Last Thursday, September 16, 2021, the KIX Africa 19 Hub and the African Union Commission (AU) hosted the virtual  AU KIX High-Level Policy Dialogue with Regional Economic Communities (RECs). As a continuation to the Community of Practice on Educational Management Information Systems (EMIS), the AU has commenced a KIX Data Challenge Strategy to create a coalition of education stakeholders, at regional level to facilitate and support the strengthening of national EMIS capacities

RECs provide significant secretariat support to the political leadership and technical advice to Hub country partners. The KIX Data Challenge seeks to catalyze this strategic relationship to strengthen national capacities to produce accurate, time and relevant data that addresses the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 (CESA) goals.

The targeted RECs include the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with Hub representation from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar), Zambia and Zimbabwe. The East African Community (EAC) with Hub representation from Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with Hub representation from The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) with Hub representation from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia (Somaliland and Puntland), and South Sudan.

The first session of the KIX Data Challenge provided an opportunity to review and discuss findings and recommendations by country partners arising from the recently concluded KIX community of practice on EMIS. Dr. Mahama Ouedraogo, Director, Human Resources, Science & Technology Department at the African Union Commission, Ms. Joy Nafungo of the International Development Research Center, Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki of UNESCO IICBA and Dr. Silvia Montoyo, Director of UNESCO Institute of Statistics warmly welcomed participants to the meeting.

Top Left: Ms. Joy Nafungo; Top Right: Dr. Mahama Ouedraogo; Bottom left: Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki; Bottom Right: Dr. Silvia Montoyo

H.E. Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor, Commissioner of Human Resources, Science and Technology at the African Union, further convened proceedings by underscoring the importance of quality data analysis in realizing the educational aspirations of the "Africa We Want".

H.E. Professor Sarah Anyang Agbor

Representatives from the four RECs  participated to indicate their commitment to meet the data challenge and to engage with the AU to align policies. James Jowi, Education Principal & Officer at EAC shared the AUC-KIX initiative is, "a platform in which the RECS can...learn from each other...and enable the Africa Union to achieve its educational goals.”

Subsequent engagements with country partners include:

·         22^nd Sept: Policy and Legal Framework review

·         29^th Sept: Resources Availability and Utilization review

·         6^th Oct: Statistical Processes review

·         13^th Oct: Education Information Reporting review

·         20^th Oct: Draft AU EMIS Norms and Standards completed ready for pilot

For questions or comments about this article, please contact kix.iicba@unesco.org.