South-South Collaboration for Stronger Education Systems: Lessons Learned from Cross-Country Learning Exchange and Knowledge Sharing

In February 2025, a cross-country learning exchange brought together education management information system (EMIS) specialists and education leaders from The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Eswatini, alongside University of Oslo researchers. Hosted in Eswatini and supported by GPE KIX, the meeting aimed to accelerate the adoption of learner-centered EMIS models, strengthen data-driven decision-making, and foster long-term capacity building. It also explored the transition to EMIS 2.0, which is a next-generation system designed for more granular, interoperable, and sustainable education data management.

This blog highlights the knowledge exchange and cross-country learning that emerged from this collaboration.

Education systems worldwide face common challenges: ensuring data quality, making informed decisions, and supporting every learner. Sharing experiences and innovations across borders helps countries adapt proven solutions, avoid reinventing the wheel, and strengthen resilient systems. Community and knowledge sharing are especially vital for building local expertise, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that solutions are practical and sustainable.

Ministries of Education from The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Eswatini participated in a cross-country exchange to advance learner-centered EMIS models, data use, capacity building, and partnerships. Eswatini showcased its Personal Identity Number-driven EMIS, offering practical insights for The Gambia and Sierra Leone as they develop similar multi-sector systems.

EMIS master’s students at the University of Oslo contributed to knowledge generation on how ministries are expanding traditional EMIS to include individual-level data, informing research with practical insight. The exchange also underscored the value of partnerships through interdepartmental collaboration, be it within the Ministry of Education or across government sectors such as health, social protection, and nutrition.

Key discussions covered the intricacies of data-sharing across sectors and how we ensure staff development. The Gambia’s EMIS unit was highlighted as a model for recruitment and retention through its EMIS Masters Programme collaboration with the University of The Gambia. Knowledge exchange on policies, data dissemination, and feedback mechanisms will help refine EMIS and promote data-driven decision-making. Notably, Sierra Leone’s completion of an EMIS policy provides a foundation for future cross-country learning.

Eswatini has revolutionized its education data landscape by moving from a paper-based EMIS to a fully digital, PIN-driven system.. Since its national launch in March 2024, the system now covers all 976 primary and secondary schools, streamlining data management and enabling real-time access for planning and budgeting. The introduction of individual-level student and staff tracking has strengthened planning interventions on student retention, teacher management, and crisis resilience. At the same time, policies support re-enrollment for learners affected by teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.

The Gambia’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has made significant strides in transforming education management. By integrating individual-level data for learners and teachers, The Gambia is enhancing opportunities for improved data-driven decision-making and planning across the sector. Innovations such as digital school report cards and attendance tracking are increasing community feedback and data use at the school level, while targeted reforms aim to better monitor marginalized groups and improve learning assessments for all students.

Sierra Leone is pioneering a comprehensive approach to education data by integrating multiple data systems into a national warehouse. With foundational learning at the heart of its 2022-2026 Education Sector Plan, Sierra Leone is committed to ensuring that every child can read fluently and master basic mathematics by class 4. The country’s newly drafted EMIS policy, digital Master Schools List, and innovative ‘Situation Room’ call center are setting new standards for data-driven decision-making and rapid response to educational challenges.

During the exchange visit, various MoET departments and education stakeholders shared their diverse use cases for EMIS data with the visiting delegation. 

“The EMIS data is so reliable, and when you quote that you have referenced the EMIS data, you are sure that that reference is authentic, and anyone can access it.” - EMIS focal point - Guidance and Counselling department, MoET eSwatini.

Planning: The MoET planning department has used EMIS data to inform policy revisions, allocate resources for school infrastructure, budget and distribute grants for the Free Primary Education (FPE), Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and for learners with disabilities, as well as for improved planning for the influx of learners moving from primary to secondary level. 

Allocation of School Grants: The Free Primary Education (FPE) unit asserted that the EMIS data had informed the allocation of the FPE grant to the Swazi nationals in government primary schools. The FPE grant was introduced in 2010, where, for example, each child in grades 1 and 2 was entitled to 560 Emalangeni. In 2024, the FPE grant was revised upwards by a 20% increment to 672 Emalangeni (36 USD) per child per year.  The school uses the grant for school feeding, school maintenance, practical subjects, salaries for non-teaching staff, utilities and learning materials such as chalk. 

“No PIN, No Grant” – Currently, while EMIS provides aggregate enrolment numbers, schools still have to manually submit claim forms with each learner’s PIN for validation against Home Affairs records at regional offices. With the roll-out of SEMIS, this process will be automated, preventing delays in FPE grant payments to schools.

Advocacy: The EMIS data has enabled organizations such as SWANCEFA—an Advocacy civil society coalition group—to access data,, which they have used to advocate for education sector financing and the engagement of schools and parents to improve access to education and learning outcomes. 

1. Moving Towards Learner-Centered EMIS

Lesson: Open-source and digital public goods can help ministries build learner-centered EMIS by integrating data from schools, assessments, and other sources to give a complete view of each learner. Data warehouse tools enable efficient management, analysis, and visualization, supporting better planning and decision-making while strengthening national capacity. However, moving toward granular learner-level data comes with challenges: sustainability in low-resource contexts, infrastructure and capacity limits, data protection needs, and the risk of underutilized systems. Routine aggregate data, like annual school censuses, remains vital both for engaging stakeholders and preparing for more detailed records. Experiences from Eswatini and The Gambia show promising results, but scaling to larger countries requires careful planning, evidence-based strategies, and a clear business case to ensure EMIS systems remain relevant and effective over time.

2. The Power of Partnerships

Lesson: Effective EMIS development goes beyond technology. Eswatini’s experience shows the value of strong partnerships working across government sectors, with UNICEF and civil society helping the ministry design and scale its system. The Gambia demonstrates that investing in people by offering further education opportunities on EMIS through the Masters Programme, as well as motivating and retaining skilled EMIS staff, is equally critical. Together, these examples highlight that sustainable EMIS depends on both strong collaboration and a capable, supported team.

3. Capacity Building and Change Management

Lesson: Investing in people is as important as investing in technology. As systems digitalize, staff roles evolve, requiring retraining and upskilling, similar to Eswatini’s efforts to transition former data capturers into data analysis and validation roles. Knowledge transfer through mentoring and involving students in research ensures that learning informs practice and builds long-term capacity.

4. Policy, Data Use, and Feedback Loops

Lesson: Strong policy and feedback mechanisms are key to effective EMIS. Sierra Leone shows that a clear, comprehensive EMIS policy provides guidance and a model for others to follow. At the same time, tools like school report cards and community feedback channels in The Gambia demonstrate how engaging users and sharing data locally can improve decision-making and drive better education outcomes.

5. Addressing Social Challenges

Lesson: Better data makes efforts more targeted and effective. For example, an EMIS that tracks re-enrollment of learners affected by teenage pregnancy or incidents of gender-based violence can help education authorities identify where support is most needed, monitor progress, and evaluate the impact of interventions. Data also enables timely feedback to schools, communities, and policymakers, ensuring resources and programmes reach the learners who need them most and that policies can be adjusted based on evidence rather than assumptions.

What’s Next? Sustaining progress requires continuous collaboration through communities of practice, joint research, and regular knowledge sharing. Lessons from Eswatini and The Gambia’s SEMIS pilots can guide broader adoption in Sierra Leone and beyond, while developing shared standards and policies will align efforts across countries, streamline implementation, and accelerate impact.