Public Sector Governance and Accountability Series: Budgeting and ...

344 Stephen B. Peterson
and BDA systems and supplements them as required to meet additional
requirements from government. From a technical perspective, the IBEX
system is a complete architectural redesign to meet the strategic requirements
(international standards, WAN connectivity, and long-term sustainability).
The IBEX demonstrates that a customized system can meet
and exceed international standards. In this third phase of systems development,
the project is implementing a two-track strategy of financial
information systems. Track 1 is continuing to roll out and support the BIS
and BDA legacy systems nationwide in regional and zone finance organizations
(not weredas). Track 2 is the completion of the IBEX in a WAN,
LAN, and stand-alone version and the replacement of the BIS and BDA
applications. The flexibility of the customized IBEX to operate within a
full range of connectivity using modest bandwidth makes it suitable to the
varied and limited information and communication technology (ICT)
conditions in Ethiopia. The two tracks ensure that operational needs are
continually met while the country moves to a more robust solution.
A custom approach not only limits complexity and delivers the system
to the user with the user’s own specifications, but it also ensures the suitability
of the system to the country’s ICT capacity. An OTS IFMIS solution
requires a WAN, whereas the broadband infrastructure that is to be found
in developing countries is frequently inadequate. In some countries, for
example, Oracle’s forms and the interfaces, which are bulky and require
“real” bandwidth, have thwarted implementation until the ICT is
upgraded. Adam Abate, director of the DSA Project in the Ministry of
Finance, has stated,
[C]ustomization has its limits. Typically if we speak about customizing an
OTS system, we are speaking of business processes, inputs, outputs
(i.e., functional components). Oracle is not going to customize its fundamental
platform (e.g., its interfaces). It might customize what you see, but
not how you see it. (Adam Abate, personal communication, July 29, 2006,
Addis Ababa)
In contrast, the customized IFMIS system developed to support
Ethiopia’s expenditure system (IBEX) has interfaces that were designed to
operate with minimal bandwidth and can run even with 28.8 kilobits per
second connections (that is, modem). 28 The ability of the IBEX to operate
with minimal bandwidth means it is able to use the emerging nationwide
WAN (WeredaNET), which uses VSATs (very small aperture terminals) to
link all of its wereda finance offices.