How do we close evidence gaps in foundational learning and ensure that data is used for informed decision-making? This was the central question in our recent Unlocking Data Initiative webinar that explored who produces and uses data. Education data experts working as country engagement leads for the Unlocking Data Initiative, including Rigobert Pambe from Cameroon, Esme Kadzamira from Malawi, and Charles Gachoki from Kenya, discussed their progress in mapping evidence gaps and fostering collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
Launched in 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when data collection was severely constrained, the Unlocking Data Initiative emerged from a shared recognition among stakeholders of the value in harnessing existing datasets to produce timely and actionable evidence. The initiative’s main goals are to:
- Map existing data and evidence in education across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Bridge gaps by connecting researchers, policymakers, and data producers.
- Create communities of practice to foster knowledge sharing and better decision-making.
As Laté Lawson, Senior Research Manager at ESSA. explained in his opening remarks,
“Imagine a country where researchers, policymakers, and data producers collaborate seamlessly, reflecting on what data exists, what’s missing, and how to fill the gaps. That’s the vision of the Unlocking Data Initiative.”
Country Highlights from the Webinar
Country: Cameroon
Speakers: Nain Mirabel Yuh and Rigobert Pambe
Key issues: Language, Gender, and Access Matter
Cameroon’s education system operates in a bilingual context and serves children in conflict-affected regions. Without inclusive and bilingual research and without elevating female voices, evidence risks being disconnected from the realities of the most marginalised learners. These gaps directly affect policy and programme design for foundational learning. Key highlights from the evidence gap map include:
- From a systematic search, the team reviewed 600 studies, but only 55 met the eligibility criteria.
- Research is skewed towards policy and language of instruction, while teacher professional development and social-emotional learning, AI, and ICT in education were under-researched.
- Literacy dominated numeracy. No systematic reviews were found.
- Male authors dominated, and surprisingly, English-dominated publications were even more prevalent in French-speaking regions.
Recommendations:
- Promote bilingual research and translation of research and resources into local languages.
- Support female researchers through funding and leadership roles.
- Include voices from conflict-affected areas.
→ Explore Cameroon’s Evidence Gap Map
Country: Malawi
Speaker: Esme Kadzamira
Key Issues: The Missing Evidence on Early Childhood Education in Malawi
Malawi is integrating early childhood education into its primary school system, but without robust evidence, policies risk being developed without a clear understanding. Lack of research on inclusion and equity also limits efforts to reduce dropout and improve learning for disadvantaged children, especially in rural areas.
- The team mapped 131 studies, of which 60% come from grey literature.
- There is a strong focus on teacher knowledge and literacy/numeracy; however, early childhood education remains significantly under-researched.
- Despite widespread school feeding programmes, little evidence exists on their impact.
- Male authors dominate two-thirds of publications.
Recommendations:
- Invest in longitudinal studies on early childhood education as Malawi integrates ECE into primary schools.
- Broaden research to include equity and parental engagement.
- Encourage female researchers in underrepresented areas.
→ Explore Malawi’s Evidence Gap Map
Country: Kenya
Speaker: Charles Gachoki
Key issues: Female-Led Research, But Equity Gaps Persist in Kenya
Kenya’s gaps in system-level evidence, especially on marginalised learners and early interventions, limit the ability to design equitable education solutions. Without research on ICT and social-emotional learning, opportunities to innovate for foundational learning remain untapped, particularly for children in rural or low-resource settings.
- In Kenya, female authors dominated foundational learning research, unlike in Malawi and Cameroon.
- Evidence concentrated on ages 6–8 years, with limited research on ages 4–5 or 9–10 years.
- Limited studies on equity, marginalised learners, ICT, and social-emotional skills.
Recommendations:
- Prioritise research on equity and system-level interventions.
- Scale context-relevant interventions proven to work in the Global South.
- Build capacity through the Evidence Synthesis Academy, which trains PhD students and government officers.
→ Explore Kenya’s Evidence Gap Map
Key questions from the conversation
❓Non-formal education and dropout learners: Has your Malawi evidence mapping considered non-formal or alternative learning pathways, such as community learning centres? These programmes often serve children who have dropped out of formal schooling due to financial challenges, early pregnancy, or other barriers. Was any research on these forms of education captured in your mapping? If not, what do you think this says about data availability in this area?
| Responder: Esme Kadzamira, Research Fellow—University of Malawi, CERT Yes, mapping under the Unlocking Data Initiative focused on foundational learning for children aged 4 to 10, and this included non-formal education pathways such as complementary basic education programmes for out-of-school children. However, we found very little accessible literature on this area. This doesn’t necessarily mean such evidence does not exist; it’s more a reflection of accessibility challenges. Many reports produced by NGOs and government agencies are not readily available, and most universities in Malawi do not have functional research repositories. Only two institutions have digital repositories, and even then, access is limited. We attempted physical searches in university libraries, but the process was still challenging. These barriers point to a critical gap in evidence accessibility, especially for interventions that target vulnerable children through non-formal education. |
❓Early Childhood Education (ECE) Evidence Gap: The second question relates to early childhood education, which is a major area of focus in Malawi’s education reforms. Your evidence gap map shows limited research on ECE, despite significant interventions and pilot programmes in recent years. Could you elaborate on why this gap exists? What challenges make ECE evidence scarce? How is the government currently approaching evidence generation for ECE? Based on your situational analysis, what are the risks of continuing with policy reforms without a strong evidence base?
| Responder: Esme Kadzamira, Research Fellow, Centre for Educational Research & Training, University of Malawi Early childhood education in Malawi faces a unique set of challenges. Historically, ECE has been managed under the Ministry of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, which until recently had no dedicated department for this subsector. As a result, most early learning centres operate outside direct government control; they are run by communities, NGOs, or private providers. This decentralised and community-financed structure makes the sector very fluid. Centres often open and close depending on community resources. In poor areas, centres may close when funds run out. Consequently, there is no consistent data collection system, and very little evidence exists on how ECE programmes are functioning. Recently, reforms have started: the ministry is piloting an Early Childhood Development EMIS (ECDeMIS) to track data, but it is still in its early stages. Additionally, from September this year, the Ministry of Education plans to integrate 5-year-olds into primary schools by introducing preparatory classes in 200–500 schools as a pilot. However, these significant policy moves are happening with minimal evidence to guide implementation, particularly on issues like classroom sizes, accessibility for rural children, and the impact of such integration on learning outcomes. This underscores the urgent need for longitudinal research to ensure ECE policies are evidence-based and equitable. |
❓It would be interesting to hear from the speakers as to where they see improving statistical collection in education data falls on the respective nation’s priority list, and what levels of funding are required?
| Responder: Rigobert Pambe, Program Manager – eBASE Africa Improving education information systems is increasingly recognised as a priority in Cameroon. At the conclusion of a recent high-level workshop convened by the Ministry of Basic Education under the theme “ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE TRANSFORMATION AND RESILIENCE OF THE CAMEROONIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM BY 2035”, stakeholders identified the weakness of current information systems as a core challenge that must be addressed to support education system transformation and resilience. Through the Unlocking Data Initiative, we are working with government and other actors to strengthen data accessibility and use, particularly in foundational learning. While these efforts are still in early stages, the initiative aims to improve system integration, build capacity at subnational levels, and foster a culture of evidence use.A s for funding, precise national figures are hard to come by, but addressing the systemic gaps highlighted would require investment at multiple levels: infrastructure (e.g. electricity and digital tools for data collection in rural schools), human capacity (training for local administrators and data officers), and systems integration (linking EMIS with other data sources and platforms). In the Unlocking Data Initiative, for example, even with relatively modest grant funding from IDRC, we are seeing early signs of behaviour change, such as researchers aligning their work to Ministry priorities, and the Ministry being more receptive to discussing with other data producers. |
| Responder: Esme Kadzamira, Research Fellow, Centre for Educational Research & Training, University of Malawi In Malawi, the Ministry of Education has initiated EMIS reforms to enhance the system, with the ultimate goal of transitioning to a web-based EMIS that provides real-time data. Under UDI, we are working with the Ministry to improve the EMIS system in terms of data quality, streamline data systems, and build the capacity of education officials at all levels (school, zone, district, and national) in data collection and analysis. We are working closely with the Ministry to improve and unlock the potential of the Cohort Tracking Data—an individualised EMIS longitudinal dataset that has been collected since 2012. Despite its richness, the data has remained unused due to the absence of a robust data management system and limited capacity for data analysis. EMIS reforms have faced financial constraints. A major constraint in effectively utilising the cohort tracking data is the lack of financial resources to procure a data management system capable of handling large-scale datasets. Additionally, there is a significant capacity gap among personnel involved in EMIS data collection, including headteachers and EMIS officials at the district and zonal levels.Where funding opportunities do exist, they are often tied to donor priorities that may not align with the government’s strategic direction. For instance, recent funding for DHIS2 for Education was targeted at primary-level EMIS reforms, which did not align with the Ministry’s ongoing efforts—supported by UNICEF—to reform secondary-level EMIS |
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Unlocking Data
Across all three countries, the next steps include:
- Co-creating national research agendas aligned with local priorities.
- Building communities of practice to connect data producers and users including, researchers, policymakers and practitioners.
- Improving accessibility of data through shared portals and open repositories.
→ Read the Cross-Country Guidance Note