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Uzbekistan becomes first in Central Asia to launch UNESCO’s Progress Assessment Tool in Education
Led by the UNESCO Tashkent Office, this initiative supports the country in evaluating how well its education data system underpins effective decision-making and progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) — quality education for all.
The EMIS PATT is a strategic tool developed by UNESCO to assess the capacity, efficiency, and gaps in a country’s education data system. It enables governments to improve the way they collect, manage, and use education data to guide planning and policy development. The tool evaluates EMIS performance across four key areas:
- Governance – leadership, coordination, legal frameworks, and financing
- Management – operational organization and staff capacity
- Technical Architecture – digital infrastructure and system structure
- Data and Information Products – data collection, analysis, and dissemination
Each of these areas includes sub-topics that provide both a broad and detailed view of the system’s strengths and areas for improvement.
To support the assessment, four expert working sessions were held with specialists from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education. These sessions brought together statisticians, planners, IT professionals, and policymakers, ensuring a well-rounded and informed review.
“This tool gives a clear overall picture, but does not go into detailed operational issues. It helps ministries see what areas could be improved. If there’s interest, we can support a second phase with deeper analysis and practical actions to include in annual plans,” said Pierre Chapalet, Senior Programme Officer at UNESCO.
What makes Uzbekistan’s case especially significant is that the country already has a relatively advanced education data system. This sets it apart from other regions where the tool has been deployed — such as the Pacific, Africa, and the Caribbean — where systems are still in early stages of development.
“It’s the first time we are testing this tool in a country with a mature system,” Mr. Chapalet added. “This will help us see how useful the tool is in more complex settings and whether it needs to be adjusted for countries like Uzbekistan.”
Why is this important for Uzbekistan’s EMIS system?
Through this assessment, Uzbekistan will be able to identify priority areas for improvement, with the goal of enhancing EMIS capabilities to better manage and monitor the education sector. Strengthening these systems will empower the country to make more informed, evidence-based decisions, improve policy coherence, and drive a transformation in education management. Ultimately, this transformation is expected to lead to better learning outcomes for students across the country.
Following this successful pilot, UNESCO plans to introduce the tool in other countries including Lebanon, Tunisia, and Namibia. Uzbekistan’s experience may serve as a model for how more developed education systems can continue to evolve through structured, data-driven assessments.
