Mr. Ernest Kojo Bentum is an astute ICT professional with more than 22 years of active practice. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2002 and a Master in Information and Communication Technologies from Aalborg University, Denmark in the year 2010. He specializes in Software Design, Database Management, and Systems Analysis. Some of the projects he has undertaken include the following:
1. AN ONLINE ADMISSION APPLICATION SOFTWARE PORTAL
The online admissions application software is used by prospective students who wish to apply for admission into academic programs in the university including regular, sandwich and distance modes. The software has been in use for the past three years. Moneys that were previously paid to the external consultants in-charge of the old UCC admission application systems are being saved.
2. ONLINE TRANSCRIPT / OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS REQUEST SOFTWARE SYSTEM
This system allows alumni both at home and abroad to request for transcripts and other important official documents online (anytime and anywhere) and pay for the cost instantly using Mobile Money or Visa. The transcript is delivered electronically via email or sent via courier service.
Prior to the deployment of this system, alumini went through hassle by traveling to the cash office on our campus to apply for transcript and pay for the cost.
3. HUMAN RESOURCE SOFTWARE
The Human Resource Software is used by Directorate of Human resources for conducting their work activities and has automated certain important HR processes including
· Leave
· Promotion
· Contract Renewal
· Staff Establishment
· Appraisal
4. STAFF PORTAL
It is used by staff for accessing online services such as
· Request for maintenance services and repair works
· Request for procurement of goods and services
· Leave application
· Promotion application
· Report to HOD such as Staff list and other important information
· Staff Personal Information
5. SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR UNIVERSITY BASIC SCHOOLS
An in-house software for managing the University’s basic schools. The new software is for KG, primary and JSS at both north and south campuses.
The university could now save the moneys that were previously used for paying external consultants who provided software services to the basic schools.
6. COUNSELLING MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
The counselling software allows students to access counselling services by applying via the students` portal and then selecting an area of need such as financial, academic etc. The requests reflect in the counselling office module of the software in real time. The counselling coordinator assigns the requests to counselling officers who then call the students and start the counselling sessions. After a successful counselling, the counselling officer marks the request as successful. The software also gives statistics on the number of students who requested counselling over a period of time and also tracks counselling officers’ outputs.
7. PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
In line with the World Bank`s request to automate the university’s procurement processes, an in-house software has been developed and deployed for procurement management in the university. The software automates important processes such as request for procurement, approval thresholds, SMS and e-mail alerts and prompts for pending action and action already taken. It also allows unit heads to track the status of their procurement requests.
The deployed procurement management software brings transparency and speed up the procurement process and thereby engendering efficiency into the procurements of goods and services in the university.
Training of staff on how to use the software has been done. It is expected that effective 15th November, 2022 the university will start using the system.
8. FINANCIAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
The financial investment management system is for managing financial investments and vehicle insurances of the university. It gives information on date of maturity, interest accrued, financial institution the investment is with and many more.
9. e-VOTING SYSTEM
An electronic voting system for managing elections has been developed and deployed in the university. The system allows stakeholders to monitor elections in real-time. Election results are declared immediately after the close of elections. There are two versions of the system:
· The internet enabled version: This allows electorates to cast their votes anywhere in the world during elections. It is used for staff elections
· The polling station version: This is customized for students’ elections as a result of the concerns raised by stakeholders during the requirements gathering phase. Casting of votes are restricted to the polling stations only.
The electronic voting system brings transparency into the university’s elections.
10. FEES COLLECTION API
The fees collection application programming interface (API) allows the Banks to interface with our university MIS database and query the exact fees outstanding and details of students. The fees the banks collect from students reflect in the university database in real-time. This system allows students to pay fees at the bank and instantly have access to the student’s portal to register courses. Various fees including admission fees, academic user fees, graduation fees, application fees etc. are collected by the banks via the fees collection API
11. CLEARANCE SYSTEM FOR FINAL YEAR STUDENTS
The clearance system is for clearing final year students for graduation in the university. The areas involved are Finance, Audit, Hospital, Halls of residence and Academic. These sections have modules in the clearance system that allow them to indicate in the system whether a student is cleared or if not the reason. The students see the areas they are not cleared together with the reasons in their portal. They are therefore expected to take steps to rectify the uncleared areas before they are allowed to graduate.
Prior to the introduction of this system, students went through hassle by physically visiting offices to find out whether they are owing or not before graduation.
12. EMAIL ADDRESS GENERATION AUTOMATION
Generation of email addresses have been fully automated. By a click of a button, all new students` email addresses are generated. They are therefore notified via SMS to visit their student’s portal and retrieve the email addresses. Instructions for using the university email system are also available in the student’s portal to guide them. Prior to the automation, students had to queue in front of the computer center for their email addresses to be generated one by one. It was a huge work for the ICT staff who were in charge of the generation.
13. SMS AND EMAIL PROMPTS INTEGRATION
SMS and email prompts have been integrated into our MIS applications to prompt users about important pending actions that need immediate attention and important actions already executed.
For examples
· Successful applicants admitted into the university are immediately prompted via SMS.
· When a new applicant pays admissions fees, he/she is immediately prompted via SMS with a message containing student registration number and password that allows him or her to access the student portal and start residential room selection and registration of courses.
· When staff request for leave online via the staff portal, the HOD is prompted with both SMS and email.
14. INTEGRATION OF ALL STUDENTS` RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN THE UNIVERSITY
All students` records systems in the university have been integrated in order to provide timely information for management decision making and ensure the security of all students` data in the university.
Prior to this integration, the University had isolated (silos) student records with each managed by different external consultants. The university spent huge sums of money to pay these external consultants annually. With the completion of the integration, all students’ records including CoDE, IoE, SMS, and Regular students’ records are now in one enterprise database, in the custody of the university and managed by the university staff as well.
Currently, there is also no Consultancy cost incurred by the university for managing our students' records. There is the benefit of demand side economies of scale with the use of one records management system for all our students. Obtaining students data is faster, the total number of students (CoDe, IoE, SMS, Regular and Sandwich) can be obtained by a click of the button. Deployment of new MIS services is faster.
15. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST ONLINE STUDENTS INFORMATION SYSTEM (UCCOSIS) SOFTWARE INTERFACE UPGRADE
The following list of upgrades and new features to UCCOSIS interfaces have been introduced.
| No | Software upgrades and new features
| 1 | Interface for canceling a student’s grade
| 2 | Interface for tagging courses as audit and reversing same
| 3 | Special registration for optometry students (sandwich)
| 4 | Transcript signees
| 5 | Registration for Foreign students
| 6 | Interface for setting registration dates
| 7 | Transcript for graduate students
| 8 | Interface for deleting courses (bulk)
| 9 | Interface for removing graduated tag on a student
| 10 | Activation of form for awaiting results candidates
| 11 | Interface for converting ICs
| 12 | REGISTER button/link at the buttom and top of the the page for easier access.
| 13 | Interface to allow for additional system access for the coordinator of post-graduate unit- college of distance education
| 14 | Created courses for institute of education
| 15 | Interface system for completing ICs
| 16 | Interface for deleting courses from transcript
| 17 | Interface for changing study centers
| 18 | Interface for updating the level of students
| 19 | Payment information on school fees
| 20 | Interface for creating new programmes
| 21 | User accounts and privileges staff
| 22 | API for admissions voucher
| 23 | Interface for printing students’ profile for filing
| 24 | Adding new users to UCCOSIS
| 25 | New requirements for registration
| 26 | Interface for updating deadline for registration
| 27 | An interface that allows faculty officers to select recommended applicants for admission
| 28 | An interface for transferring students in bulk from one study center to the other
16. STUDENTS PORTAL
Online Students Portal has been developed in house and deployed. Students use the portal for accessing online services including registration of courses, request for official documents, conducting survey, accessing information, statement of results etc.
17. SINGLE SIGNUP FOR ALL UNIVERSITY ICT APPLICATIONS
In order to ensure the security and privacy of data and to prevent unauthorized access, each software application requires the use of a user account (username and password) for authentication and authorization. With the introduction of numerous software applications in the university, the number of different user accounts to a user for different applications are on the increase. There is the tendency that users will not be able to remember all these accounts. Forgetting these accounts will occur frequently and negatively affect user experience.
To overcome this challenge, a single signup system for all university ICT applications has been developed. With this system a user will be given just one account for accessing all ICT applications in the university.
This will also ensure efficient management of user accounts in the university.
The SINGLE SIGNUP SYSTEM has been fully developed and will be deployed soon.
18. ESTATE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
The Estate Management Software is for managing the assets of the university It keeps records of all assets of the university including date acquired, the supplier, the location of the assets, the value and various repairs and maintenance works conducted on assets, list of assets belonging to various units etc. This software has been fully developed and installed. Staff will be trained to be able to use it.
19. MAINTENANCE SERVICE REQUEST MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
This system is for staff living in the various bungalows/flat and the heads of department to be able to request for maintenance services for their bungalows/flat and offices respectively. These requests are received by the Directorate of Physical Development and Estate Management. This software has been fully developed and installed. Staff will be trained to be able to use it.
20. DOCUMENT TRACKING AND ARCHIVING SOFTWARE
This allows for tracking, sharing, archiving document of official documents.This software has been fully developed and installed. Staff will be trained to be able to use it.
21. COLLEGES OF EDUCATION STUDIES ACADEMIC RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
An Integrated Students` Academic Records Management System for the Colleges of Education Studies in Ghana. The system is hosted on UCC campus. We provide user support services to the Colleges of Education Studies as well.
22. ID card generation software that allows real-time issuance of students ID cards from multiple local and remote points during registration. This software is use at the Students Records and Management Information Section.
23. Software for graduating students (Graduation Module).
This graduation system is a web driven application that allows the various academic department and faculties to access the list of graduating students with their classes, broadsheet and statistics. It also gives list of those have incomplete results and therefore cannot graduate. This system was used for the 2013/2014 graduations and has been used for all subsequent graduations.(Deployed in the year 2013).
24. Web platform for checking status of application for admission and printing admission letters online.
This system allows applicants seeking for admission into University of Cape Coast to interface with the admission process at admissionlist.ucc.edu.gh to check the status of their application and print admission letters online.
(Deployed in the year 2014)
25. Hall Management System
Developed for Dean of Students and Hall Administrators for effective and efficient management of the halls of residence in the university. An important feature of the hall management system is the online self-allocation of rooms by students.
(Deployed in the year 2016)
BENEFITS
The projects I have implemented have accrued the following benefits to University of Cape Coast:
i. Improved and increased data capture as a result of the numerous integrated software applications introduced. Functional units as well as staff and students input data directly into the established MIS.
ii. Improved data storage and backups with the installed enterprise MySQL database management system.
iii. Reaping the benefits of demand side economies of scale with the use of one central database to serve most of our software applications in the university. The cost of deploying and maintaining a database professionally in today’s cyberspace is very expensive. The cost includes, experts, DBMS licenses, servers and storage devices costs. It is therefore not prudent to put in place many isolated ‘silo’ databases in an organization whiles one can do the job.
iv. Improved information delivery and reporting with the numerous software applications introduced
v. ICT staff capacity have been built to respond to the development, deployment and maintenance of MIS in-house
vi. Cost of developing and deploying software applications as well as maintaining them has reduced tremendously to the minimal. All our new software applications are developed in-house.
vii. There is increase use of data and software in conducting our activities electronically online in the university and thereby reducing cost of doing business, increase transparency and efficiency in the operations of the university.
viii. Good international image for UCC has been witness in recent times. PASET benchmarking exercise, a data system maturity (DSM) survey was launched in December 2021 under DLR 7.4 Institutional Benchmarking. University of Cape Coast Overall Assessment Score: [ 4.17] out of 5 and Overall Data System Maturity: [High].
ix. The World Bank has allocated 50,000 US Dollars to support key intervention in the MIS of the University.
EXTERNAL PROJECTS:
1. Software for placing Junior High School students into Senior High Schools in Ghana. It is called Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS). (I developed this software in the year 2012 and was used by the nation from 2013 to 2018)
2. With the introduction of Free SHS in the year 2017, I developed other new modules in addition to CSSPS as an integrated system. These added modules include the Self-Placement module, Head Teachers module, and Ministry of Education/Ghana Education Oversight Module.
3. School Management Software. Ghana National College, Kwegyir Aggrey Senior High/Technical School, Flower Gay Primary/JHS School and Unnilaw Creche are using my School Management Software. (I developed this application in the year 2013 and is currently managed by LISMIC CONSULT LTD)
4. Software for the Sale of PIN CODES in Ghana (www.sellpincodes.com)
This is an online platform for the sale of WAEC result PINs as well as CSSPS checker PINs. People who need Checker PINs visit this platform and buy them online using mobile money payments. They receive the PINs in real-time via text message (SMS). An option to print the PINs directly from the site after mobile money payment is available.
There is USSD (*920*44#) integration into the platform that allows purchase of PINs using mobile phone without visiting the site.
(I developed this application in the year 2018 and is currently managed by LISMIC CONSULT LIMITED)