Harare, (New Ziana) -The Zimbabwe government on Monday launched a revolutionary information system designed to transform the way analyses and decisions are made in the higher education sector.
Called the DuraIsiphala263, the system is a repository of information from all higher and tertiary education institutions, providing a comprehensive view of the sector’s landscape.
It enables tracking of student enrolment, graduation rates, research outputs, and other critical metrics.
Higher Education Management Dura (or tsapi) in Shona or Isiphala in Ndebele refers to a traditional storage building, often made of earth or stone, used for storing crops like grains, dried vegetables, and other items.
It’s a common feature in Zimbabwean homesteads and is crucial for food preservation and sustainability.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development Minister Frederick Shava launched the system, saying it was a major step in ensuring that the country’s oil is not only mined, but also processed and utilised locally.
DuraIsiphala263 is a homegrown solution, developed through the collaboration of personnel from various Higher and Tertiary Education institutions.
“While today we are celebrating the launch of this system, for us it is the beginning of a journey that should see us achieve several incremental efficiencies,” said Shava
“These efficiencies will come as we increase the kind of data collected and analysed in the system. As we speak, the next cohort of data will include data on research and innovation in our institutions. We want to track and analyse the research activities within the institutions and between the institutions. We want to track the innovations and the impact they will have on the societal needs as they are solved through appropriate research and statistical analyses.”
According to Shava, his Ministry is looking forward to the system being integrated with other systems within the government.
“Such systems should include the MOPSE (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education) information system, the ZIMSEC (Zimbabwe School Examinations Council) results system, and ZIMSTATS (Zimbabwe Statistics Agency). In doing so, we foresee even better planning of our manpower requirements and skills planning and outputs. Each institution accesses the system through a secure channel and deposits information and data from their institution,” he said.
Currently, the data being deposited in the system includes programs data, students’ data, graduates’ data, and employee’s data. The flexibility of the system and potential for integration with other government systems makes it a valuable tool for informed decision-making and planning.
New Ziana
