, expertise and services to design, develop and deliver an integrated system that is user-friendly, scalable, and sustainable. It is envisaged that the system will provide the Government of Zimbabwe an end-to-end framework to automate business processes, manage workflows, and attain an increased capability in managing relations with Development Partners.

“Synergy has an outstanding expertise in creating and successfully delivering Information Management Systems that are providing country governments, development organizations and citizens worldwide a more transparent, accurate, and focused view and management of development programs,” says Dr. Ashot Hovanesian, Synergy’s Founder and CEO.

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Albania Will Soon Track All Its External Assistance With Synergy DAD

Anna Sargsyan — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 14:56:00 +0000

Vienna, Virginia, USA, 15 December, 2016 – The Government of Albania has selected Synergy International Systems to develop an External Assistance Management Information System (EAMIS) as part of its broader effort of strengthening public financial management. Synergy was awarded the project through an international competitive bidding by the World Bank.

EAMIS will help the Government plan, manage, and monitor development aid to Albania. Powered by Synergy’s Development Assistance Database (DAD)—the leading country-level, country-led aid information management system (AIMS)—EAMIS will serve as the single source of information on development flows and projects. It will be a vital management information system within the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and will be overseen by the Department for Development Programming, Financing and Foreign Aid (DPFFA) of the PMO.

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Ghana’s Ministry Of Finance Staff Training For DCMIS

Anna Sargsyan — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 18:18:00 +0000

Vienna, Virginia, USA, 13 July, 2016 –In 2015 Synergy was awarded a contract to develop the Ghana Development Cooperation Management Information System (DCMIS) for the Ministry of Finance of Ghana. The DCMIS serves as a centralized software platform that aligns external assistance with national development plans and sector priorities.

In the scope of the project and in line with our corporate focus on local ownership and system sustainability, Synergy’s Senior Project Manager / System Analyst Emilya Khachatryan and Technical Team Lead / Senior Database developer Nelly Ter-Vardanyan conducted one-week in-depth training course for more than 70 Ministry of Finance officers in Accra, Ghana in June, 2016. The training aimed at strengthening the capacity of MoF’s staff and other system stakeholders in managing the system.

The training was assessed as of a very high quality. One of the trainees highlighted that the organization of the training was perfect, emphasizing the hands-on-practice that actually assisted to acquire knowledge on the system. The simplicity and user friendliness of the system was emphasized as one of the most important features of the Ghana’s DCMIS. In the end of the training all the trainees were awarded with Synergy certificates.

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Uzbekistan Government To Monitor All Its Investment Projects With Synergy’s Solution

Anna Sargsyan — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 18:39:00 +0000

Vienna, Virginia, USA, 27 April, 2016 – In the scope of financial and public administration reforms, the Government of Uzbekistan aims at improving and strengthening the management and monitoring of internationally funded projects. The Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment, and Trade (MFERIT), the Government’s agency responsible for the formation and monitoring of foreign investments, needed a centralized system to monitor the performance of investment projects funded by the International Financial Institutions (IFI).

To this end, with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Government has selected Synergy International Systems to develop the Project Management Information System and Monitoring Application Software (PMIS).

PMIS will replace the existing monitoring tools and will serve as a common platform across various ministries and organizations for a comprehensive, real-time picture of the development assistance landscape in the country.

The newly developed PMIS will be used to support the Government in all aspects of investment projects’ execution, management, monitoring and evaluation. In the future, the system will also be supplemented with the entirety of records on completed projects that have been implemented since the date of Uzbekistan’s independence (September 1991). It is expected that the system will be available online to all donors/financiers and other stakeholders involved in the process. It will also enhance staff capacity in project management in accordance with ADB and other IFI’s procedures and best international practices.

Synergy was awarded the project through a competitive international bidding by the Asian Development Bank.

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Ghana’s Ministry Of Finance Selects Synergy DAD As The Country’s Platform For Managing Development Assistance

Anna Sargsyan — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 19:10:00 +0000

Vienna, Virginia, USA – 24 March, 2015 – Ghana’s Ministry of Finance has selected Synergy to develop the country’s Aid Information Management System (AIMS), an online IT platform that will provide a comprehensive, real-time picture of the development assistance landscape in the country. In particular, the system will help the Ghanaian government to track aid flows, align them with country strategies, and ensure that projects are implemented effectively. This project is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The Ghana AIMS will improve information exchange on planned and actual donor resource inflows, promote aid-on-budget planning, and monitor the alignment of Development Partner (DP) assistance to the national development plan. The system will facilitate the monitoring of aid flows, absorption rates, and project implementation to assess performance and ascertain results. On the basis of projected aid flows, the Ghanaian government will be able to properly plan the national budget.

“With the help of Ghana AIMS, the Ministry of Finance will be able to disseminate information to the public on development assistance and results, thereby improving government accountability and transparency to citizens” said Synergy’s Project Manager Emilia Khachatryan, who was recently in Accra, Ghana, to carry out the needs assessment mission.

The system will be powered by Synergy’s flagship AIMS solution, the Development Assistance Database (DAD). First launched in the late 1990s, DAD subsequently became the most widely adopted AIMS solution in the world.

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Synergy To Develop Rwanda’s International NGO Database

Anna Sargsyan — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 06:11:00 +0000

Vienna, Virginia, USA – 04 August, 2014 – Rwanda’s process for coordinating the many international NGOs working in the country is about to get a major overhaul. Rwanda’s Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE) has engaged Synergy International Systems, Inc., a leading Washington, D.C. area software firm, to develop an Integrated INGO Database in order to better manage efforts to fight poverty and foster socioeconomic development.

The INGO Database, based on Synergy’s IDM platfor m, will enable DGIE to manage critical data on INGO projects in the country and also automate key areas of its interaction with INGOs. With a more complete picture of NGO activities and results around the country, DGIE will be able to identify gaps and overlaps in INGO efforts and improve the effectiveness of projects. This marks Synergy’s second project in Rwanda, alongside the Development Assistance Database (DAD) Rwanda operated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MINECOFIN), supported by UNDP. DAD Rwanda is now recognized as an example of global best practices in how governments can use the DAD software product to set their development agenda, and promote transparency and accountability in international development efforts.

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Development Assistance Database Community Of Practice (DAD COP)

Anna Sargsyan — Mon, 19 May 2014 06:19:00 +0000

The Development Assistance Database (DAD) Community of Practice (CoP) is a global forum of practitioners who share a common commitment to advancing development effectiveness through the smart and sustainable application of Synergy’s Development Assistance Database (DAD)— a web-based software platform that governments use to track aid flows and monitor development projects.

The major event of the DAD CoP is a biennial conference that brings together a diverse array of participants representing governments, aid agencies, civil society organizations, think-tanks, and the private sector. The conference centers on a workshop that features case studies in implementing DAD to improve government management of development data. The DAD CoP currently has over 80 members from about 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Armenia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, India, Iraq, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritania, Moldova, Mozambique, Namibia, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Yemen. The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) also participates in the DAD CoP.

By the late 2000s, the implementation of DAD in various countries had spawned a global pool of DAD practitioners—government officials (both decision-makers and technical managers) with a wealth of knowledge about how to implement, adapt, and, most importantly, sustain the software platform. Because this practical knowledge could potentially be invaluable to the development community in general and developing country governments in particular, the idea was to create a vibrant intellectual space where these practitioners could connect to share good practices and lessons learned, exchange ideas, and engage in South-South cooperation.

DAD CoP 2014, Nairobi, Kenya

The 2014 Development Assistance Database (DAD) Community of Practice (CoP) conference took place from January 21-23 in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference served as a dynamic South-South forum where best practices and lessons learned were shared around the effective use of the DAD aid information management system. The theme of the 2014 CoP was “Strengthening Country Ownership,” which led to fascinating discussions amongst participants whose DAD systems are at various stages of maturation. Countries are increasingly using the DAD to manage M&E of domestically-funded public investment programs (PIP) and their national development framework. Hence, managers of recently-deployed DADs were able to learn from the experiences of those operating long-established systems. On another note, the 2014 CoP was co-hosted by the National Treasury of Kenya, and thus was the first conference to be co-hosted by a member country of the DAD CoP. This was warmly welcomed by all participants, and should set a precedent for future conferences. The results of the post-conference evaluation survey were quite positive. On a scale of 1 (highly unfavorable) to 5 (highly favorable), the highest rated result (score of 4.68) was for Question 6: “The country which I represent will benefit from the knowledge I gained.” Indeed, this is the goal of the DAD CoP itself and the reason that we at Synergy organize the conference, so those were encouraging results. We did receive some good suggestions from participants in the narrative Q/A section, which will inform planning for next year’s conference.

DAD CoP 2011, Yerevan, Armenia

The 2011 Development Assistance Database (DAD) Community of Practice (CoP) conference took place from June 20-24 at Synergy’s Global Learning Center in Yerevan, Armenia. The theme of the 2011 CoP was “Towards Effective Monitoring & Evaluation,” and attracted a diverse array of participants representing governments, aid agencies, civil society organizatons, think-tanks, and the private sector. The conference provided a combination of workshop sessions, as well as technical and subject-matter training sessions on various aspects of the DAD system, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) itself.

The white paper “Taking Stock of the DAD Community of Practice – Trends, Challenges, and Good Practices in Aid Information and Development Effectiveness” summarizes the findings of both the 2009 and 2011 DAD CoP conferences. The report synthesizes key issues associated with the convergence of information technology and national development in an accessible manner.

DAD CoP 2009, Yerevan, Armenia

Today, there are about 20 nationally-run DAD systems around the world. Many of these systems have been in operation for a considerable period of time. Collectively, there are hundreds of government officials and representatives of donor organizations, NGOs and civil society organizations who use DAD to better plan, coordinate, execute and report on national development activities. Over the years, these practitioners have gained tremendous institutional and technical knowledge that can effectively be shared among themselves and with professionals who are interested in DAD and would like to benefit from available lessons learned and good practices.

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