From Data to Decisions: Empowering Schools and Policy Makers Through Digital Information Systems

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

In today’s educational landscape, technology is often associated with tools that facilitate teaching and learning, such as e-learning platforms, interactive software, and virtual classrooms. However, its potential extends beyond these applications. Digital information systems can also improve the way schools and governments manage data, enabling them to make more informed decisions and implement policies that are grounded in evidence.

Despite this potential, many schools and governments, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, face significant barriers to fully leveraging these tools. Challenges such as limited access to digital infrastructure, insufficient training for educators and administrators, and a lack of resources to implement and maintain these systems are widespread.

To ensure the tools are effective, they must be tailored to the specific environments in which they will be used, taking into consideration the unique constraints and circumstances of each setting. Moreover, they need to be designed with a deep understanding of the users' needs, ensuring they are both relevant and practical. Beyond the mere provision of technological solutions, capacity building plays a crucial role; it must encompass not only the distribution of tools but also the comprehensive development of the skills and knowledge that educators, administrators, and policymakers require to integrate these tools into their daily practices effectively.

In this panel, organized by the Education Finance Network, we will explore the potential of technology to improve the operations and decision-making processes of schools and governments. Our discussion will focus on how digital information systems can enhance access to data, improve transparency, support evidence-based policymaking, and make operations more efficient. It will also examine how these interventions have been developed with a deep understanding of users' needs and a careful consideration of the constraints and unique circumstances of the settings in which they are deployed.

We will present a non-profit organization’s experience from developing an electronic School Management System a digitized School Improvement Planning tool in collaboration with the government in Uganda.

We will also share research from West Africa exploring strategies for building capacity in government schools to manage and utilize data systems, addressing challenges such as limited technical expertise, insufficient resources, and lack of standardized practices.

Finally, we will present how Colombia’s first impact bond program contributed to the establishment of a digital employability program information system and strengthened the digital capacity of the country’s government institutions.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Jenny Berg, Opportunity International

Individual Presentations

• Implementer Perspective on Supporting Effective Use of Data in Rural Schools in Uganda - Amosi Chipasi

• Building data systems capacity in government schools in West Africa - Stephanie Dobrowolski, Rising Academy Network

• Building Digital Capacity for Employability Programs Through Impact Bonds in Colombia - Rafael Arias, Fundación Corona

Discussant

• J. Arjun Upadhyay