A high-level international peer review of Liberia’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) concluded on 2 September 2025, marking a major step toward strengthening the country’s capacity for data-driven education planning.
The review was led by the African Union Commission through its Pan African Institute for Education for Development (AU‑IPED) under the Global Partnership for Education’s Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX), in partnership with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The two-day exercise, held from 1–2 September, brought together education data experts from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia to assess Liberia’s EMIS against the AU EMIS Norms and Standards framework.
The mission was carried out under the KIX Africa 19 Hub and included in‑depth interviews with senior management, planners, statisticians, ICT staff and directors responsible for teacher management, examinations and curriculum.
The review was officially opened by Liberia’s Assistant Minister for Planning, Research and Development, Thomas Parker, alongside Mr. Adoumtar, Head of AU‑IPED. In his opening remarks Mr. Adoumtar said the timing was crucial: “Our meeting comes at the right time, because the Ministry… is willing to advance its efforts toward strengthening a unified and responsive data system, a critical tool for producing timely, accurate, and relevant information across the education sector.”
A preliminary assessment identified several challenges hampering the effectiveness of Liberia’s EMIS, including: Fragmented data systems with weak integration between teacher records, exam results and financial data; Infrastructure and resource constraints, including limited funding, absence of a dedicated EMIS budget and insufficient technical equipment at regional and county levels; Misalignment between data reporting timelines and planning cycles, reducing the ability to use data for timely decision‑making; Low levels of consistent data utilization across departments for policy formulation, resource allocation and performance monitoring.
The peer review’s findings and detailed recommendations will be presented for validation at a National Dialogue on EMIS scheduled for 3–5 September 2025. The dialogue will convene a broader group of national stakeholders to agree on a concrete, costed Action Plan to address gaps and strengthen Liberia’s education data system.
Organizers say the exercise underscores a shared continental commitment to using evidence and innovation to improve learning outcomes for African children and to ensure that education systems are guided by reliable, timely data.
