The EMIS Unit is housed within MoGEI under the Directorate for Planning and Budgeting in the Department for Research and Policy Development. The Unit was established in early 2007, and since then has administered the AEC and managed the storing, analysis, utilisation, and distribution of education information.

EMIS gives an overview of the education system and its performance in a country. It facilitates decision-and policy-making by providing information on the current condition of the system. EMIS data plays an important role in mapping the educational needs so authorities may decide how to best allocate the limited resources in the face of competing priorities. EMIS can be used for 1) monitoring progress, 2) identifying challenges, and 3) strategising possible solution at the national, state, county, and school levels. It is equally important to recognise that EMIS is merely a tool; it does not give answers to challenges. The data presented in booklet form is a set of present and baseline data. Consistent updates are necessary to ensure their continued utilisation.

EMIS in South Sudan has come a long way since collecting baseline data in 2006, which provided the first baseline figures on the South Sudan’s education system. EMIS commenced in 2007, the year that the EMIS Unit was integrated with the Ministry. Since then, its coverage rate—or the percentage of known schools reached by the AEC exercise—has increased rapidly: from 77% coverage of Primary and AES in 2007 to 94% coverage rate of Pre-primary, Primary, Secondary, and AES in 2011.