Although we had been playing to release new versions of iHRIS Manage and iHRIS Qualify in July, as well as Version 1.0 of iHRIS Plan, we had to delay those releases. Our new targeted release date is August 15 for all three systems.
Why the delay? We want to release all of the updated systems at the same time because they use a lot of common code that is also getting a major overhaul. We also want to thoroughly test each system and clean up as many bugs as possible before releasing them publicly. Finally, we want to make sure the user’s manuals and other documentation are up to date.
We are excited about these releases because they represent major steps forward in our software development. iHRIS Plan, workforce planning and modeling software, is the final component in the iHRIS suite. Version 1.0 will enable health workforce planners to project required and actual health workers as well as associated costs. We will pilot iHRIS Plan in Namibia in August and September and expect to release Version 2.0 in the following months with even more features.
As for Manage and Qualify, Version 3.1 includes the ability to build reports and customize report views. This will greatly enhance users’ ability to analyze and report on the HRIS data. In addition, we have developed a brand-new module for managing in-service training courses for employees. HR managers will be able to track and report on the trainings completed by employees, the continuing professional development credits earned and the competencies gained from those trainings. We are piloting the in-service training management module in Zanzibar right now, and will incorporate feedback from that pilot in the 3.1 release.
Look for all three of these new releases in August. We hope that you will be as excited by the upgrades as we are.
We are currently planning our development for the next project year (July 2008-June 2009), and we have updated our development roadmaps as a result. This year we are focusing on improving the features available in our human resource information systems, based on requests from the countries that are using the systems.
We are also planning to complete a thorough code review that will result in a more stable release by June 2009. This release will be easier to install and customize; it will include a system administrator’s manual and complete technical documentation. We are also planning to improve support for translating the system into other languages and for exchanging data with other systems.
We are excited about our development plans for this year. We always welcome user suggestions. Feel free to contact us or join the ihris-developers mailing list to keep track of ongoing development.
The Development Roadmaps and Feature Lists for iHRIS Manage, Qualify and Plan have been updated to reflect our development plans for the coming year. A software download page and a page of resources for developers have also been added. Check the iHRIS Software Suite section of the website for all of the new information and resources.
If you have any suggestions for improving the website, please let us know in the comments or by contacting us directly.
What is happening with HRIS Strengthening? Get news about our ongoing work in the field, find out when new features and releases of the software are available, learn more about human resource information systems, and join the conversation. Your comments and questions are welcome.