AFRICAN UNION

Institute for Education for Development

CONSULTANCIES FOR KIX 19 AFRICA DATA CHALLENGE

1. Background: KIX 19 Meeting the Data Challenge in Education

Based on the May 2020 KIX 19 assessment of Developing Country Partner’s (DCPs) needs, a KIX Data Challenge strategy, coordinated by the African Union’s Institute of Education for Development (AU IPED), was developed in 2021. As part of this Data Challenge strategy, AU IPED has been organizing a series of learning and capacity building events with DCP’s Directors of Planning and EMIS staff to exchange knowledge on challenges, lessons learnt, and strategies for improving practices in education management information systems needed for sector wide improvements in the delivery of education and training.

The first phase of the strategy was to develop a Community of Practice among DCP’s via an AU IPED platform of knowledge/research documents and an e-Group of focal points of all participating Ministries’ staff dealing with education data. This phase was used to launch a series of virtual learning engagements on promoting the use of Learning Assessment Systems (LAS) and the lessons learnt on its data integration into national EMIS and best practices on its use for informing quality improvements from school levels upwards to national policy. The second phase of the KIX Data Challenge strategy, which directly spoke to a predominant need expressed by countries in the May 2020 requests, was focused on understanding international best practices on data quality and enabling conditions of policy, methodology and resourcing. DCPs worked on reviewing and updating the continental data quality assurance framework, the AU EMIS Norms and Assessment Framework (2012) which had been politically endorsed by Ministers of SADC, EAC, ECOWAS in each of the regional economic communities (RECs).

This component of the Data Challenge Strategy targeted high-level support from the Regional Economic Communities on the KIX Data Challenge Strategy and their support for updating their regional EMIS Norms and Standards frameworks. A series of high-level dialogues, both virtually with the RECs and partners (UIS and UNESCO) and through face-to-face missions by the African Union Commission and IPED, ensured their buy-in and cascade of the initial KIX update of a continental framework would be cascaded further by them with member states.

Over 18 KIX member states participated in reviewing and updating the existing AU EMIS Norms and Standards Framework (2012) to accommodate new norms and standards on sector wide policy, data privacy, cyber security, learner unit record systems, data storage protocols, new technology platform integration and dashboards, data warehousing, disaster recovery, integration of IDP/Refugee data, learning assessment data integration, submission of SDG 4 and CESA indicators, among others. Member states jointly refined and reviewed the framework through various virtual engagements.

A third component of the strategy was that, KIX DCPs' were invited to assess their national systems in terms of the revised KIX AU EMIS Norms and Standards Assessment framework and produce a national report and action plan. AU IPED facilitated an online version of the revised Assessment Framework which allowed countries to complete and generate their national assessments.

A final aspect of the approach was to invite the EMIS representatives of KIX member states who had collaborated in the refinement and updating of the AU EMIS Assessment framework to participate in an online examination which was a rigorous assessment of their knowledge of best practices, norms and standards that comply with the framework. This would qualify them as knowledgeable assessors for peer reviewing and supporting other countries in determining their compliance with the revised continental EMIS data quality assessment framework. Some 18 EMIS personnel in Developing Country Partners  completed the assessment with pass rates of over 70% indicating their overall knowledge of best practices  and standard in effective EMIS.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

Under the overall authority of the AU IPED Senior Planning Officer, with guidance from the Co-ordinator of the AU Institute for Education for Development (IPED) , the KIX Africa 19 is seeking an organization that will be responsible for supporting KIX 19 EMIS Peer Review activities and outputs in Lesotho and Zimbabwe, ensuring that the knowledge and information generated is shared across Developing Country Partners (DCPs). This is an assignment aimed at providing an independent peer review of national EMIS against the continental norms and standards for best practice. Such a data quality assessment involving experts in EMIS, drawn from the qualifying KIX 19 EMIS focal points who were responsible for revising and updating the AU EMIS Norms and Standards Assessment Framework in 2021 through the KIX 19 Data Challenge, allows for the verification of national EMIS standards achieved, knowledge sharing among Peer experts on possible solutions and a commitment by the targeted Ministry to a clearly defined roadmap of EMIS improvements against these standards. The international team will include at least two or more accredited EMIS Assessors from KIX 19 DCPs, a representative of the Regional Economic Community (in this case SADC), three members of the KIX 19 Secretariat (travelling from Addis, Nairobi and Kinshasa).

3. Objectives of the EMIS Peer Review:

The objectives of this task is to:

• Using the revised KIX framework, the international team will review the national assessment drafted by the targeted Ministry’s Planning/EMIS unit and develop supporting evidence, provide knowledge exchange on dealing with common challenges by engaging with key producers and consumers of data in the Ministry and local education groups of key stakeholders.
• Facilitate and support the independent review of the DCP EMIS system by the international team who will generate the assessment with the technical support provided by the incumbent organization
• Once consensually agreement is obtained among the international EMIS Peers and the national EMIS team on standards achieved, develop an Action Plan that will be presented to senior decision makers on fifth day of mission.
• Produce a publishable report for submission to the Regional Economic Community Education Desk and the KIX 19 Secretariat.

4. Expected Outputs

➢        A renewed commitment to knowledge and innovation exchange within DCPs and between the targeted Ministry and other Hub countries on common data challenges and solutions;

➢   An internationally supported data quality assessment report, based on the KIX/AU EMIS norms and standards by which the DCP can benchmark itself to inform policy development and narrow the gap between policy and practice;

➢   A consensually agreed KIX Data Challenge Action Plan addressing the targeted DCP’s gaps in data quality systems outlining defined priorities agreed upon with DCP Peers and set to an actionable agenda and timeline, documented in a call to action, which will guide the country’s engagement in the Hub.

.

8. Deliverables

a) A work plan, terms of reference for the KIX EMIS Peer Reviews and data collection tools/interview instruments

b) An internationally accredited KIX EMIS Norms and Standards Assessment Report produced by the Peers

f) Facilitation of the Peer Review Process and presentation of preliminary findings and course of action to senior decision makers in the Ministry and Local Education Group

g) A National Action Plan on Data Challenge defining priorities, including those that can be addressed through research and scalable innovation.

9. Eligibility

• Must be in the business of supporting education sector transformation, ideally experienced in EMIS and ICT integration in teaching and learning.
• Has institutional capacity to organize and facilitate all conference related logistics remotely.
• An organisation that has strong networks in EMIS in the targeted DCP countries is an asset.
• Must be a legally certified and registered institution with headquarters based in Africa.
• The firm/ company should submit audited financial statements for the most recent two fiscal
• Copies of professional qualifications, the CV of training and experiences of key staff proposed for this project should follow EU CV format.
• Team Profile
• At least 5 years’ experience in the education sector, with a high level of relevant expertise in EMIS, education sector planning, policy support and results based management or other relevant areas.
• Minimum 5 years of working experience in integrated information management systems development, data science projects and demonstrated technical expertise in a relevant field.
• Proven technical expertise and experience in facilitation of policy dialogue engagements
• Experience working in facilitating national Data Quality Assessments is an asset.
• At least five years in policy dialogue facilitations with national governments.
• Work experience with the United Nations or a specialized agency of it or with an international organization is an asset

10. How to Apply

Please send your application and budget to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 2^nd November 2022.