Ten officials from across the Caribbean are currently in Guyana for a knowledge exchange programme with the Ministry of Education here on its Education Management Information System (EMIS) that was launched on October 30.
A release from the ministry described the EMIS as an Educational Management Information System designed for gathering, integrating, processing, maintaining, and disseminating data and information. It facilitates decision-making, policy analysis, formulation, planning, monitoring, and management across all levels of an education system. Further, the system integrates individuals, technology, models, methods, processes, procedures, rules, and regulations, to help decision-makers, managers, and general users, to have access to pertinent data and information to make informed decisions.
As such, the primary objective of the visiting delegation is to acquire knowledge on the technical, financial, human, and software aspects required to develop a fit-for-purpose EMIS for their respective Ministries of Education.
The visit which is scheduled from December 12 to 15 aims to provide the team with the following: 1) An understanding of Guyana’s Ministry of Education’s EMIS. 2) Discussion on the development process by engaging in discussions regarding the process that led to the development of the EMIS, including expectations for necessary resources. And 3) Appreciation for challenges and mitigation strategies while gaining insights into the challenges associated with EMIS implementation and learn about the mitigation strategies employed.
As part of the itinerary, the delegation will participate in discussions with various officers from the Ministry of Education and visit schools that actively use the EMIS on a daily basis.
The members of the visiting delegation are: Raúl Chacón, Programme Director – Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Regional Hub; Mar Botero, Project Manager – KIX LAC (Latin America and the Caribbean) – SUMMA (The Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean); Nailah James, Education Planner – Grenada; Schnelle Leonce, Education Planner – Saint Lucia; Nadette Langford, Senior Technical Specialist, Data – OECS (Dominica); Germain Anthony, Senior Technical Specialist, Education – OECS (Saint Lucia); Bekissa Robinson, Statistician – Dominica; Keith Thomas, Education Planner – St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Jem Lafraichere, IT Coordinator (Board of Education) – Antigua and Barbuda; and Shelly Galloway, Education Officer, Knowledge Management (Ministry of Education) – Antigua and Barbuda.
SUMMA was created in 2016 by the Inter-American Development Bank, to support the Ministries of Education in the region. Currently, SUMMA works collaboratively with the Ministries of Education of 21 countries across the continent including Guyana.
Representing the Ministry of Education were: Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain; Chief Planning Officer, Nicola Johnson; Management Information Systems Unit Head, Yoganand Indarsingh; Head of Information Systems, Phil Mingo; Senior Statistician, Dahvis Caldeira; as well as other officers of the ministry.
