Efficiency and Effectiveness in Choosing and Using Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)
A strong education management information system (EMIS) provides a way to measure education quality, reach and impact and that, in turn, powers effective, data-informed decision making.
While nearly all lower-income countries have some form of EMIS in place, many have gaps in capabilities that need to be filled and upgrades that need to be made. Defining where the gaps are can be a challenge as can determining which technologies and functionalities are needed from among the plethora of options available to align effectively with a country’s objectives and priorities.
This guide, developed through a partnership between the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and GPE and informed by experts from the business community, provides a methodical approach for ministries of education to navigate those challenges.
As background work, this report researched various EMIS and related software platforms to compile a list of functionality standards and used reasoning based on typical reporting requirements, including the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 indicators, as well as regional variants such as those selected to monitor the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa.
The aim was to develop a set of standards to illustrate what the EMIS must be able to do, in order to supply accurate, valid information to education sector policymakers and school managers and international organizations.