12 October 2026 

Key messages 

• Liberia has developed a National EMIS Policy. It sets out who is responsible for education data, which standards apply, and how data are governed, financed and sustained. The draft has been through national consultation and is moving towards validation and adoption. 

• The policy is built on evidence. It responds directly to a self-assessment against the AU EMIS Norms and Standards (15 norms, 117 standards) and an on-site EMIS peer review. 

• Governance weaknesses compounded resource and technical constraints. Unclear responsibilities, fragmented data systems and inconsistent coordination operated alongside funding shortages, limited infrastructure and staffing gaps. The policy provides a framework for addressing these connected challenges.  

• Seven policy areas answer the gaps. They cover mandates, standards, collection, sharing and privacy, reporting, financing and monitoring, and are aligned with CESA 26-35 and SDG 4. 

Context and problem 

Liberia's education system serves about 1.5 million learners in some 6,000 schools. The most recent EMIS census dates from 2021. The peer review recognised dedicated staff, an established school census and growing demand for evidence. It also found gaps in four areas: 

These gaps affect the Ministry’s ability to make timely and equitable decisions. Incomplete reporting leaves parts of education provision insufficiently represented, while disconnected school, teacher and examination records limit analysis across the sector. Delays in producing statistics also mean that planning and budgeting may rely on information that no longer reflects conditions in schools. The case for a national EMIS policy is therefore practical: to establish the responsibilities, standards and resources needed to produce reliable evidence and use it in decisions about teachers, infrastructure and support for learners. 

How the policy was developed 

The policy followed a six-step technical path, each step building on the evidence of the one before: 

1. Self-assessment of the EMIS against the AU EMIS Norms and Standards. 

2. Peer review on site, facilitated by AU-IPED and the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub, with reviewers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, and UNESCO. It produced an EMIS 2.0 roadmap for a digitised system aligned with the AU Norms. 

3. Policy dialogue, where stakeholders discussed the findings and agreed a national policy was needed. 

4. Policy drafting, turning each finding into policy provisions. 

5. National consultation in Monrovia, reviewing the draft section by section, confirming each peer review gap is addressed, and recording every comment with a decision. 

6. Validation, adoption and implementation, with a costed implementation plan (next step). 

Five principles guided drafting: government-led, evidence-based, aligned with continental standards, participatory, and implementable. 

The policy-development support represents a follow-up to the priorities identified through the peer review and national dialogue. It moves the process from identifying weaknesses towards defining how institutions should address them. The national consultation provides an opportunity to test whether the proposed responsibilities, reporting requirements and coordination arrangements are workable across the education system. As the draft moves towards validation and adoption, the remaining task is to ensure that its commitments are supported by clear institutional ownership and a realistic implementation plan. 

What the policy contains 

1. Governance and mandate: roles of the EMIS unit, counties, districts and schools, and a coordination mechanism. 

2. Data standards and quality: common definitions, codes, validation protocols and quality assurance. 

3. Data collection and management: an annual school census, digitisation under EMIS 2.0, and unique learner and teacher IDs. 

4. Data sharing, access and privacy: rules for sharing across ministries and with partners, and protection of personal data. 

5. Reporting and use: an annual statistical yearbook, a fixed data calendar, and use of data in planning and budgeting. 

6. Financing and sustainability: a government budget line and a plan to reduce reliance on project funding. 

7. Monitoring and review: indicators to track implementation and a regular review cycle. 

Effective implementation will require coordination within the Ministry and with institutions that produce related data. The peer review identified weak links between EMIS, teacher records and examination data, alongside the need to formalise collaboration with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS). The policy should provide a basis for agreed definitions, reporting responsibilities and data-sharing arrangements, while coordinating partner requests to reduce duplication. Technical integration should be accompanied by clear procedures for checking data quality, authorising access and protecting personal information. 

Equity should be reflected in both the coverage of EMIS and the use of its findings. The peer review identified incomplete gender and disability indicators and gaps in coverage across education subsectors. Implementation should prioritise consistent, appropriately disaggregated data that help identify differences in participation and provision, including those affecting rural communities and learners with disabilities. Schools and county teams should also receive accessible summaries of the information they submit, enabling them to identify local needs, correct discrepancies and use the findings in school improvement and resource planning. 

Policy recommendations 

For the Ministry of Education 

1. Complete technical validation and formally adopt the policy, giving the EMIS unit a legal mandate as the single official source of education statistics. 

2. Cost the implementation plan and create a dedicated EMIS budget line, so the census cycle no longer depends on project funding. 

3. Resume the annual school census under a fixed data calendar, with mandatory reporting by all public and private schools. 

4. Introduce national data standards and unique learner and teacher IDs as the foundation for EMIS 2.0. 

5. Disseminate the policy to counties, districts and schools, and train staff on the new standards. 

For AU-IPED and development partners 

1. Support the move from adoption to implementation, especially EMIS 2.0 digitisation and the unique ID system. 

2. Align technical support with the policy's seven areas rather than running parallel data collections. 

3. Use Liberia's path, from self-assessment and peer review to policy, as a model for other AU Member States. 

Implementation should be phased around the Ministry’s operational capacity and available resources. Early priorities should include confirming institutional responsibilities, agreeing a reporting calendar and minimum data standards, and costing the activities needed to restore regular collection, validation and reporting. The financing plan should cover recurrent costs - including staff development, transport, connectivity, maintenance and dissemination,as well as technology investments. Progress should be monitored through a small set of indicators, such as reporting coverage, timely submissions, completion of validation checks and publication of education statistics in time to inform planning and budgeting. 

Expected outcomes