Strengthening the Early Childhood Development Management System in Malawi
By: Loveness Muluta-Musiyapo, Early Childhood Development Specialist and lecturer from the University of Malawi
USAID CATALYZE ECCE Together for Early Childhood Evidence (CATALYZE T4ECE) is an initiative implemented by Palladium through ECD Measure at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). CATALYZE T4ECE convenes government officials, researchers, and other stakeholders interested in pre-primary data and measurement. The consortium facilitates cross-country learning on how pre-primary systems can better use data to improve young children’s early learning experiences. CATALYZE T4ECE continues previous phases of the original T4ECE initiative launched under ECD Measure and UNMC in 2018. This blog series highlights the perspectives of ECCE research and learning stakeholders under CATALYZE T4ECE and the broader community. Learn more about CATALYZE ECCE here.
Our latest article features Loveness Muluta-Musiyapo, Early Childhood Development Specialist and lecturer from the University of Malawi, and a member of the CATALYZE T4ECE Malawi Task Force.
Introduction
Malawi is the newest member of Together for Early Childhood Evidence (T4ECE), with a task force team joining the initiative in 2022. In recent years, Malawi has made notable progress in early childhood development (ECD) programming which has resulted in improving access to pre-primary learning, especially among vulnerable rural communities. However, the lack of a nationwide, coordinated data system makes it hard to make evidence-informed decisions in the planning and programming of interventions. Building on the work done by the government and partners, the CATALYZE T4ECE Malawi Task Force (comprised of representatives from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, USAID Malawi, NextGen Malawi, and University of Malawi) will contribute to the development of a robust and user-friendly management information system that provides accurate and up-to-date data points for ECD programming across the country.
Over this next year, the CATALYZE T4ECE Malawi Task Force has indicated a research team, led by the University of Malawi’s Human Ecology Department, to conduct a background study to strengthen Malawi’s Early Childhood Development Management Information System (ECDMIS). The ECDMIS is currently under development with support from other partners and is being used in a select number of districts in Malawi. The research team, (comprised of Loveness Muluta-Musiyapo, Happy Nkhonya, and Dr. Mayeso Lazaro) will conduct a desk review and consultations to pinpoint the data needs of ECD stakeholders, identify gaps in existing data, and make recommendations to strengthen the system.
In this blog, we interview Loveness Muluta-Musiyapo, Early Childhood Development Specialist and lecturer from the University of Malawi, and a member of the CATALYZE T4ECE Malawi Task Force. Learn more from Loveness, as she reflects on progress made in Malawi and upcoming priorities through CATALYZE T4ECE.
What are you most excited about over the next year when it comes to the ECD data and measurement landscape in Malawi?
I am excited about the possibility of contributing to the development of a functional national ECD Management Information System for Malawi. As a country, we have made positive strides forward in ECD programming which has resulted in improving access to pre-primary learning. However, the country lacks a functional system to support the promotion and use of information and data for policy planning and implementation, decision making, and monitoring and evaluating of ECD system.
Our project aims to assess ECD data needs, the types of data currently available, and how the existing data are used. This process will help us identify unmet data needs for various stakeholders at multiple levels. The expectation is that this will inform and strengthen the ECDMIS which is currently under development. Our goal is to improve the ECD data landscape in Malawi by shining light on the availability, accessibility, and use of quality ECD data by stakeholders for evidence-based decision making (for example, allocation of public financing, staff recruitment and training, program quality, adherence to standards, and efforts to target children most in need), which can consequently lead to improved ECD services.
What are current gaps when it comes to ECD data use in Malawi?
The main gap when it comes to ECD data use in Malawi is the lack of a coordinated national data system which can be easily accessed by various data users for their policy analysis, planning, and programming of ECD interventions.
Over the past several years, the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare (MoGCDSW), developed the ECDMIS to generate data for ECD related to the types and descriptions of ECD centers, demographic characteristics of caregivers, children, and committee members, etc. The system, however, is limited in its coverage of districts.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education through its Educational Management Information System (EMIS) collects and generates transitional related data on new entrants enrolled from ECD centers and home environments. There is a significant need to link up the two systems to ensure the ECDMIS is capable of capturing access, quality, and efficiency indicators to inform holistic ECD-decision making across the ministries.
Furthermore, we know that the data currently being collected is not comprehensive. Data collection lacks many key ECD sub-indicators that could help inform ECD policy, programming, and budget allocation. For example, there is absence of data on birth registrations, the number of children with special needs, children’s developmental and learning outcomes, and the quality of ECD centers. While data on these types of sub-indicators is occasionally collected at the local level, the information is rarely passed on to the district or national levels for planning and intervention.
How will CATALYZE T4ECE help to fill in or address some of those gaps?
The purpose of the project is to strengthen the ECD management information system for Malawi to help in comprehensively capturing and storing timely ECD data so that it is accessible to the end users. The findings of the project will help to strengthen the system that is currently being developed to make sure that it addresses the data gaps, based on the identified needs of users, and ensure data is made accessible for all ECD stakeholders to support in evidence-based decision-making. The findings will also be used to strengthen links with other existing databases (such as EMIS) to make sure the system captures access, quality, and efficiency indicators. The project anticipates that strengthening the ECDMIS will promote the use of reliable local data and evidence to help government and other stakeholders track progress over time and prioritize investments to areas in need of support.
How do you envision CATALYZE T4ECE supporting or being useful to countries beyond Malawi?
Results from the project will be disseminated with relevant stakeholders both locally and beyond. This wider dissemination effort will provide a platform for exchange of knowledge and best practices and contribute to building the evidence base on what it takes to strengthen and develop effective monitoring and measurement systems for early childhood education.
In addition, we can share knowledge and lessons learned with other countries experiencing similar data issues, such as a lack of a coordinated national system. CATALYZE T4ECE is set up to allow us to be able to share our experiences of what works and what may not work when it comes to developing a comprehensive ECD data management system. There is potential for other countries to learn how they can develop or strengthen their pre-primary data systems to generate data that informs planning and programing in order to improve children’s development and learning experiences.
In summary, I believe CATAYZE T4ECE can make a significant contribution to ECD, not only in Malawi but in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
Cross-posted on the T4ECE website hosted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
This blog is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the Office of Education, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of contract No. 7200AA19C00080, subcontract CATALYZE-Edu-CR-2023-0352. The contents are developed by the ECD Measure group hosted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
