Data collection to support educational planning in Pakistan

In many developing contexts, there is a lack of accurate educational data to support effective planning and budgeting at the central and district level. The collection of timely, regular and accurate data can have a profound... [ view full abstract ]

In many developing contexts, there is a lack of accurate educational data to support effective planning and budgeting at the central and district level. The collection of timely, regular and accurate data can have a profound impact on educational outcomes by identifying areas for development and building accountability through transparency. In this context the establishment of an Independent Monitoring Unit in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a significant achievement. Data monitors were hired to collect data in 28,000 schools each month. Information is automatically collated and displayed in a dashboard to generate reports which are shared with districts so that remedial action can be taken. Similarly in Punjab, real time data gathered in the field informs high level policy making and top down communication to enforce good governance in public service delivery. Multi-faceted data is gathered to inform an integrated approach to reform, and to implement policies already in place through the execution of simple routines supported by a performance management system. For example data on children out of school, district performance management, quality and learning outcomes, and education infrastructure, has informed a comparison of the role of public vs private sectors in the delivery of education across Punjab, with an impact on government and donor resource allocation. This enabled testing of a unique PPP model, where provincial government is partnering with the private sector to reach out of school children in remote areas in Punjab to deliver high quality education. This paper examines the use of data in these contexts.