The SAVIX MIS Setup and use
1 Architecture of the MIS
1.1 The main differences between the
Excel MIS and the SAVIX MIS
Differences 1: MIS with multiple Projects and linkage to the SAVIX website
• The VSL Associates Excel MIS (Versions 1.0 to 4.04) was installed on a single computer at a
single location. Any instance of the Excel MIS was restricted to one user and different Projects
used separate instances of the MIS. Thís meant that aggregation and comparison of results
needed electronic transmission of full MIS instances to a single location, where they could be
aggregated at a particuar time (usually quarterly)
The new SAVIX MIS is web-server based. This means that it can be accessed from any location
worldwide, by any number of authorised users, simultaneously, if required. While restricted to a
single country, an MIS is also not restricted to a single Project, and an unlimited number can be
created under one MIS. Aggregation and comparison of results is ongoing, in real time.
• The Excel MIS was used as the source of Project-level data posted to the SAVIX website
(www.thesavix.org). This called for the creation of a datafile (using an in-built utility), and
manual posting of the datafile on a quarterly basis to the SAVIX. This was a complicated
process that called for skilled Administrators, usually at a continental level, to be responsible
for data screening and Project-by-Project posting.
The SAVIX MIS allows the user to link directly to the SAVIX website. This needs to be done only
once and whatever data is entered is thereafter automatically updated every 24 hours on the
SAVIX website. Illogical data is rejected at the time of entry, eliminating the need for centralised
screening. Thus, the authority to post to the SAVIX is given to the Project Administrator
(although this may be over-ridden by the MIS Administrator). By activating or de-activating the
connection to the SAVIX, a Project Administrator can instantly post or remove a Project.
Differences 2: Networks and user-defined fields
• Projects that are in different MISs (and also in different countries) can be linked together in
Networks. These are created by VSL Associates, at the request of a Network Administrator. Up
to 20 User-defined fields can be created at the MIS level. This means that all Projects in an MIS
share the same User-defined fields, which automatically appear in the data entry areas at the
Project level.
• User-defined fields can be created at the MIS level. This means that once an institution has
defined the User-defined data that is important to its specific interests, the data-entry screens
on all Projects in the same MIS will then show data entry fields for these data. Separate reports
can be created for User-defined data by the individual Project Administrators and by the MIS
Administrator.
• User-defined fields can be created at the Network level in the same way as at the MIS level and
separate reports for these data can also be created by the Network Administrator.
1.2 Basic architecture
Basic Architecture 1: Levels in the MIS
The system operates at three different levels:
• The MIS. This is where the individual Project is created and its data stored. An MIS can house
an unlimited number of Projects. The MIS Administrator is responsible for:
• creating the MIS
• creating individual Projects
• creating User-defined fields (in addition to standard fields) for data that will be asked of all
Projects.
The MIS Administrator can open any Project in the MIS, but Project Administrators cannot open
the other Projects.
An MIS can only be set up for a single country and a single currency.
• The Project. This is the basic unit of the MIS. It is where individual group data is entered and
operational performance reports are generated, focused mainly on the performance of staff
who have a direct responsibility for field operations. Each Project has its own Administrator
(PA) and, optionally, its own Data Entry Officer (DEO).
• The Network. A Network can be created by any third party, authorised by VSL Associates. It
allows a Network Administrator to send invitations to any Project that is registered on the
SAVIX MIS, in any country. It is mainly used by international NGOS to consolidate all of their
Savings Group Projects either regionally or worldwide, but can also be used in a single country
to link together Projects that are being implemented by different partners, each of which has
created its own MIS.
Basic Architecture 2: MIS and Project Administrators
The MIS Administrator is responsible for
setting up an MIS, setting up Projects ,
setting up User-defined fields and
producing reports.
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When an MIS is set up the MIS
Administrator must create at least one
Project (1).
The MIS Administrator has a unique email address as their User-name.
2
Project Administrators must have
different User-names, although
passwords can be the same (2).
For a detailed example of credentials,
showing User-names and passwords for
both an MIS and a set of Projects, see the
next Power Point in this series under:
The SAVIX MIS : The Role of the
Administrator:
Slide 4
2
Basic Architecture 3: Multiple Projects in a single MIS and user-defined fields
The MIS Administrator
can create an indefinite
number of Projects (this
is sometimes useful
when wanting to split
Projects into
geograhically discrete
zones).
The MIS Administrator
can also create userdefined fields. If this is
done, all of these fields
will appear in the data
entry screens of each
Project. User-defined
data can be classified
into categories and may
also be optional or
mandatory, as
determined by the MIS
Administrator.
NOTE: If a usef-defined
field is classified as
mandatory, the dataset
for the group cannot be
saved unless the data
field is filled in.
Basic Architecture 4: Network of Projects in three different MISs
A Network is created by
VSL Associates, on
request to [email protected],
and may be set up for any
appropriate institution,
including implementers,
Facilitating Agencies,
donors, universities or
professional bodies.
A Network allows
selected Projects in
different MIS instances to
be linked, so that they can
be aggregated and
compared. In this
example, the Network
consists of 5 Projects in 3
different MIS instances.
A Network may be
comprised of Projects in a
single country, or in
different countries. For
this reason, financial
results are automatically
converted to $US.
A Network must be set up
using a unique e-mail
address as a User-name.
Basic Architecture 5: Network-defined fields in Network of Projects
Like the MIS
Administrator, the
Network Administrator
can also create Userdefined fields (called
Network-defined fields).
These can also either
be optional or
mandatory.
If this is done, all of
these fields will appear
in the data entry
screens of the
individual Projects that
have agreed to join the
Network,
The Network
Administrator does not
have access to MISlevel user-defined data.
Basic architecture 5: Example of credentials created for an SG programme in Zimbabwe
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It is important to create a table of credentials BEFORE setting up an MIS or Projects, so that if User-names and passwords are forgotten they
can be recovered. This should be done by the MIS Administrator. In this case there were three Projects, implemented in different places. The
MIS Administrator therefore created YSLA (1) as three separate Projects, GEEP (2) as 2 and Sponsorship (3) as 2. This enables geographic
comparisons to be made. Albert used the same password for his two Projects as did Mwamba for his, but the User-names were different, in the
case of each Project, modified by a single digit (4).