Phase 1: Assessment & Preparation

STEP 1: Define your objectives and assemble your working group(s).

This step is critical in ensuring there is clearly defined coordination. Gather your team to help in the implementation and oversight of CPIMS+. The in-country (inter-agency) Child Protection team is responsible for creating sub-working groups for additional support, supporting knowledge exchange of best practices and lessons learned.

• Establish a coordination group or extend an existing coordination group (ie. CP AoR or Case Management Task Force) with agencies participating in the system implementation. Here are sample Terms of Reference to ensure accountability, collaboration, clarify partner expectations and mandate.
• Assemble a team and sub-teams (as necessary) with the right skills and expertise to support the various stages of implementation. Each should have clear roles and responsibilities to ensure understanding of involvement and impact. 
• Define the context of the implementation: Who are you trying to help? What do they need? Why do they need it? Consider the reasons why needs are not currently being met and how you might address these challenges. This is key to ensuring the following steps are fit for purpose.
• Be sure to have dedicated focal points focused on capacity building. A capacity building plan which includes case management and IMS training should be designed based on the needs and capacities in country. The IMS training should be planned once the core case management training is delivered. 

STEP 2: Develop, adapt and finalize standard operating procedures for case management.

• SOPs for case management are a minimum requirement for a successful implementation. Assess current case management procedures and refine as necessary to include working with the CPIMS+. 
• SOPs should be reviewed by all stakeholders to ensure harmonization of tools and related capacity building. Standard CP CM SOP have been created by the global CMTF including guidance on how to further develop and implement SOPs.
• Agreement on the SOPs is key as the CPIMS+ features and functionalities will be aligned to the SOPs (unless revisions are identified). 

STEP 3: Review and agree on case management forms for CPIMS+.

• All child protection actors must agree on the forms to be used in the case management process. The Global Case Management Task Force has revised the Case Management Inter Agency Forms, which are configured in CPIMS+ v2, but can be adapted as needed.
• Identify a focal point to coordinate and get consensus across all partners and organizations who will be utilizing the CPIMS+ on the forms that are to be used. This focal point will also be the main point of contact in the Implementation Phase. This person will coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT), a process where partners review the CPIMS+ and verify that the system is configured correctly and working as intended. When changes are requested during UAT, the focal point will review/approve the requests and communicate the changes to all participating partners.

STEP 4: Complete the assessment survey.

• The leading agency coordinator will complete the assessment survey (which will be provided by the Primero/CPIMS+ teams) on behalf of the participating agencies and conduct bilateral meetings on readiness for us to better understand your team’s needs, caseload, and processes. 
• We will review your team’s readiness and will contact you to schedule a call with us to discuss identifying what we need to ensure a successful implementation. We will provide you with an analysis, identifying recommendations of what is required to get underway. You will then complete an assessment report at the agency or inter-agency level (through coordination mechanisms) which will be shared. The report will include an action plan to address recommendations which will come from the Primero/CPIMS+ teams).

STEP 5: Determine what resources you have.

• Map out the resources needed to implement CPIMS+. The assessment may give you an idea of the type of resources you require. This should include: human resources, capacity building and costs associated with hosting and deploying the CPIMS+.
• This budget includes both case management and CPIMS+ costs which can be contextualized according to your needs.
• After estimating the costs, discuss if there are funds to cover the initial costs of the system implementation and to maintain funding for this project long-term. This budget should also include costs for migration from legacy systems, excel or other databases to CPIMS+.
• Determine where the funding will come from (note it can be inter-agency funding through a coordination mechanism).
• Agree on the support and operational costs and ensure there is a coordinated vision on sustainability.
• Note: The System Administrator is a required role for the CPIMS+ and this authorized user will help maintain the CPIMS+ by troubleshooting system issues,  managing users, and managing the configuration as programming needs change. The System Administrator is hired by any CPIMS+ implementing agency. Sample TORs for System Administrators have been drafted if you need to recruit for this role.
• Sample TORs have been drafted for CPIMS+ Specialists, Case Management or Information Management Managers if they require to be hired.