Practical Guide to Implement Task-Based Digital Skills Assessments in Schools and Technical Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Overview & Synopsis

This toolkit has been developed under the Digital Skills for Africa (DS4A) initiative, a partnership between the World Bank and the Mastercard Foundation, to guide the implementation of rigorous, task-based digital skills assessments in schools and technical institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. It consolidates practical resources, technical guidance, and implementation materials to support education institutions, country teams, and practitioners in administering these assessments across diverse contexts in lower-middle income countries and low-income countries (LMICs and LICs). Using the Pix assessment platform, aligned with the European Commission’s DigComp 2.2 Digital Skills Framework, the assessment measures competences across five domains through adaptive, real-life scenarios, problem-solving tasks, and research-based exercises. Participants benefit from a personalized experience that delivers tailored results and connects them to relevant training resources for continued skills development. The toolkit provides step-by-step operational instructions to support the successful rollout of digital skills assessments. It includes a readiness checklist, implementation guide, equipment and network specifications, a monitor’s guide, and both individual and institutional survey instruments. Drawing on lessons from field tests and implementation across nine participating countries, the toolkit also outlines practical approaches for conducting digital assessments, with an emphasis on strengthening institutional capacity and building local ownership.