The Use of management information systems for planning and management of service sector infrastructure : a case study based on education infrastructure

Abstract

Improvements in school infrastructure have a positive impact on enrolment and retention of children in schools. Planning, management and development of education infrastructure demand information from many sources, including statistical data, school requirements, norms, standards etc. The quality of the infrastructure decisions is linked in many important ways to the quality and availability of information. Education Management Information System (EMIS) is tool, which is used to provide timely, cost effective and user appropriate information to support educational planning. However, there is no evidence of either the data available with the current EMIS or utilizing the information obtained from the EMIS for school infrastructure planning in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan education system consists of five management levels; National, Provincial, Zonal, Divisional and School level. At each level, planning and management decisions on school infrastructure are taken. This study is focused on determination of available information for infrastructure planning and what is being Currently used for infrastructure planning. The use of EMIS to enhance the quality ofthe infrastructure planning decisions is also highlighted in the study. In this study, three data collection techniques were used and analysis of them was done separately. The statistical data analysis was done to obtain a broad picture on the total student population of Sri Lanka, student population at the age of six years, trends of student movements in different types of schools and school infrastructure in Sri Lanka. The interview results were analysed to determine the planning, financing and data collection processes at each level of education administration. The information used for infrastructure planning at each level was also studied. In field data analysis, availability school infrastructure in the Piliyandala zone was analysed. The available facilities were compared with national norms and how this information can be used in infrastructure planning was highlighted. Student population statistics and school norms are the mostly used information in infrastructure planning. Although the information is available, student population trends, location of schools and social and economic background of students are rarely used in planning. In providing physical facilities, the educational planners should have first hand information, and in this context,- the EMIS plays a major role, The data recorded at the Ministry EMIS are nearly 75% accurate when compared with the field data and, therefore, the accuracy level should be improved. Government is the main funding agent for education infrastructure. All the financial information is recorded because all fund allocations must go through several stages within the system. Therefore, financial information is available at each level of the education system. Most of the school infrastructure facilities considered in the study (classroom facility, science labs and toilet facility) do not corroborate the school norms, which is an important fact to be considered in future infrastructure planning.