EMILIO PORTA is a Senior Education Specialist in the Human Development Network at the World Bank. Emilio’s work focuses on the improvement of education systems using data-based analysis. He leads the Bank’s work on education statistics and in this capacity he has transformed EdStats and developed tools for analyzing education statistics such as ADePT Edu. He has also provided support to client countries to improve learning outcomes and to implement results-based budgeting policies. Emilio has also been in charge of several research projects funded by the World Bank, IADB, UNESCO and USAID; and has publish extensively in areas such as educational planning, education management systems, learning outcomes and school based management among others. Prior to his arrival at the Bank, Emilio worked as a special advisor at the Guatemalan Education Ministry, where he coordinated a broad spectrum of research on education policy issues and advised the Ministry of Education on its implementation of a results-based budget. Between 2000 and 2005 he was Director General at the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education. Here his work consisted of planning, implementing, and evaluating education policies; overseeing donor coordination; and the development of a countrywide system to gather education statistics. Emilio also led the implementation of the 2002-2005 Sector Wide Approach for education in Nicaragua. Under this program he secured more than 100 million dollars in donor financing and oversaw the first national student assessment in the country.