STTA – Data Management Strategy & University Systems

1. Background

The Higher Education for Innovation and Growth (HEIG) Activity is a collaborative initiative implemented by IREX with support from the United States Department of State. HEIG aims to empower higher education institutions to play a pivotal role in innovation-driven economic development. By enhancing research governance, optimizing institutional systems, and fostering partnerships with industry and international collaborators, HEIG seeks to build sustainable capacity within universities.

Under the HEIG Activity, IREX is providing technical support and advisory to the Partner University, and one of the prioritized areas relates to establishing institutional strategy, policies and procedures for data management, governance, and use for decision-making and performance monitoring.

To provide this support, IREX will engage a Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA) consultant to support the development and initial implementation of a university-wide data management framework.

1. Objective

Develop a university-wide data governance and management framework that enables the Partner University to systematically collect, integrate, analyze, and use institutional data to support:

• Strategic planning,
• Performance monitoring,
• Academic quality assurance,
• and engagement with external stakeholders.

1. Scope of Work

The STTA consultant will work closely with HEIG team, and designated focal points at Partner University to perform the following:

1. 1. Inception Phase

Within the initial phase of the assignment, a kick-off meeting will be conducted between the consultant and HEIG and our Partner University teams to clarify the rationale and objectives, and relevant documentation will be provided to the consultant. Accordingly, the consultant will submit a brief inception report outlining the proposed methodology, detailed workplan, stakeholder engagement approach, and confirmation of key data sources and institutional systems to be reviewed during the assessment phase.

1. 1. Assessment and Diagnosis

The consultant will apply a participatory diagnostic approach that may include stakeholder interviews, focus groups with academic and administrative units, review of institutional documentation and reporting processes, system architecture mapping, and benchmarking against international higher education data governance practices.

1. Assess existing institutional data types, sources, and data flows across academic, administrative, HR, finance, and external engagement functions.
2. Review current data management policies, procedures, roles, committees, and decision-making authorities.
3. Map existing systems, datastores, workflows, and reporting practices, including centralized platforms and other decentralized institutional platforms.
4. Benchmark current practices against international best practices in higher education data governance and management.
5. Assess how employer, alumni and external stakeholders data are collected, managed, and used to inform institutional decision-making.

1. 1. Strategy and Framework Development

Develop a university-wide data management strategy that defines:

1. Data governance structure and accountability mechanisms
2. Roles and responsibilities of individuals, units, and committees
3. Data standards, quality assurance processes, and protocols
4. Data lifecycle processes, including collection, validation, storage, analysis, and dissemination
5. Advice on the establishment or strengthening of a Management Information System (MIS) function, including ToR, roles & responsibilities, and workflows.
6. Recommendations on change management considerations to be taken by the University of leadership and relevant teams to implement and enforce the new frameworks, covering communication, capacity-building, and institutional buy-in mechanisms.

1. 1. Implementation

Develop and/or revise the following:

1. Authorities' matrix related to data governance and decision-making
2. Institutional roles and responsibilities related to data management and analysis
3. Revise and finalize the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for data collection, analysis, reporting, and use that will be developed by IREX/HEIG team.
4. Provide recommendations and technical guidance on institutional data architecture and system integration, including alignment between existing MIS, HRIS, ERP, and other relevant platforms. This includes proposing approaches for improving data accessibility, interoperability, and analytical use, as well as identifying enhancements to existing systems and databases.
5. List of important periodic institutional reports aligned with the updated data management framework, ensuring that reporting outputs are directly linked to performance monitoring, institutional planning, and informed decision-making processes.
6. Recommendations on approaches and tools for creating dashboards or automated reporting mechanisms to enable timely access to data.

1. 1. Validation and Orientation
2. Facilitate one validation workshop with university leadership and relevant institutional units to review assessment findings, validate the proposed data governance framework, and refine the final recommendations.
3. Facilitate up to 3 targeted orientation sessions with relevant university units responsible for data management, reporting, and analysis to support institutional adoption of the data management framework.

1. Deliverables

The STTA consultant will be responsible for delivering the following outputs:

1. The Inception Report will be submitted within the first week of the assignment.
2. Data Management Assessment and Gap Analysis Report.
3. University-wide Data Management Strategy document.
4. Data governance and responsibilities framework, including an authorities matrix.
5. Finalized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to data management and reporting, that are developed by HEIG team.
6. Recommendations for system and databases enhancements to improve integration, accessibility, and analytical use (centralized platforms and other decentralized institutional platforms).
7. Periodic progress and/or summary reports, as agreed with IREX.

1. Roles and Responsibilities

IREX / HEIG

• Overall management and coordination of the STTA.
• Liaison with the Partner University leadership and focal points.
• Technical oversight and review of deliverables.
• Contractual oversight and approval of deliverables.

STTA Consultant

• Perform the technical assessment, strategy development, and implementation of support.
• Deliver all agreed outputs on time and to the required quality standards.
• Coordinate with IREX and the partner university teams as required.
• Ensure strict confidentiality and secure handling of all institutional data, documents, and information reviewed during the assignment, in compliance with IREX policies and the partner university’s data protection requirements.

Partner University

• Provide information related to relevant data, documents, systems, and staff.
• Assign team and technical counterparts.
• Technical oversight and review of deliverables.

1. Reporting and Coordination

The STTA consultant will report directly to IREX/HEIG’s Senior Performance Improvement Manager. All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by IREX in coordination with Partner University.

1. Consultancy Period and Level of Effort

The consultancy will take place from August 01, 2026 – October 31, 2026, with an estimated level of effort of 30 working days.

1. Application and Submission Requirements

Interested individual consultants, teams of consultants, and consulting firms are invited to submit the following:

• Technical note outlining understanding of the scope of work and proposed brief approach and methodology for delivering the assignment.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the proposed Lead Consultant (and key team members, if applicable) or Company Profile for consulting firms highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
• A list of relevant and similar assignments, including a brief description of the scope of work, the consultant’s role, and key outcomes or deliverables, highlighting previous work related to data management, data governance, information systems, or similar assignments (if available).
• Financial Proposal, including the proposed daily rate.

1. Minimum Technical Requirements:

Applicants (individual consultants, teams of consultants or consulting firms) shall demonstrate the following minimum technical requirements:

• The proposed lead consultant should possess qualifications and experience relevant to the assignment, preferably in information systems, data management, computer science, institutional research, or related fields.
• Minimum of 10+ years of relevant professional experience in data management, data governance, institutional research, or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering consultancy assignments in data management, preferably with higher education institutions or similar organizations.
• Applicants should provide a list of relevant and similar assignments, including a brief description of the scope, their role, and key outputs.

1. Evaluation Method: 70% Technical – 30% Financial

Note:

1.Deadline to accept the submissions by end of July 7,2026 Amman Local Time.

2. Please make sure that submission requirements to be uploaded in one single file.