Hewlett Foundation Education Project: Evidence-Informed Policymaking
In order to holistically understand the barriers to more effective data accessibility, sharing, and use, DG—together with education sector experts from IREX—mapped the education data and decision ecosystems in Kenya and Senegal, focusing on primary and secondary education. By gathering in-depth information on barriers around the use of education data, DG facilitated the possibility for targeted interventions that, ultimately, will create robust education data ecosystems and better learning outcomes in Kenya and Senegal.
The global development community has invested billions of dollars in creating better education outcomes through improved use of data and evidence, with nearly $250 million spent on education data from 2017-2019 alone. Still, education data remains largely untapped, underutilized, and siloed. For example, the Kenyan Ministry of Education has experienced data challenges in management, sharing, and interoperability. Another example in Senegal shows limited research on the utility and availability of data for education policymaking. Both countries exemplify the global challenge of effectively harnessing data for better outcomes in the education sector.
In an effort to support stakeholders in both countries who are seeking to improve their education systems, DG and IREX—with support from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation—embarked on a collaborative effort to explore the landscape of education data ecosystems in Kenya and Senegal between December 2022 and February 2024. This project explored the intricacies of education data supply, access, and utilization, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by stakeholders in leveraging data to inform decision-making processes. The program sought to gather real-world stories and perspectives to enrich the discourse on education data systems, laying the groundwork for further research and reform initiatives in both countries.
The findings from the assessment allowed DG to make several country-specific recommendations to stakeholders in Kenya and Senegal regarding ways in which they can improve their education data ecosystems and create more robust, inclusive, and responsive education systems. These findings and recommendations can be explored in “Evidence-Informed Policymaking: Education Data-Driven Decision Mapping in Kenya and Senegal.”
In 2024, DG will continue our work in this program, with support from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, in order to implement select recommendations made in “Evidence-Informed Policymaking: Education Data-Driven Decision Mapping in Kenya and Senegal.”
Share
Related Posts
Diving into the DaYTA Program’s Data Collection Process
This blog explores key insights from the DaYTA program, offering practical guidance for researchers on effective data collection, overcoming field challenges, and leveraging local partnerships to enhance tobacco control efforts. This piece is especially timely following DaYTA’s workshop convening all 3 study country stakeholders to review the survey results and strategize on how best to disseminate this data to target audiences. This workshop took place from in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 18-20th.
Demystifying interoperability: Key takeaways from our new white paper
This blog post gives an overview on our latest paper on interoperability, implementing interoperable solutions in partnership with public administrations. Based on over 20 years of DG’s experience, the paper demystifies key components needed to build robust, resilient, and interoperable data systems, focusing on the “how” of data standardization, data governance, and implementing technical infrastructure.
More Smoke, More Stroke
In honor of this year’s World Stroke Day, observed annually on October 29th, this piece aims to raise awareness of the substantial burden of non-communicable diseases–particularly stroke incidents–using the case study of Nigeria, one of the main tobacco production hubs on the continent, in addition to Kenya.