Governance
Sustainable Financing
ICT Infrastructure
Legislation, Policies, and Regulations

Key elements for ICT implementation in EMIS

  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Hosting environments
  • Connectivity
  • Network infrastructure
  • Security and data privacy measures
  • Accessibility

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure powers the EMIS ecosystem, enabling the collection, processing, and sharing of data to accurately report on the education system’s performance. It includes hardware, software, networking and connectivity, and technical services needed to support an EMIS and its related sub-systems.

Scalable and reliable ICT Infrastructure

Robust and reliable ICT infrastructure is essential for running an EMIS effectively across various educational settings. It should be flexible and scalable to meet the growing demands of the system, ensuring seamless operation across the entire ecosystem.

Explore these essential resources to strengthen ICT implementation

  1. ICT Infrastructure and Connectivity: Resources, tools and evidence – This article links to a series of guides and reports about ICT infrastructure and connectivity initiatives in low- and middle-income countries.
  2. Efficiency and Effectiveness in Choosing and Using an EMIS: Guidelines for Data Management and Functionality – This guide supports EMIS selection and optimization. The ‘Buyer’s Guide’ outlines essential system features, while the ‘User’s Guide’ offers tips for effective use after implementation.
  3. Improving Education Planning and Management through the use of ICTs – This resource shares key insights from a UNESCO-KEDI study visit to South Korea. It provides practical guidance on planning and managing ICT infrastructure, focusing on EMIS.

Steps to implement effective ICT infrastructure in EMIS

  • Deploy the right hardware: Use computers, mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), servers, storage devices, peripherals, and other physical equipment to support data collection, processing, analysis, reporting, and sharing across the EMIS ecosystem.
  • Implement appropriate software solutions: Adopt platforms, tools, and apps to assist with data collection and survey administration, data cleaning and statistical analysis, and data warehousing and transformation. Support operations with locally situated or cloud-based applications, including school management information systems (SMIS), learning management systems (LMS), financial management systems, infrastructure management systems, human resource information systems (HRIS), and EMIS platforms.
  • Set up reliable hosting environments: Use physical or cloud-based platforms to host hardware, software, and data. These platforms will provide scalability, reliability, and security for the EMIS and interrelated systems.
  • Ensure strong connectivity: Provide reliable and high-speed internet connections, including broadband, wireless, and mobile networks, with built-in redundancy to enable the secure transmission of data throughout the ecosystem.
  • Establish robust network infrastructure: Install routers, switches, firewalls, wireless access points, and other networking components to maintain connectivity and smooth data transfer.
  • Implement comprehensive security and data privacy measures: Use encryption, access controls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems to safeguard data integrity and privacy.
  • Focus on accessibility: Design ICT infrastructure to enable and support accessibility among all users.

The implementation of effective ICT infrastructure requires skilled teams, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and alignment with organizational policies and legal frameworks. Sustainable financing models should be in place to support acquisition and maintenance or periodic upgrades. Strong security measures are essential to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with privacy regulations.