Annex 05: EMIS Analysis Matrix: Sub-Component Status
January 2006
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
School
Enrolment
and
Summary Information
Routine annual data showing
student enrolment by age, grade
and gender.
Collected systematically via EMIS since
2000. Annual school enrolment data
was poorly collected, validated and
entered in the period 2002-4. This was
mostly related to frequent changes in
personnel, resource shortages and
ultimately ineffective management will
and co-ordination. During 2005 the
problems with the inaccurate and
missing data has been corrected and
enrolment data up to the 2004/5 school
year is now in the system (EMIS v7).
Basically core functionality providing
enrolment data is functional and the
main issues is to instigate a more
reliable data input mechanism.
Options:
1. Central DoSE all tasks, possible
outsource annual data input
2. RED/cluster
monitor
paper
validation only
3. RED/cluster monitor validation
and data entry
Use of 100D subsidy per school
visited and data collected & verified
by cluster monitors (CM) appears best
approach. This would encourage more
school visiting by cluster monitors and
make a clear link between data quality
and a financial reward. PPABD and
RED to co-ordinate and monitor
collection process.
Should include all school types,
including
Madrassa,
that
provide the full curriculum and
are supported by DoSE.
Currently 2005/6 school data is
currently being entered (EMIS v8) and a
statistical abstract is being prepared.
Full results still awaiting collection of
Madrassa
school
2005/6
data.
Validation mission to ‘check results and
collect missing data’ proposed for early
2006.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 1
Enhancement options:
1. Adjust EMIS v8 design, data
entry system & EOD to better
handle the splitting of teacher and
classroom data for BCS schools.
Re-normalise where possible and
remove unused functionality.
Scrap ‘Over 16 table’. Aim for
full v8 release by end Q2, 2006.
Add ‘output to Excel’ reports.
Clear lines of specific staff responsibility
for data collection, validation, entry and
review prior to release are essential for
quality control.
Outsourcing
may
be
financially
unsustainable and complex to manage if
unvalidated / incomplete data is
provided.
Availability of competent RED staff,
frequent staff turnover is inevitable
Line management of cluster monitors is
evolving and their incentive structure
/work ethic may be difficult to alter.
Decentralising data entry to RED may
be possible in long term, but in short
term use of well managed PPARD data
entry clerks will produce better results.
EMIS design has become complex due
to a number of incremental alterations.
Competent PC volunteer in place until
mid 2007 would allow the process of
database changes to be undertaken
smoothly and systematically and a long
period to build counterpart database
management skills.
Sub-Component
Current Status
School
Enrolment
and
Summary Information (cont.)
End of school year attendance data was
not collected for June 2005 due to lack
of ‘use’ of this data in past releases, but
could be ‘reinstated’.
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
2.
Collect
monthly
student
attendance data via CM, Adjust
design for RED data entry.
Prove benefits by calculation of in-year
attendance and dropout rates for 2005/6.
Madrassa school data not collected
since 2002. Currently there is some
dispute about what schools should be
considered Madrassa, as opposed to
informal ‘Dara’ Koranic classes. This
has delayed collection of 2005/6 data
which is needed for consolidated
national enrolment.
3.
Collect Madrassa data for 2005/6
(~167 schools) in Q1 2006 and
enter into EMIS. Pilot use of CM
to collect and validate field data
(schools
and
ECD/ANFE
centres). For a 5% sample of
schools, including those with
questionable
or
missing
enrolment data, PPABD staff to
field check.
Co-operation of Madrassa Secretariat
and acceptance of Madrassa / Dara
classification.
Cluster monitors may not yet be ready
for such an undertaking and would
require a short orientation course. May
effect data quality, but Madrassa data is
current extremely incomplete anyway.
No student ethnicity
information
collected, but agreement that it would be
useful
for
targeting
resources,
monitoring disparities and mother
tongue tuition initiatives.
Currently
school attendance registers does include
ethnicity of each child.
4.
Collect ethnicity enrolment data
by age and gender to match
population classification in 2003
census. Design new table to
collection form for 2006/7
academic year. Include foreign
citizens as separate groups.
Ethnicity data may be considered too
politically sensitive to collect, but
PPABS think it can be.
Population by ethnicity/nationality still
needs to be provided by CSD, but has
been collected.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 2
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Population Data/ GIS (School
Mapping)
Population data (by age of
children and gender by division,
district or settlement) is
collected every 10 years and
projected to allow enrolment
rate calculations. These give
critical measures of progress
towards EFA and gender equity.
Population data has been used from the
1993 census with projections up to 2003
/ 2004 to calculate enrolment rates.
Projection of population using 1993
and 2003 census should be undertaken
for the period 2000 – 2015 and be
used to calculate final enrolment rates
for presentation as ‘official EFA’
records for the period 2000 –2005.
The projection methodology should be
agreed with and verified by CSD.
Provisional 2003 census population data
has been provided from the CSD for
national, divisional, district and
settlement level. Still require CSD to
provide single year age bands for
GER/NER calculations and ethnicity
data. Data not yet used in EMIS results,
projections from 1993 slightly overestimate
population
and
thus
underestimate GER/NER.
Other census data on disability
prevalence, highest education level
attained and literacy also collected.
Use of a simple Geographic
Information System (GIS) helps
to visualise enrolment trends
and enable school network
expansion and rationalisation
planning.
In 2000-2001 the school network was
over 90% mapped using approximate
co-ordinates
and
geographic
/administrative maps made available in
digital format from the National
Environmental Agency. These were
combined using Mapinfo GIS software
to create a simple school mapping
application distributed with the EMIS.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 3
Import and project school age
population data into EMIS for the
period 2000 – 2015. Should be done
at district level to allow for variations
in growth rates.
Incorporate ethnicity/nationality data
(when available) to allow calculation
of ethnic GER and predominate
ethnicity at each settlement/school.
Make written request to CSD for 2003
census data of interest to DoSE. (done
Jan 9th, 2006)
Update the GIS software to a recent
release and update the school
locations and settlement maps for the
2005/6 school year.
If available, incorporate 2003 census
enumeration areas to better show
urban area population and distribution
of schools
Will provide more accurate data for EFA
2000-2005 Assessment.
Differing methods of population
projection (DoSE/CSD). Unwillingness
to revise enrolment indicators for period
2000-2003, despite the 2003 census
being a better point for population
estimates for the period.
Availability of population by ethnicity
and single year age band may be
bureaucratically difficult to access.
Encourage better working relationship
DoSE-CSD and provide better data for
research and analysis.
GIS useful tool for education microplanning and visualisation/ presentation
of trends and disparities. However
complex to use and provide staff
training.
School mapping GIS should support the
next major school construction planning
phase.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Population Data/ GIS (School
Mapping)
PPABD GIS/mapping officer M/ Cham
was trained in GIS use in 2001 by EMP
and is currently working with CSD to
update settlement and school position
tables for new schools and settlement
revisions, based on the 2003 census
data. This process should be finished
soon in Q1, 2006.
Use GIS to analyse compliance of
reality with DoSE policy requirement
of having a school within 3km of all
settlements.
CSD also in process on getting 2003
census map enumeration areas digitised
in the US. Some problematic settlement
positions close to international border.
Need to be corrected.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 4
Provision of 2-3 Global Positioning
System (GPS) units to enable
problematic
school/settlement
positions to be identified.
Good informal co-operation between
DoSE and CSD technical officers.
GIS was commented as a ‘useful
product’ of 2000/1 work by senior staff
due to its ability to visualise education
system in the field.
GIS officer was reassigned in 2002-4
period during DoSE staff upheaval.
Vulnerable
as
with
all
DoSE
departments to staff upheaval.
Sub-Component
Human
Resource
Information
(HR)
Bio-data of all DoSE staff
including
administrative
/management staff and teachers.
Management and assessment of
these staff through tools
including the Staff Performance
& Appraisal System (SPAS)
and
the
staff
postings
procedures.
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
In 2000/1 a relatively accurate and
complete set of HR data for all staff was
collected and entered into a new EMIS
personnel database and a postings
assignment system also developed in
2001. The system was incrementally
updated for ongoing changes and the
annual postings system successfully
used for 2001/2 and 2002/3.
Obvious need to update current
database of active staff and their
current postings, probably best done
starting from the EMIS HR 2001/2
data. Once in place a mechanism to
integrate EMIS/HR and SPAS is
needed, in which an updated HR
database is maintained and SPAS
records, if available, are linked to it.
Location of HRD in annex, away from
the DoSE records office with P-files is
illogical and problematic.
Potentially large management benefit
and useful tool if the institutional
relationships can be clarified and
improved.
HRD / PPARD relationship to be
formalised for HR data co-operation.
DoSE/ PMO relationship to be
formalised for HR management via
IFMIS.
Higher government resistance to IFMIS
and a more transparent / accountable
system.
Technical
delays
in
implementing IFMIS.
In 2002 – 2003 following changes in
ITHRD personnel some unspecified
technical problems arose that prevented
the EMIS personnel database from
operating. Since 2003 no updates have
been added (i.e. 3 years out of date) and
the previous informal postings process
has been used that relies on xls sheets
and senior staff memory of individuals.
HR management is inherently a sensitive
area and a culture of secrecy inhibits
reform of HR data management
practices.
Proposed short term plan:
Since management re-organisation there
is now a strong realisation of the need to
address these problems and improve
accountability / information/ efficiency.
Problem compounded by old Payroll
system replacement failing in 20012002 so no source of cross-check. New
IFMIS personnel/payroll module due to
be introduced from mid-2006
Institutional changes (split of ITHRD,
movement of IT/EMIS to PPARD, staff
changes) and linkages to PMO have
been problematic. A proposed (Teacher
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 5
1.
Urgent Q1, 2006 need to restart
EMIS personnel database, solve
any technical issue and update
2003 –2005 changed using
multiple records source and both
PPABD/HRD staff inputs.
2. Q2, 2006 need to reinstate
postings database, using 2002/3
process, revised if necessary.
3. July 2006 cross index and remove
inconsistencies with DoSE and
new IFMIS payroll data.
Given the limited time available to
achieve this major data cleaning task, it
may be require an additional short term
data technician to manage this process if
the PPABD EMIS team and volunteers
are too overloaded.
Sub-Component
Human
Resource
Information
Current Status
(HR)
Management and assessment of
these staff through tools
including the Staff Performance
& Appraisal System (SPAS)
Service Commission)
may
DoSE/PMO future relationship.
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
alter
SPAS was put in place in 2002 and has
a structured data collection instrument
that can be read via an automated
optical mark recognition (OMR) reader.
However first a manual transfer of data
from the individual staff handbook to
the OMR sheet is necessary.
The SPAS OMR sheets have not been
entered since 2002. No information on
the extent of actual appraisals, but
anecdotal evidence suggests it is widely
ignored. Problems include the need to
import OMR sheets and the requirement
to use an OMR reader situated at the
WAEC.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 6
Proposed long term option:
The IFMIS implemented PersonnelMIS (PMIS)/ Payroll module, is
anticipated to give DoSE by mid 2007
a straight forward method to access
online records of all staff and propose
staff record changes to PMO directly
online. If achieved this will remove
the need for a DoSE maintained data
of staff on the main government
payroll. However additional records
on staff training / appraisal and all
data about ‘off payroll’ teachers and
education staff will still be needed.
Option to extend HR component of
database to track INSET records.
Higher government resistance to IFMIS
and a more transparent / accountable
system.
First order option that requires SMT
resolution is whether to continue with
current SPAS unaltered, especially for
management grades, or replace with
assessment
against
agreed
performance
delivery
targets.
Consider modifying SPAS to be
teacher specific (TPAS) and revise
formats / process before relauch.
Will of DoSE to actually collect SPAS
records systematically on all staff
Given that the number of potential
SPAS records is not high (workforce
~7,000) it may be preferable to use
manual data entry of SPAS records
and discontinue OMR sheets.
Technical delays in implementing
IFMIS and persuading senior staff to
actually use new system.
Cultural reluctance to using SPAS and
accepting meritocratic, information
based procedures.
Disputes over the independence and
comparability of assessment scores,
especially if they determine promotion.
Sub-Component
Human
Resource
Information
(HR)
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
In addition there is a cultural reluctance
to using SPAS and disputes over the
independence and comparability of
assessment scores, especially if they
determine promotion. SPAS formats
contain almost no easily measurable
objective facts such as attendance.
SPAS could easily be restarted in
2006/7 school year with minor
funding implications, but would need
a major drive to train staff and
publicise benefits of SPAS approach.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 7
Short term option to generate some
objective teacher performance data is
to extend the CM data collection role
to
recording
monthly
teacher
attendance (‘in school’ or ‘on
authorised leave’) and the adequacy of
the
class
attendance
registers
maintained by the teacher. This would
provide at least a basic, but objective
measure of teachers’ performance and
could be appended later to a modified
SPAS.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Financial Information
Financial budget of both DoSE
and REDs (if decentralised)
with information on both
capital/
investment
and
recurrent expenditure and fund
flows.
The EMIS in 2000- 2001 was designed
to allow collection of budget and
accounts / payroll expenditure data.
However little ‘live’ data was collected
at that time due to problems with access
to data and the continued use of bookkeeping with VCB paper ledgers. In
2005 the same VCB method is still
being used and PPABD manually reenter the ledgers into xls to allow
budgetary planning.
Given that the IFMIS has serious
donor and government backing as a
critical financial reform measure,
DosE can expect to gain substantial
improvements in financial and
personnel management information
from July 2006 onwards.
IFMIS is a major donor funded project
to integrate the major government
financial management processes into a
single online data system with all major
government departments being linked
through a WAN to the Treasury. DoSE
is in IFMIS Phase 1 and by mid 2006
DoSE accounts/PPABD and the DPS/PS
should have workstations to monitor
real time budget and expenditures. It
will replace the VCB ledgers from 2007.
IFMIS will not be used to directly track
donor education funds or support RED
budget decentralisation.
Legacy Payroll system (1980s Wang)
still
operational
as
failure
of
replacement system developed in 20002001. New IFMIS personnel/payroll
module due to be introduced from mid2006, with direct DoSE WAN access.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 8
Short term options:
Key benefit
development.
to
Dependent
upon
progress of IFMIS.
support
SWAp
implementation
No direct IFMIS-EMIS data contact is
possible as IFMIS is a secure ‘turnkey’
system.
Once IFMIS is providing 2006 budget
and expenditure data (expected Q3,
2006), PPABD should discontinue use
of xls entry of VCB. Then develop a
mechanism to do monthly export
/import of budget and expenditure
data from IFMIS into a new EMIS
module (based on 2000-1 EMIS data
structure, adjusted as necessary).
DoSe need to be proactive in quickly
adopting IFMIS use in the routine
management procedures and adjust
existing working practices.
With PCU and DoSE accounts
develop a mechanism to incorporate
financial data on donor fund budgets
and expenditure so the full education
spending envelope can be analysed.
Inter – office relationships need to be
maintained.
In the longer term (2007 onward)
consider how regional decentralisation
of budgeting can be supported, with
the assumption that IFMIS will not
provide any linkages to the RED.
Still legislative changes needed to enable
delegation of fiscal responsibilities to
RD. Currently government law prohibits
such delegation.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Adult and Non Formal,
EECD, Tech-Voc.
Adult and non formal education
centres and early childhood
development (ECD) centres
education (pre-schools).
The EMIS in 2001 collected a fairly
comprehensive annual snapshot of these
sub-sectors.
Data for most ECD centres has been
collected each year, including most for
2005/6. Exact numbers are difficult to
gauge due to range of management
structures.
Units within DoSe that are directly
responsible for these sub-sectors are
small and do not have the current
capacity to undertake annual data
collection.
Not core priority areas of EMIS as
outside of ‘basic education’.
Short term option to capture the
current status of ECD/ANFE centres
is to integrate the annual data
collection into the required tasks of
Cluster Monitor (CM) as proposed for
school data collection.
CM should provide more comprehensive
records of extent of centre operation,
especially if incentives for annual data
collection are provided (i.e. 100D/ centre
visited and data collection form
presented).
Basic records on locations and
extent of service
Technical-vocational education.
No attempt to collected Adult/NFE
centre data since 2002.
Weak resource and capacity in DoSE in
these sub-sectors.
In Q1 2006 pilot use of CM to collect
and validate field data (madrassa
schools and ECD/ANFE centres).
Longer term options:
If pilot successful continue this
method on an annual basis in
November each year, adjust the 2001
ECD/ANFE data collection formats
based on above pilot results and
information reporting requirements of
these sub-sectors.
Tech. Voc institutes in 2001 provided
vary limited data. Now TVET
directorate closed and functions moved
to National Training Authority. EC
funded project is due in 2006 to
establish a Labour MIS.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 9
Use of 2003 census data to update
adult
illiteracy
extent
and
requirements for ANFE.
New census should help to plan ANFE
requirements more accurately.
Review Tech.Voc situation in 2007,
once EC supported project has created
the proposed LMIS within the NTA.
LMIS has been planned since 2001, but
lengthy delays encountered.
Sub-Component
SQAD/ WSD
School
monitoring
and
supervision with recent change
in focus from ‘inspections’ to
the use of Cluster Monitors to
support, capacity build and
identify training needs.
Whole School Development
(WSD) to be piloted in Region 5
with BESPOR support and
focuses on the participatory
creation and monitoring of a
School Development Plan
.
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
EMIS 2001 had capacity to record basic
details of SQAD inspections. Extent of
use was limited due to recurrent funding
problems and logistics inhibiting
inspections 2003-2004.
Changes in SQAD role and introduction
of Cluster Monitors (CM) has changed
requirements since 2001.
Long term goal is a web based filing
system with key overall summary data
and extent of coverage (which schools
visited each year) being fed via CMs
into a central EMIS database. More
detailed cluster and school reports
being electronically filed in the RED
and hyper-linked to the EMIS.
EFA FTI funding and CM mean that
monthly school visits now actually
taking place.
The following short term options to
improve CM tracking and general
collection of useful EMIS data:
1. Make monthly visits to all schools
and monthly cluster reports
collected for the 9 months when
schools are active.
2. Incorporate a school visit tracking
log on to the Cluster Monthly
Report format and have this
report entered into the RED
computer and a soft copy
transferred to DoSE for inclusion
into the EMIS by PPABD.
3. Incorporate a monthly student and
teacher attendance summary onto
the School Visit format (to be
done for the 9 active months).
This report would remain filed
(hard copy only) at the RED and
be used as a basis for the RD to
check that the CM monthly
summary report is accurate. The
monthly attendance information
would be updated into an EMIS
Currently no reliable central source of
extent of school visits or school
attendance (student or teacher).
New formats are now in use to record
details of school visits and to create a
monthly cluster summary report. The
latter (handwritten) reports are required
to be approved by the regional director,
sent on to SQAD for a second approval
and finally to BED who use them as a
basis to authorise CM allowances. Both
reports contain a series of ‘text boxes’ to
summarise findings, there is no
quantitative
or
categorical
data
collected.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 10
Provide DoSE management with
overview of school monitoring coverage
each year and key summary data. Ability
to investigate online specific school
reports.
Inertia in current to routine reporting and
reliable data flows.
ICT use still vulnerable in the regions
due to human resource skills and power
and communications issues.
This would replace the ‘end of year
attendance’ section on the EMIS school
data collection form that was excluded
for the 2005/6 school year.
Would provide some basic data on
teacher performance, in the absence of
SPAS being operational.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
SQAD/ WSD
4.
data entry module in the RED
office, or if not possible by
PPABD at DoSE.
Use of CM to collect annual
school and ECD/NFE data with
an allowance linked to each form
properly filled in and validated
A longer term goal would be to
provide the CM with laptops and ICT
training for direct communications.
Whole School Development
(WSD) to be piloted in Region 5
with BESPOR support and
focuses on the participatory
creation and monitoring of a
School Development Plan
WSD process still under active
development in Q1-Q2, 2006 with
BESPOR support to BED and SQAD.
Developments expected to include a
School Management Manual and the
finalisation
of
Participatory
Performance
Monitoring
(PPM)
mechanisms.
Expected outputs will be a School
Performance
Appraisal
Meeting
(SPAM) annual report and a School
Development Plan (SDP) that should be
captured and filed.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 11
Also in the longer term file online
copies of SPAM reports / SDPs and
link from a EMIS database extension
which details which schools have
created and are following an SDP.
Include SDP details on initiatives to
promote Girls Education / gender
equity.
CM require EMIS enumeration training.
Currently most CM do have ICT skills
or access /exposure to computers so
getting CM reports entered directly into
soft copy is not yet possible.
WSD process results in a consensus on
the concrete reporting and information
requirements needed to allow provision
of EMIS / ICT functionality.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Student Assessment/Exams
West African Examination
Centre (WAEC) administer and
collect data on Grade 9 and 12
exams.
EMIS in 2001 had capacity to hold
summaries of school G6 but not G9 /
G12 examination data. Not actively used
since 2001/2.
Basic education monitoring
learning achievement (MLA)
via:
LATs : Learning Achievement
Targets (revised for LB in 2005,
not yet created for UB)
LAT development ongoing for UB.
Reintroduce to EMIS the capture of
summary G9 and G12 examination
results from WAEC to allow further
analysis, especially for chronological
trends. Also for archive purposes.
Remove data structure/ reports for G6
exam (now abolished)
NATs : National Achievement
Tests, proposed to be done
every 2 years in Gr. 3and 5 with
25% of students (according to
national policy document)
Plan is for tests and be administered in
June 2006 and 2008 for a national
representative sample (5-10%, possibly
including Madrassa students).
Implementation of NATs. being led by
WAEC with BESPOR support and will
be developed in 2005 – 2006.
Updated school EMIS data for school
year 2005/6 will be essential for
preparation for NAT sample survey.
Option to use technical support/data
entry facilities of PPABD if there is a
resource shortage at WAEC for this
purpose.
Long term options to capture more
summary LAT / NAT data into EMIS
for archive and chronological analysis.
Also possibility to integrate test scores
with other EMIS data to research
purposes and GIS thematic mapping
of results.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 12
DoSE / WAEC relationship to be
continued.
Sub-Component
School
Facilities
Construction
and
Most school construction and
facility upgrade is managed and
co-ordinated via the PCU, in
addition many private / NGO
direct initiatives.
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Annual EMIS school survey in 2005/6 is
collected a summary of classrooms,
furniture and facilities. These are in the
process of being entered and data
presented in due course.
For 2005/6 year the systematic entry
of collected data and the correct
handling of BCS school facilities is
necessary (enter under UB school in
underlying database).
In previous years a more detailed list of
each building at the school site was
collected, giving building size, materials
and condition which is more useful for
construction planning and monitoring.
Not collected in 2005/6 due to backlog
of EMIS tasks and absence of past
analysis.
Developments proposed for 2006/7
year data collection would be to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 13
Split BCS classrooms into LB/UB
components on the Physical
Facilities sheet. Remove some
unnecessary fields on minor
sports and pupil/school split of
furniture. Adjust quantification of
furniture to student capacity
measure. Restructure problems
(BCS page 6) to give a list of top
3 problems with category codes
instead of 18 Y/N fields.
Reintroduce building specific list,
splitting for BCS schools the
buildings predominately used for
LB and UB. As this is a fairly
static list, it should be update, not
a new set of records appended
each year.
Add useful xls output reports for
construction monitoring and
planning.
Attempt to incorporate summary
data into a GIS map to support
construction planning.
Support improved construction planning
and monitoring, important as this
component is the biggest draw on capital
investment funds and it is essential to
equitable use funds available to
maximise benefits.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Textbooks and Materials
Provision of student textbooks,
learning materials and teachers
guides.
EMIS data on textbook and teacher
stocks in school have been collected
since 2000, but the data is not
substantively used.
It seems appropriate to revise the
EMIS formats for 2006/7 to merely
monitor the status of books, collecting
the number of each book per grade
which have been
(i) received new that year from
BMPRU
(ii) in stock from previous years and
still useable.
This together would help DoSE and
BPMRU monitor if adequate book
stocks were in place (mid. term 1) and
check that proposed BPMRU
deliveries were actually being
received as intended.
The BPMRU is now a subsidiary of the
National Printing Services (NPS) Corp.
but under their MOU with DoSE offered
essentially the same services.
The
textbook revolving fund was still in
operation for UB/SS grade books, while
for LB grades books were provided
through central funding with the aim of
achieving a 1:1 student : book ratio.
Data on textbook and teacher guide
stock is collected via the annual EMIS
format, but BPMRU have there own
system to collect requests from the
schools in the spring and distribute in
September for the new school year
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 14
Given BPMRU’s new status, there
appears little reason to attempt to
provide a data system for the request
and distribution records they already
operate.
Minor changes not likely to have major
impact.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Girls Scholarships
The GSTF previously used EMIS
collected data in 2000/1 (lists of girls’
names and fees), but this method has
not been recently used. The GSTF
administrator personally visits all
schools in the 4 regions covered (about
76 sites) in the first term to collect lists
of female students and based on this
prepares fund transfers to schools (for
fees), BPRMU (for books) and WAEC
(for exam fees).
Include ‘girl friendly’ school status in
main school information within EMIS.
The Girls Scholarship Trust
Fund (GSTF) was started in
2000 with the aim to promote
girls school enrolment in Upper
Basic and Secondary education
and reduce gender disparities.
The GSTF started in Regions
5/6 using donor funds and now
covers all girls in Regions 3 and
4 as well. In addition a separate
presidential
programme
(PEGEP)
funds
similar
scholarships in Regions 1 and 2
so that there is now nationwide
coverage and has resulted in
improved gender equity in terms
of participation.
In the other terms the initial lists are
verified and amended for additional
payments. No specific list format was
currently used to collect the names of
the female students.
Method for
uncertain.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
PEGEP
Page 15
(regions
1-2)
In some poorer areas more girls attend
than boys; collect ethnicity enrolment
data to see if a further ethnic disparity
could be identified for future targeting
initiatives
Ethnic based
divisive.
scholarships
may be
Option to use the Cluster Monitors
(CM) to collect this data, as part of the
main EMIS formats, from Nov. 2006
and for the GSTF to merely verify
records in a 20% site sample.
This may reduce travel and overheads
for GSTF and speed up the process. It
would also add a beneficial role to the
CM in ensuring proper operation of the
girls scholarship schemes in all regions.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Special Needs (SN) Education
Provision of education to
children with special needs as a
result of disabilities and
learning difficulties.
Currently Special Needs (SN) provision
in the Gambia is provided by 3 special
schools (2 mission run for hearing and
learning difficulties and a GOTG run
school for visual impairment), all in
KMC. In addition there are 12 regional
based special needs teachers who visit
school and make pupil assessments.
For the EMIS 2006/7 school
collection formats scrap the section on
school SN resources as it not really
useful.
EMIS database still kept current for SN
students. From the 2004/5 data, a list of
around 1,200 SN children was provided
to the DoSE SN unit head.
Reviewing the EMIS BCS school data
collection formats, it was clear that
section M on ‘SN Resources’ was
almost worthless (hardly any schools
have any of the information listed and
the structure of collection is not that
useful), but section N (a list of students
with SN at the school) was worthwhile.
Since 2002 all PTC and HTC teacher
trainees at Gambia College have
received a module on SN education and
inclusive techniques, delivered by the
SN unit head.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 16
Reduce school form size considerably an
speed up data entry and collection.
Make some adjustments to the ‘list of
SN students’ format to ensure ‘out of
school’ children in the school
catchment area are listed and
alterations made to the classification
of disability categories (based on SN
unit input).
Ensure SN data is disseminated from
the EMIS to SN unit of DoSE on a
regular basis.
Information should provide lists of
students requiring assessment and
support to the regional SN teachers to
plan there work activities.
Adjust EMIS personnel database
training records to check a method
exists to record which teachers have
completed a module on SN / inclusive
education in their pre- or in-service
training.
Improved targeting of INSET by SN
unit.
Sub-Component
Current Status
Options for Enhancement and Risks and Benefits
Sustainability
Records Archive/Website
Systematic storage of detailed
records and reports that are
created by both central and
regional staff.
DoSE has a partially operational
electronic filing system for the central
directorates, but the central records
office and REDs still use a paper-based
filing system.
Option to establish a new server to act
as a central registry of all regional
electronic file records with a web and
/or EMIS interface for document
access and filing.
Website exists and has potential
to be expanded to act as a bridge
between an expanded records
archive and the EMIS.
EMIS data stored in database format is
inherently designed to collect and store
mostly quantifiable data.
This would provide a means to
properly archive the large anticipated
volume of school specific information
and reports coming from Cluster
Monitors and RED staff.
An ability to link key summary
operational data to detailed records is
not currently present due to the location
of more detailed information in
hardcopy only.
Requires carefully consideration of
how to expand use of electronic filing
within DoSE / REDs and how this
interacts with the EMIS.
Website
established
2000-1,
but has fallen into disuse and has little
relevant information.
Currently PPABD is attempting to setup the new DoSE file server as an
Internet file server.
Option to maintain a website (i)
‘inhouse’ within DoSE server or
outsource
hosting and
routine
maintenance to an ISP using (ii) there
own or (iii) a DoSE purchased file
server.
Potential use of a Taiwanese funded ‘eGovernment’ server for email /
webhosting.
Option to use ‘e-government’ mail
server and discontinue current email
accounts.
Annex 5: EMIS Analysis Matrix
Education MIS Consultant, Mission #1 Jan 2006
BESPOR Project, Gambia
Page 17
Better central access to detailed records
and extent of local coverage of central
initiatives such as school planning and
monitoring.
This would lower the burden of DoSE
having to maintain servers ‘in-house’
and lessen the burden on the data
connection to DoSE HQ. It would also
allow for replication of data between the
DoSE and new server.
Procedures for review and release of
information to the website were
proposed in 2001 but have not been
made operational.
A robust and
responsive mechanism needs to be in
place to keep any website upto date and
relevant.
Server housed at DoSE is more
dependent on DoSE maintaining a
technical staff capacity and keeping a
reliable data connection active. These
are vulnerable to key staff changes and
recurrent budget availability.
Vulnerable to continued donor specific
support and less control of content /
formats by DoSE. Would probably not
have long term capacity required by
DoSE.