Primary Education Survey Evaluation Report Somalia - Somali - JNA

PES Evaluation Report, 2008
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The Primary Education Survey represents a significant achievement for the education sector of
Somalia. The cooperation between three Ministries of Education, UNICEF, DFID and UNESCO
demonstrated in the instigation and continued development of the Primary Education Survey
(PES) process, reflects a commitment and dedication to the children of Somalia.
2. The PES reports are well respected within the education sector and the data is widely used in a
range of ways by agencies active in the sector. The MoEs have expressed interest in taking
greater control over the process and in expanding and improving planning processes using
evidence based approaches.
3. The Census approach to the Survey should be continued and developed over time into a full
EMIS. The notion of an EMIS that is aspired to is “an organized group of information and
documentation services that collects, stores, processes, analyses and disseminates information for
educational planning and management.” As such it is more than a data storage system. Rather it
integrates system components of inputs, processes, outputs and reporting in such a way that
accuracy, flexibility and adaptability, and efficiency are maximized.
4. Views received from the field indicate that the validity of the data is quite sound, although some
recommendations have been made to improve data collection processes. These are based upon
developing an audit trail so that greater accountability can be achieved.
5. Enumerators and supervisors should be assessed during training and only those demonstrating
competency in the required skills and appropriate ethical values should be employed.
Additionally, an appraisal of field performance should be undertaken following the data
collection and cleaning process.
6. The training for enumerators and supervisors should be expanded to include a number of new
training modules and methodologies. The training should allow the demonstration of competence
and include a greater emphasis on understanding the technical skills being developed.
7. Enumerators and supervisors should be subject to a transparent selection system conducted
jointly by implementing organizations. Rotation of staff supervision arrangements across regions
would improve supervision objectivity.
8. When an effective quality assurance process is in place, responsibility for data collection should
be shifted to REOs and head teachers following adequate training.
9. The timing of the data collection should be shifted to the earliest practical time in the school year.
Late September or early October should be considered. This will allow some data reports being
available to MoE, REOs and school communities during December. This shift will help avoid the
current need for data duplication. As the system develops there will be a need for supplementary
data to be gathered on a term or semester basis.
10. EMIS tools are only marginally useful under current practice. They do not seem to be linked to
the PES data collection process. They should be developed as documentary evidence for the data
being collected and hence contribute to the validity of the system by allowing systematic
checking of summary data. They will also contribute to the supplementary data collection process
when it is developed. More training and supervision of the tools’ use and simplification of tools is
recommended.
11. The plan in 1997 was to develop the PES processes and transfer responsibility for implementation
to the Ministries. Apart from the data collection process this has not been achieved.
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