The Premises of Implementing SIMIS: an Inventory of Challenges

The proposed Higher Education Management Information System(EMIS) for Romania(namedas SIMIS)is planned to become a powerful information system for the Romanian higher educational system, implemented at the level of the Romanian Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research (Ministry of Education) and which is settled to provide the integrated management of the existent higher education databases.This article presents the state of the art and the main challenges as the premises for a successful implementation of SIMIS. Having a good knowledge of these challenges and knowing how to address them are the prerequisites for strengthening the Education Management Information System in Romania -an important task, as the government (and not only him) needs good quality information in order to support key policies, to enhance monitoring and evaluation of the education performances, as well as to ensure the right path for achieving the proposed objectives. Having a sustainable EMIS is a challenge that requires a very attentive approach both from the government and the development partners.