From paper forms to data-driven decisions: how GEMS improved school monitoring in Guinea-Bissau

“Before we used GEMS, we relied mainly on occasional visits and incomplete information to understand what was happening in schools. Today, we can monitor what is happening in each school more rigorously and act quickly when necessary. This was an essential step towards improving the functioning of the education system,” says Mamadu Banjai, Inspector-General of Education.

For the UCP, the data collected began to support training planning, the identification of structural gaps and the reorganization of resources based on field evidence. For the General Inspectorate of Education, the digital inspection form became a tool to prioritize interventions and strengthen pedagogical oversight. For World Bank supervision, the system also made it possible to follow implementation using georeferenced and up-to-date information, facilitating technical dialogue with the project team and the early identification of support needs.

“With GEMS, we have significantly reduced the time required to carry out school visits, as well as the associated operational costs. At the same time, we have substantially improved the quality, consistency and reliability of the data shared at regional and central levels,” says Geraldo Raul Indeque, coordinator of the Education for All Project.

Beyond making inspection visits faster, digitalization strengthened the State’s capacity to use data to make informed decisions. During inspection visits, lessons are also observed, and teachers have the opportunity to inform inspectors about the difficulties they face. When collected in a structured and regular way, this information helps move the system from ad hoc reporting towards a clearer view of education needs.

“Previously, inspection visits were conducted with paper questionnaires, and afterwards we had to compile the information and write a report. It was a time-consuming and error-prone process. With this new method, everything has become more efficient. We now collect data directly in digital format – faster, with fewer errors and with better quality information,” says Florentino Correia Utite, a school inspector in Canchungo.

The experience also left institutional capacity behind. After the closure of the Education for All Project, GEMS resources continued to be used by the General Inspectorate of Education, which already has an established digital system and materials provided by the project, and by the Directorate-General for Studies, Planning and Evaluation of the Education System (DGEPASE). At DGEPASE, 16 technicians were trained by the World Bank’s GEMS team, and a national commission was created to develop a new electronic form for education statistics.

With the start of a new school year, GEMS is also expected to support, among other applications, the collection of initial enrolment data. Experience shows that when data are collected regularly, georeferenced and well organized, supervision stops being only an administrative activity and begins to guide public decisions.