BudgetByte #4 – Can innovative EMIS platforms improve education spending?
Nesliwe Dlamini from MoET Eswatini and the DHIS2 for Education team participated in webinar co-organised by ODI and the HISP Centre where experts reflected on the synergy between public financial management (PFM) and education sector needs for timely and relevant EMIS data, recent advancements in user-driven data platforms, and the key barriers to the implementation and use of innovative data platforms.
Effective Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) are a prerequisite for evidence-informed decision making. However, government stakeholders face challenges in using EMIS for policy and budget decisions. EMIS data often lack granularity, timeliness, and credibility to provide useful insights into how changes in public and donor spending influence education outcomes. Moreover, many EMIS platforms are not user-friendly, deterring stakeholder engagement, particularly at the regional and local levels.
In this webinar co-organised by ODI and HISP, experts will reflect on the synergy between public financial management (PFM) and education sector needs for timely and relevant EMIS data, recent advancements in user-driven data platforms, and the key barriers to the implementation and use of innovative data platforms. In doing so, it will consider questions like:
1. What should the role of EMIS be in improving public education spending outcomes?
2. How should EMIS user needs influence thinking around the design of integrated data platforms?
3. Are there examples of good practice on interoperability between EMIS and PFM systems in low- and middle-income countries?
4. What are the key non-technical barriers to improving interoperability between EMIS and PFM systems, and what can we learn from other sectors, such as health, about overcoming these barriers?
This blog was originally published on ODI’s website.
