Outward Engagement and Knowledge Sharing

Ministries of Education use data reports to inform planning for the education system at the national level. Online dashboards, high-level reports, and abstracts provide information and feedback about system performance that enables planners to measure progress against strategic objectives. Data reports enable them to identify challenges and problems in the system so that they can be solved through informed planning. They also enable decision-makers to inform budget planning and engage in policy revision and policymaking. This works cyclically – data helps planners determine if existing strategic plans and goals are being achieved, and it also serves as feedback that they can use to adjust strategic plans and goals.

Within the EMIS ecosystem, using data for decision-making and planning is defined as:

Following formal processes to compare EMIS data from high-level reports against education system strategic plans and objectives so that planners and decision-makers can identify problems and challenges and tackle them through informed planning.

Explore these essential resources for using data for decision-making and planning:

1. Improving Education Planning and Management through the Use of ICTs: proceedings of UNESCO-KEDI Study Visit, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 10-13 July 2007 – This compendium summarizes the presentation and debates of participants in the Study Visit Programme on Improving Education Planning and Management through the Use of lCTs, held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, from 10 to 13 July 2007. It is useful for understanding the role of ICTs (and EMIS) in education planning and decision-making.
2. Information tools for the preparation and monitoring of education plans – This is the fifth volume of the "Education Policies and Strategies" series launched by the Division of Educational Policies and Strategies of UNESCO. It is a compendium of good professional practices in EMIS, with relevance for decision-making and planning, and monitoring and evaluation.

Steps for using data for decision-making and planning

• Establish formal processes to use data for decision-making: Ministry of Education planners should follow clear processes, at regular intervals, to examine EMIS data reports and use the data in further planning and budgeting.
• Compare EMIS data against existing strategic plans and objectives: Planning and decision-making processes should involve comparing EMIS data against what the education system is meant to achieve so that challenges can be identified and solutions formulated to improve performance.
• Establish processes to evaluate the EMIS itself: As the education system evolves, with strategic objectives changing over time, the EMIS itself needs to remain relevant, serving all stakeholder types and their reporting needs. The Ministry of Education should follow clear, documented processes for monitoring and evaluating the EMIS so that any needed changes in its functionality can be identified and implemented.
• Use high-level EMIS reports to inform policymaking: Policies are needed to ensure that the education system performs and meets its strategic objectives. EMIS data may reveal problems (such as high drop-out rates) or new contexts for policymaking (for example, the adoption of new technologies that impact education or the curriculum), enabling national planners to tackle these issues through the development of appropriate policies and strategies or the amendment of existing policies and strategies.