MIS Procurement - navigating the process

Management Information Systems (MIS) are a hot topic right now. Last year, we had ESS SIMS changing their contracts from annual to three years and recently, Advanced have announced that they are ceasing their MIS services from 31st August 2023. In addition to this, there are new 'up and coming' products that are entering the MIS market. All these changes and uncertainty introduces a degree of nervousness to those who are considering procuring a new MIS. 

MATs have a vast amount of "big data" that comes from a multitude of sources, it is used differently within unique teams, is often stored in different places, and managed by different people. As the MAT grows, this fragmented ICT approach can lead to silos and difficulty having a clear picture and understanding of your data.

In a recent report on school attendance Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner, says:

"Rather than a single, streamlined system enabling data to be used in real time, we see a piecemeal approach beset by delays in data provision and onerous data cleaning"

Source: https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/edtech-mats-mis-management-information-system

So yes, MIS is a hot topic, but it is also a vital piece of ICT for any modern MAT. But how do you go about procuring the right MIS especially if you are affected by the cessation of Advanced? 

Four factors to consider when procuring MIS with short timescales

1. MIS specification

First things first, you need to lay out exactly what you are looking for in an MIS - what do you want to achieve? What other software does it need to connect with? You may want to carry out soft market engagement to identify any other requirements that would be helpful for you.

2. Independent, Consultative or Framework Procurement

There are three ways that you can procure your MIS:

• Carrying out the process yourself:
  Is there someone with the right knowledge and time to compliantly follow the procurement process, carry out due diligence and have knowledge of what is available in the market?
• Using the services of a procurement consultant:
  They can manage all or certain areas such as bid strategy and documentation, functional/technical/service specification, procurement management, contract management and instillation oversight. Using a consultant can also give you piece of mind that it will be efficient and compliant as well as being up to date with procurement law changes.
• Using a framework, such as EverythingICT, EnFrame, CPC etc:
  Frameworks can help with not only workload management, but can give you piece of mind that the process is effective and compliant.

It is also worth bearing in mind that since Brexit, the procurement laws are set to change. The Procurement Bill is nearing its third reading in the House of Commons before entering the final stages and receiving Royal Assent. The changes may not affect you if you need to procure a new MIS by 1st September 2023, but it is worth being aware of the changes.

3. Planning

Putting a MIS migration plan in place as soon as possible will help, especially with tight timescales that some MATs are currently facing.

• It is worth detailing what the absolute minimum of functionality you need as of 1st September 2023 and plan the integration and roll out accordingly.
• If you don't already have one, identify an MIS champion to drive the process forward.
• Involve all the key MIS stakeholders into the planning process to ensure their needs are considered.
• Establish the timescales that you have and build your plan around that. A rough guide of timescales for a small MAT would be approximately eight weeks, but this could be longer for bigger and more complex MATs.
• What third-party software integration is required with a new MIS and factor in at any costs they might charge - especially for items such as cashless catering, parent communications etc.
• All MIS systems are different and so it is important to plan time for training. This will minimise errors, ensure staff are confident using the new system and help lead to maximising its functionality.

4. Don't cut corners

With a tight timescale you might be tempted to skip out some planning steps, make some assumptions or just press the go button and hope for the best. In the long run this is likely to create more stress, work to put things right and less engaged staff. So, make sure your planning is as detailed as possible ensuring you've included aspects on the actual migration.

Key things to consider are:

• Prepare your data for transfer.
• Ensuring that third party integrations will remain or be set up.
• Set up training time with reference documents or videos that users can refer to once the system is live.
• Communications to users on log ins, instructions - the last thing you need in the first week of term is the switchboard to be full of calls from parents who didn't know about the new system and don't know how to use it.

We've combined more detail about effective general ICT strategic procurement in our Novatia Note '6 Steps to Successful ICT Procurement for MATs and Schools'.

Conclusion

Many Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) leaders say they can find it challenging to select and purchase MIS's and we can understand why. The process for buying can be complex, and the implications of getting it wrong can be significant. This makes the specification stage of a procurement exercise a critical one. You need to be able to describe functionally what you want to buy; have the market knowledge to know where to buy it from; and ensure you  comply with procurement law and procedures. Many schools and trusts don't have the capacity for such a task.

As advisors to UK Education, we've assisted hundred of school leaders over the years to run success procurement exercises, many of which have been focussed on procuring a new MIS. Get in touch, if you'd like to talk your current MIS challenges through or to discuss how one of our Novatia consultants can manage the procurement process for  you.