Integrating learning assessment data into EMIS: a forthcoming initiative to strengthen education data systems in Africa by the KIX Africa 21 and KIX Africa 19 hubs

Across the African continent, discussions on education reform are increasingly focused on one key issue: the urgent need for reliable, up-to-date and actionable data to inform decisions. While many African countries have made remarkable progress in strengthening their national education management information systems (EMIS), the integration of learning assessment data into EMIS remains incomplete and inconsistent. This issue limits policymakers’ ability to know not only how many children are educated, but more importantly, how well they are learning.

In response, a new strategic partnership is emerging between GPE KIX’s two African hubs, KIX Africa 19 and KIX Africa 21, to help GPE partner countries integrate learning assessment indicators directly into their national EMIS platforms, strengthening evidence-based decision-making across the continent. The implementation of this initiative will be supported by both the AU-IPED, the African Union’s specialized technical body in the area of education, and a member of the consortium facilitating KIX Africa 19, as well as by the Programme d’analyse des systèmes éducatifs de la CONFEMEN (PASEC), a sustainable and recognized initiative with respect to learning assessment, which has been operating since 1991 as part of the Conférence des ministres de l’Éducation des États et gouvernements de la Francophonie (CONFEMEN), also a member of the KIX Africa 21 consortium.

This partnership is particularly well placed to accelerate progress towards the pursuit of SDG 4, the African Union’s Education Strategy (CESA) 16-25 and 26-35, and Agenda 2063. It is also based on the findings from previous KIX training sessions with respect to learning assessment and EMIS, organized by KIX Africa 19 through the African Union Commission, during which countries repeatedly emphasized the limitations caused by fragmented data systems, the inaccessibility of learning outcomes and insufficient coordination between EMIS units and assessment authorities.

Les structures SIGE traditionnelles ont été conçues principalement pour suivre les intrants scolaires, c’est-à-dire les inscriptions, les enseignants, les infrastructures, les manuels scolaires et les finances. Bien qu’essentiels, ces indicateurs ne suffisent pas à eux seuls à expliquer pourquoi les niveaux d’apprentissage dans de nombreux pays restent bien en deçà des attentes nationales et continentales.

Traditional EMIS structures were designed primarily to track school inputs, i.e., enrolment, teachers, infrastructure, textbooks and finances. While essential, these indicators alone do not explain why learning levels in many countries remain well below national and continental expectations.

Data obtained from assessments of student achievement, whether generated by PASEC, SACMEQ, national assessments, in-class tests or early grade tools such as EGRA and EGMA, provide information on reading, writing and numeracy skills, as well as academic progress over time. However, in most African countries:

• learning assessment datasets remain stored in separate databases managed by review boards, institutes responsible for curriculum or donor-funded projects; 
   
• national EMIS teams often receive the results of academic assessments late or in formats that are difficult to integrate;
   
• not all assessment variables correspond to EMIS identifiers, making mapping schools difficult;
   
• the people responsible for the development of policies do not systematically use the results of academic assessments, as these are not integrated into dashboards, statistical yearbooks or sector performance reviews.

This fragmentation leads to an incomplete understanding of student performance and reduces the ability of ministries to monitor progress, target interventions or assess equity gaps.

By integrating learning assessment datasets into EMIS, countries will be able to create a more complete and accurate picture of the quality of their education systems, and develop an EMIS that records not only students who are educated, but also what and how they are learning in different regions, according to gender, socio-economic background and type of educational institution.

The collaboration between KIX Africa 19 and KIX Africa 21 brings together the AU-IPED, UNICEF-ESARO and UNESCO-IICBA (for KIX Africa 19) and the AUF, CONFEMEN, IFEF-OIF as leaders (for KIX Africa 21), representing an unprecedented technical and political platform to provide countries with the capacities and resources they need to improve their EMIS. Each brings its own specific advantages:

KIX Africa 19 (AU-IPED, UNICEF-ESARO, UNESCO-IICBA):

• Continental mandate on EMIS norms, standards and peer reviews;
• Experience with EMIS self-assessment tools, national dashboards and digital repositories;
• Direct commitment with 19 English-speaking countries;
• Leading the “KIX Data Challenge” and the community of practice on EMIS integration and learning assessment.

KIX Africa 21 (AUF, CONFEMEN, IFEF-OIF as leaders):

• A solid forum for policy dialogue covering most French- and Portuguese-speaking African countries;
• In-depth expertise in evaluation design, sampling methodologies and data analysis with the support of PASEC;
• Strong relationships with French- and Portuguese-speaking African countries and experience in capacity-building when it comes to learning assessments;
• Technical leadership of PASEC surveys and core learning indicators.

Together, these centres can bring together previously separate technical communities, such as education management information systems (EMIS) experts, learning assessment specialists, ICT teams, planners and statisticians, in a joint action program.

The partnership will focus on a set of coordinated areas of support for African countries:

1. National diagnostics on EMIS integration and learning assessment

Countries will receive support to evaluate:

• the current state of learning assessment data flows,
• compatibility of identifiers between EMIS and evaluation systems,
• gaps in digital infrastructure,
• policy frameworks governing data sharing and confidentiality.

This will help ministries to understand the readiness of their systems and the steps needed to integrate learning assessment data.

2. Development of harmonized learning indicators for EMISs

The initiative will support the improvement:

• standardized learning assessment indicators aligned with the CESA indicator framework,
• metadata specifications for EMIS integration,
• guidance on storing and visualizing learning assessment data in dashboards.

This harmonization will enable countries to communicate comparable learning indicators to the AU and other partners.

3. Technical assistance for data integration and digital infrastructure

Thanks to technical experts from AU-IPED and PASEC, countries will receive support for:

• improving the quality of their EMIS in terms of content and presentation,
• map learning assessment data sets in EMIS databases,
• create secure data warehouses,
• implement validation rules,
• use Open Source tools for dashboards and reports.

This will reduce duplicates and improve profitability.

4. Strengthening national capacities and coordination

The joint training is intended for EMIS leads, assessment units, planners, teams responsible for programs of study and ICT departments, to ensure that:

• all players understand their role in data production,
• national teams can maintain and update integrated systems,
• EMIS units can explain the results of learning assessments and generate useful information for the development of policies.

The integration of learning assessment indicators into EMIS will allow:

1/ Improved planning and resource allocation         

Ministries will be able to tailor learning outcomes to teacher deployment, classroom conditions, and in terms of school infrastructure.

2 / Strengthened equity monitoring

Gender gaps, rural-urban disparities and the inclusion of persons with disabilities can be tracked with much greater precision.

3/ Improved usability of learning outcomes

EMIS dashboards will present learning assessment data in a user-friendly format for districts, schools, parliamentarians and civil society.

4/ The promotion of timely, evidence-based policy responses

Ministries will no longer have to wait years for complex assessment reports before taking action.

5/ Support of the communication of information on a continental scale

Countries can easily communicate learning indicators to the AU Continental Observatory and the CESA 26-35 framework.

6/ Strengthened collaboration between EMIS and learning assessment units

A coordinated system reduces data silos and creates a culture of shared responsibility.

Through this partnership, GPE KIX partner countries in Africa will build stronger, more integrated and responsive educational data ecosystems, making learning visible, actionable and central to education reform.