A comprehensive and robust computerized Management Information System (MIS) is critical for helping university leaders to make important management decisions based on solid evidence about institutional performance. The three beneficiary universities of the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project are preparing to integrate comprehensive MIS solutions across their institutions. The project is helping to support the leadership teams at the 3Us (both at the corporate and the member-university levels) in their MIS preparation efforts.

In the second year of the project, the project is supporting MIS development in key ways: (1) helping the partner universities to analyze their existing MIS systems and conduct needs assessments, (2) to develop an MIS revitalization, expansion, and integration strategy, (3) and to support the design of an overarching MIS architecture and data collection methodologies that will lead to real-time dashboard capability to support the decision making processes across university leadership. Subsequently, the project will work with member universities to support the critical integration process as each university implements the MIS revisions that they will have designed and adopted.

The partner universities are paying great attention to this activity as they appreciate its value in building the capacity needed to better analyze operational data. The project will support technical assistance from world-class experts from Indiana University (IU) to work closely with senior administrators at the 3Us. Seminars and working sessions will be led by the project experts to help 3Us develop and/or revise their MIS guidelines. The objective is to support the efficiency and effectiveness in the decision making of university operations with the assistance of a strong MIS; improved leadership and governance are vital to ensuring the goals of improved teaching and learning, as well as research and innovation across the higher education sector in Vietnam.

USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform team meet with Vietnam National University, Hanoi to discuss MIS and other activities.