Bridging the Data-Evidence Gap in Education for Improving Foundational Learning in Malawi

Posted on by Jillian Makungu in Blogs

By Paul Chiwaya, Louiss Saddick, Halima Twabi, and Esme Kadzamira

Invisible evidence and inaccessible data undermining the progress of foundational learning in Malawi. What will it take to make evidence visible and data accessible?

Introduction

In this blog, we explore gaps in evidence availability and data accessibility that hinder informed decision-making on foundational learning in Malawi, and discuss the key actions needed to make evidence visible and data accessible. We conducted a country situational analysis to map data and evidence on foundational learning since 2010. The findings reveal that despite increasing recognition of the importance of foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional competencies, progress is held back by high internal inefficiencies, poor learning outcomes, and an underutilised evidence base that remains sparse, fragmented, and often inaccessible (⇡Kadzamira et al., 2025; ⇡Asim & Gera, 2024).

The state of Foundational Learning in Malawi

Malawi’s education system has long struggled with chronic resource constraints, inadequate infrastructure, high repetition rates, and high pupil-teacher ratios—factors that continue to undermine the delivery of quality foundational education. These systemic challenges have made it difficult to ensure that all children acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills. Despite concerted efforts by the government and development partners, learning outcomes at the foundational level remain alarmingly low.

National assessments conducted since the early 2000s, such as the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), reveal that a significant proportion of Malawian learners in the early grades are not meeting the expected benchmarks for reading and numeracy (⇡Pouezevara et al., 2012; ⇡Brombacher, 2019). These challenges are particularly acute in rural areas, where shortages of qualified teachers and adequate learning materials are most severe (⇡Asim & Gera, 2024). 

To help turn the tide, international organisations like Save the Children, USAID, and the World Bank have stepped in with programs to boost foundational learning in Malawi. These programs have introduced early literacy and numeracy interventions, teacher training, and community engagement initiatives. But there’s a catch—without reliable data to track progress, it’s difficult to determine their effectiveness, identify what works and what doesn’t, and sustainability build on any gains made.

Data gaps and inaccessibility: A major barrier to progress

A significant obstacle to improving foundational learning in Malawi is the lack of accessible and reliable data. Accurate data collection is crucial for understanding the state of learning in the country, identifying improvement areas, and measuring the effectiveness. One of the key issues is the sheer inaccessibility of data. Much of the data on foundational learning is collected through large-scale assessments, national surveys, and international evaluations. Yet, this information is not always publicly available or easily accessible to stakeholders who need it most. While government ministries, international organisations, and research institutions may collect valuable data, the lack of a centralised database or platform to share and access this data presents a major barrier to progress.

Data is often siloed, either within government agencies or within the organisations that commissioned the studies. These restrictions limit collaboration and hinder the use of data to inform national policies and programming. Without clear, open, and transparent data systems, stakeholders such as educators, policymakers, and civil society organisations struggle to make data-driven decisions to improve foundational learning.

Furthermore, limited access to education data in Malawi hinders efforts to identify gaps and inconsistencies in the data system, making it difficult to gain a clear understanding of the challenges learners face in acquiring foundational skills. For instance, while assessments like EGRA and EGMA provide some insight into literacy and numeracy learning outcomes, far less information is available about socio-emotional learning. Data on the learning environment, including teacher-student interactions, the quality of instructional materials, and the role of parental involvement, is also scarce. This incomplete picture means that interventions may only address a portion of the problem, inadvertently leaving critical areas overlooked.

The invisibility of evidence: A hindrance to effective policy

The problem of invisible evidence is closely tied to the issue of data gaps. Even when data is collected, it is often not synthesised into actionable evidence that can inform policy, programs, and decision-making. As a result, foundational learning interventions in Malawi are sometimes based on assumptions rather than robust evidence, reducing their overall effectiveness.

Another aspect of this challenge is the limited analysis of students’ progress over time. Although our mapping exercise revealed the existence of longitudinal datasets that can be used to analyse students’ progress over time, these datasets have not been analysed. As a result, it is difficult to determine whether interventions aimed at improving foundational learning have sustained effects on learners’ outcomes. Furthermore, limited research exists on the specific needs of different regions, such as rural versus urban areas, which can result in one-size-fits-all solutions that may not address the unique challenges faced by various communities.

Addressing the gaps: Steps toward improvement

While the challenges related to data and evidence are significant, they are not insurmountable. Several key actions can be taken to address these issues and increase the use and users of foundational learning data in Malawi:

  • Strengthening data systems through co-creation of a centralised data portal: One critical step is strengthening Malawi’s education data systems. This should involve creating a centralised platform where data from different sources—government assessments, donor programs, and independent studies—can be housed and accessed by all stakeholders. Such a platform should prioritise openness, accessibility, and transparency, allowing for real-time data sharing and breaking down existing data silos.
  • Improving data collection: There is a vital need to improve the quality and scope of data collection efforts. Beyond literacy and numeracy, data should also capture socio-emotional skills, teacher quality, classroom environments, and parental involvement. To ensure inclusivity and relevance for targeted interventions, data must be disaggregated by region, gender, socioeconomic status, and disability. Furthermore, regular feedback sessions are essential for identifying gaps in data collection methods and tools and for continuously improving data systems. 
  • Transforming data into actionable evidence: Collecting data is only the first step. Malawi must invest in systems and processes that transform raw data into actionable evidence. This includes establishing well-resourced national and sub-national data analysis units capable of synthesising complex datasets into clear, evidence-based policy recommendations. At the sub-national level, tools like dashboards enable rapid data visualisation and support timely, informed decision-making. These tools also play a critical role in identifying data gaps and improving data collection methods and tools.
  • Engaging stakeholders: Addressing the foundational learning crisis requires a collective effort from all stakeholders involved in the education sector. This includes the Ministry of Education, development partners, civil society organisations, and local communities. Regular stakeholder engagement will ensure that on-the-ground realities inform interventions and address the unique needs of different regions and groups, moving away from potentially ineffective one-size-fits-all approaches.
  • Fostering a culture of transparency and accountability: Finally, there needs to be a greater emphasis on transparency and accountability on data within the education sector. This can be done by, among other things, revising data-sharing policies to allow ethical sharing and access to important education data and creating agreements between the Ministry of Education and stakeholders to support evidence-based planning. By making data and evidence publicly available, the government can foster a culture of transparency and accountability. This, in turn, will encourage education stakeholders to utilise data-driven approaches in designing, implementing, and evaluating foundational learning programs, ultimately leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

The promise of foundational learning in Malawi cannot be realised without addressing the critical gaps in data and evidence. Strengthening data systems, improving the accessibility of information, and turning data into actionable evidence are essential to building an education system that provides every Malawian child with the skills they need to succeed in life. By confronting these challenges head-on, Malawi can ensure its foundational learning programs are effective, equitable, and sustainable, laying the groundwork for a brighter future for all. 

References

  • Brombacher, A. (2019). Research to Investigate Low Learning Achievement in Early Grade Numeracy (Standards 1–4) in Malawi: The victory of form over substance. HEART. https://docs.edtechhub.org/lib/AIUSUUNA
  • Kadzamira, E., Saddick, L., Twabi, H., & Chiwaya, P. (2025). Exploring the Foundational Learning Data and Knowledge Ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa: Malawi’s Situational Analysis. Unlocking Data. https://doi.org/10.53832/unlockingdata.1019

What it takes to move from education evidence to action

Posted on by Jillian Makungu in Blogs

By Unlocking Data Initiative

This blog highlights key insights from a recent webinar that focused on foundational learning data from Cameroon, Kenya, and Malawi

Data and evidence are crucial in improving educational outcomes, including foundational learning. However, fragmented data ecosystems, limited accessibility to evidence and data, and mistrust between stakeholders continue to hinder its full potential. The Unlocking Data Initiative has been driving conversations to increase the use and users of data across sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2024, the initiative, funded by a GPE-KIX grant has been working in Cameroon, Kenya, and Malawi to map foundational learning data and implement collaborative research methods with data stakeholders to address bridge data gaps. In February, our webinar explored the state of foundational learning data in these countries, as published in 3 situational analysis reports for each of Kenya, Cameroon, and Malawi, as well as a cross-country report comparing challenges and lessons learnt. The webinar highlighted key challenges, opportunities, and practical ways to strengthen evidence use in foundational learning. Here are our key takeaways:

A critical first step: What do we know about the definitions of foundational learning in Unlocking Data focus countries?

As explained by Rigobert Pambe, Deputy Programme Lead at eBase, in Cameroon, foundational learning lacks a clear definition within policy and practice, making it difficult to align interventions across the region. While strong policies exist, implementation remains a challenge, particularly in conflict-prone areas. In Kenya, foundational learning focuses on improving learning outcomes for learners between the ages of 4 and 10.

The stakeholder landscape for foundational learning

Cameroon’s strong policies that drive foundational learning are embedded within the country’s education-governing institutions. Data from the country’s situational analysis reveal that the universities are not very involved in research on foundation learning. Most of the research outputs found focused on literacy and a little bit on teacher professional development. Areas like numeracy, social and emotional learning, and inclusive education were relatively neglected. 

In Kenya, the county government takes charge of early child development education (ECDE), while the national government delivers education services for primary 1 and upwards. This leads to fragmented efforts and inconsistent policies across the different levels of learning. 

In Malawi, foundational learning is managed across multiple ministries. The Ministry of Gender, Community Development, and Social Affairs is responsible for early childhood education, while the Ministry of Education focuses on basic and other levels of education, with little collaboration. This leads to gaps in data use and decision-making. 

Is fragmentation limiting data use and causing mistrust within the ecosystem?

Across all three countries, mistrust between government agencies, researchers, and policymakers limits the effective use of data. Governments often prefer to rely on their data, while researchers struggle to access official datasets. In Cameroon, research on foundational learning is limited, with universities largely disengaged. Much of the available data is published in English, limiting accessibility for francophone audiences, but also indicating limited opportunities for women to engage in data generation and publishing. A gendered analysis of publications also indicates limited female presence in the data generation space. In Kenya, researchers often reference data from the development sector or donor organisations such as the World Bank. In most cases, this data is easily accessed by development partners from the government because of a seemingly credible engagement between the government and the development sector. Meanwhile, in Malawi, researchers hold valuable insights on early childhood education, but much of their work remains siloed within universities, never making its way into classrooms where it’s needed most. This is mostly driven by researchers who fear the possibility of exposure of gaps in the data collection process and having their data plagiarized.

Gaps in foundational learning data

Across the countries of focus, research tends to focus heavily on literacy, with minimal attention to numeracy, social-emotional learning, inclusive education, and pre-primary readiness. Special needs education data remains scarce, making it difficult to design and implement inclusive policies. Data collected by governments is often outdated by the time it reaches decision-makers, as there is little integration with data collected by the respective ministries and departments, civil society organisations (CSOs) and universities.

What do we learn from what is working?

There are various opportunities to improve data use and data sharing. The Kenyan county governments are increasingly seeking support to package data into actionable reports, signalling a willingness to open data to the rest of the ecosystem and a shift towards evidence-based decision-making. In addition, a foundational learning community of practice has been formed to offer technical assistance on foundational learning policies and resource mobilization. Networks of organisations in Cameroon are coming together to share knowledge and set a common agenda for foundational learning, while in Malawi, new district-level data collection initiatives are piloting real-time dashboards, allowing for timely decision-making based on local needs.

How can the data ecosystem be strengthened across the three countries?

“The Kenyan universities, ministry directorates, and departments are now reaching out to co-create data collection tools, synthesize existing evidence, and in general strengthen the research functions. This is a good endorsement towards the long-term goal of evidence use in decision-making,” says Charles Gachoki, Research Manager, Evidence Synthesis and Translation, Zizi Afrique Foundation. To help strengthen this collaboration and put data into good use, creating champions and communities will encourage lateral learning for decision-making based on evidence.”

Building a central data repository will help in establishing a single open and accessible source of truth when it comes to connecting all data sources. Rigobert Pambe emphasises the need to establish a way to set up policies for data sharing, collection, and archiving. This unified, open-access platform for foundational learning data could streamline collaboration among stakeholders. While this could be a stronger solution, it needs an intentional and strategic investment in training and setting up digital systems that could help stakeholders collect, share, and analyze data more effectively.

There continues to be a call to create data sharing and archiving policies, in which clear regulations on data access, confidentiality, and use are put in place to build trust and increase data availability. There is an opportunity to learn from the other sector. For instance, in Malawi, the agricultural sector has successfully created a shared data portal linking donors, government agencies, CSOs, and academia. A similar model could be adapted for education and the stakeholders in Malawi are working on it, starting with building stakeholders’ capacity at the district level.

Moving Forward

To bridge the gap between data generation and usage, collaboration is key. Governments, researchers, and CSOs must work together to improve the quality of data, build trust and accountability, enhance accessibility, and ensure that data informs meaningful change in foundational learning. The Unlocking Data Initiative is tackling disconnected and underutilized data systems by mapping the education data ecosystem. Working with stakeholders in the countries of focus, Unlocking Data Initiative is working to connect partners, raise awareness about data sharing, and promote evidence-driven decision-making at all levels. By expanding access to education data and fostering a community of practice, UDI helps policymakers and researchers effectively use existing data to drive informed education reforms.

Did you miss the webinar? Follow the conversation here. 

Are you running a similar conversation? Are you looking for a space to share your insights?

Join our Community of Practice

Unlocking the Power of Data in Africa’s Education Sector

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BY CHARLES GACHOKI AND NAFISA WAZIRI

In recent years, the open data movement in Africa has experienced remarkable growth. What started as a focus on government programmes and portals has expanded into a dynamic ecosystem where civil society, research institutions, and the private sector drive the demand for data. To offer some perspective on the growing interest and importance of this issue, the African Union has estimated that the economic benefit of open data could equate to around 1-2 percent of GDP in Africa. Rallying behind this call, initiatives like the Data Governance for Africa Initiative have invested over US$1 million in the last year alone. Despite this progress, Africa’s open data performance still lags behind the global average. 

At its core, the open data movement is about empowerment. By making public sector data accessible, citizens can better understand how their governments are performing and hold them accountable for unmet goals. In the education sector, the stakes are high. Data shapes narratives, and those narratives influence power, policy, and resource allocation. This underscores the core objectives of the Unlocking Data Initiative. Established in 2020, and with recent support from the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), this initiative has set out to strengthen education data systems and offer contextually responsive solutions to the challenges faced by researchers in Africa. 

Why Open Data Matters

As education reforms sweep across sub-Saharan Africa, the politics of data have become increasingly complex. Who controls access to data? Who decides how it’s used? And most importantly, how can data drive real change for learners, especially the most vulnerable?

Through the Unlocking Data Initiative, a consortium of Pan-African partners (eBASE Africa, EdTech Hub, ESSA, the University of Malawi’s Centre for Educational Research and Training (CERT), and Zizi Afrique Foundation) are at the forefront of efforts to answer these questions. This initiative (active in Cameroon, Kenya, and Malawi) aims to ensure that data becomes a powerful tool for educational transformation. 

To engage with partners and actors in the space, the Unlocking Data Initiative hosted a webinar on August 21, 2024, to launch the new phase of activities as part of the KIX grant. A wide range of organisations and participants including, representatives from the Ministries of Education in Cameroon, ⁠Mr TohMoh Joseph (Technical Advisor), Kenya, Mr Bartholomew Lumbasi (Director of Policy), and Malawi, ⁠Mr. Lanken Nkhata (Ag Head EMIS). These representatives joined researchers and education advocates through this interactive session to discuss data democratisation and explore ways of increasing access to and uses of education data. 

The Barriers to Unlocking Data

While the potential of open data is immense, early findings from the Unlocking Data Initiative research activities resonate with the experiences of stakeholders and partners. Simply put, significant challenges remain:

  1. Accessibility and Transparency: Many public datasets are difficult to access or not openly available, and the processes for requesting data can be opaque and bureaucratic. This includes a lack of clear metadata, original documentation, and contextual information to support the interpretation and appropriate use of the data. 
  2. Interoperability and Standardization: Data across different government agencies and programs often use different terminologies, formats, and definitions, making it difficult to aggregate and analyse data holistically. 
  3. Data Quality and Reliability: The quality of data collected is another critical issue. Inconsistent methods, outdated information, and political interference often undermine the reliability of evidence. For African nations to tell their stories and address challenges like learning poverty effectively, they need authentic, high-quality data that reflects their realities.
  4. Ethical Dilemmas in Data Sharing: Balancing transparency with confidentiality is a constant challenge. CSOs working with vulnerable populations must navigate ethical considerations, especially when data contains sensitive information about learners. Without proper anonymization and responsible use protocols, the risks of harm increase.
  5. Collaboration and Trust: Perhaps the biggest hurdle is the lack of collaboration between stakeholders. Mistrust, competing priorities, and unclear frameworks for data sharing create barriers that limit progress. For instance, while initiatives like Education Evidence for Action (EE4A) have made strides in fostering partnerships, much more needs to be done to bridge gaps and build trust.

A Path Forward

The Unlocking Data Initiative offers a promising model for change. By mapping foundational learning ecosystems, identifying gaps, and building capacity, this initiative is laying the groundwork for stronger, more collaborative data ecosystems.

Key strategies for success include:

  • Co-creation: Bringing together governments, CSOs, researchers, academics, and private organisations to design data tools and processes that are inclusive and responsive to local needs.
  • Digital Innovation: Establishing digital evidence hubs, such as the one proposed for Kenya’s Ministry of Education, to improve access and streamline data sharing.
  • Trust-Building: Developing clear policy frameworks and agreements to guide data sharing and ensure mutual accountability.
  • Capacity Building: identifying and plugging capacity gaps, especially with state actors and researchers, to not only be able to share data but also increase its usage in their decision-making.

By addressing these challenges head-on, Africa’s education sector can harness the full potential of open data to improve learning outcomes, reduce inequities, and drive sustainable change.

Join us!

Unlocking data isn’t just about technology or policy—it’s about collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to the future of Africa’s learners. As the Unlocking Data Initiative and other efforts gain momentum, it provides a blueprint for how data can transform education systems and, ultimately, lives.

The question is no longer whether open data can make a difference but how we can overcome the barriers to make it a reality. Let’s continue the conversation—and the work—of Unlocking Data for a brighter future. Please visit our website and follow our partners CERT. eBASE, EdTech Hub, ESSA, and Zizi Afrique Foundation on social media. You are also invited to participate and contribute to this work by joining our community of practice and Unlock the potential of Data!

EVIDENCE USE – INCREASING USES AND USERS IN EDUCATION

Posted on by Charles Gachoki in Blogs

“Strategies implemented in schools to maximize student learning should be evidence-based.”-The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 

Evidence-based education is an approach to teaching and learning that emphasises using empirical research to guide classroom instruction decisions and practices. This approach aims to ensure that educational methods and interventions are effective, efficient, and aligned with the latest available scientific findings on how students learn and develop. 

Florio, (2016) traces the foundations of evidence-based education back to the success of evidence-based practices in other fields, such as medicine, healthcare, and management. The growing momentum of evidence-based education over the past three decades has been driven by the desire to move away from reliance on intuition, tradition, or personal experience, and instead base educational decisions on rigorous, objective, and replicable research.

Multiple sources of evidence

One of the key features of evidence-based education is the emphasis on using multiple sources of high-quality, rigorous scientific studies and empirical evidence to inform decision-making, teaching methods, strategies, and interventions researched and proven to be effective.

Evidence can come from a variety of sources, including randomised controlled trials, longitudinal studies, meta-analyses, and case studies.

Challenges in application

There is a lack of good-quality research evidence to tell us how to mobilise evidence into use in education.

Although the role of evidence in the education system is not currently in doubt, equally research also tells us that teachers rarely apply this evidence to inform their classroom teaching. While this pool of evidence exists ways and means are scarce of mobilising this evidence into usable bits for classroom use. Simply put a lot of innovative education interventions exist but only a handful are put to use due to a lack of awareness of their existence as well as application evidence on how to use them. 

According to the Glossary of education reforms, the debates about and around evidence use in education systems depend largely on the existence and actual use of the available evidence. For instance, policymakers at national and sub-national levels, teacher trainers, teachers and researchers sometimes argue that the body of existing evidence is too big a forest to mine what is useful, or even impossible, for schools and educators to act thoughtfully and appropriately on available evidence, given that it is not synthesised and therefore would classify it as unavailable. In other cases, governments, schools and school systems may largely or entirely ignore available evidence; subsequently, perpetually known school problems may go unaddressed on one hand, while effective, well-established teaching practices and innovations are never adopted and the system is plunged into a “rudderless mass” of evidence-informed policy initiatives. 

Increasing Use and Users of Evidence

So how can we increase the uses and users of education evidence in the education ecosystem? While this blog was not intended to answer this question it was intended to ignite other questions. While previously funders have supported extensive efforts to expand the production of evidence in education the wind is blowing from generation towards uptake of the evidence generated. Think of it this way: researchers and organisations have carried out research over several years whose results and learnings lie with them or the funder. Proponents of evidence-based practice propose platforms for knowledge sharing and collaboration generated through co-creation initiatives to synthesise such findings into one document or theme. Such platforms act as repositories of published research outputs, grey research as well as public goods such as ed-tech, guidelines and frameworks which go a long way, especially in making research products available, accessible and affordable. 

Platforms for knowledge sharing and collaboration generated through co-creation initiatives can synthesise findings into accessible documents or themes.

Such co-creation initiatives by different actors in the education ecosystem overcome the multiplicity of evidence generation. Tons of papers inform of student theses lie in libraries and occupy space in their online repositories while there is no chance that the findings lying there will ever be found and at least shared if not implemented. The immense evidence in those Masters and PhD theses does not become invalid just because they are unpublished or are published in “predatory” journals based on some classification. Evidence is evidence unfortunately the “fountains of knowledge” repositories do not communicate with each other. How do they even ensure the originality of the student’s work in the face of AI? How can we motivate the students and faculties to get their work published to enhance the visibility of the evidence generated? 

Barriers to evidence use

This blog cannot be complete without addressing the politics and gatekeeping in access to data which cuts across the data landscape. Even within the government different departments cannot share evidence and even when it is possible none is willing to use the other departments’ evidence-sometimes departments within the same organisation. Issues of the government not trusting the credibility of evidence generated by non-state actors demand co-creation. Where funders are involved, gatekeeping comes in the form of ownership of the evidence generated. A probable solution to this challenge apart from co-creation is establishing communities of learning where evidence generators and users share a platform to discuss the generation and use of evidence.

“Expanding the skill to recognise quality research is essential to help teachers and school leaders become better consumers of evidence.” ~Teacher Magazine

The assumption so far is that while evidence is available synthesised or otherwise, the users have the requisite capacity to use the evidence in their processes and decision-making. Far from it, evidence generators must ignite the demand for evidence users to utilise available evidence in education. The trend has been to address the supply side by making research findings as simple as possible and using different mediums to present the evidence. The demand side, however, requires equal attention to ensure we address the width and the breadth-increase the uses and users of the available evidence produced. The establishment of a community of learners as a platform for stakeholders to learn can be used as a platform to set research agendas that guide the whole country’s research compass towards demand-driven research and innovations.

Education system cultures that vary by jurisdiction may not be encouraging or seen to promote the use of evidence because teaching practice is heavily dependent on directions from respective ministries. A study of teachers in Australia showed that teachers sometimes view the adoption of external evidence as a way of taking away the teachers’ autonomy in the classroom. The issue of validation of proven innovations may affect the adoption of evidence especially where assessment data does not support the practitioners’ innovation. There is also observable affinity by the government to hold at a higher value and adopt external evidence compared to locally generated and assembled evidence.  For instance, Kenyan teachers in National schools may fail to adopt innovations from County and extra-county schools.

“In Australia, 83 percent of educators believe that using research will help improve student outcomes; 45 per cent believe that their schools do not support the use of research. 32 percent of educators do not feel confident to analyse and interpret research.” Monash University-Q project

What comes out clearly and shown by research is that mere accessibility to raw or synthesised research evidence is not generally an effective way of getting it used, even if that evidence is presented to users by knowledge-brokers, in short courses or workshops. What is more likely to work for both policy and practice is the packaging of high-quality evidence into a more usable format and presenting it actively or iteratively via a respected and trusted conduit, or through other mediums such as legislation. Having the users do the research is another promising approach. funders should require grantees to use evidence assembled in evidence hubs and libraries created using their grants in previous projects. This can be facilitated by a supportive evidence-use culture across the education ecosystem.

The Broken Spider Web: Navigating the Complex Education Data Ecosystem in Cameroon

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WRITTEN BY RIGOBERT PAMBE

“Surrounded by data but starving for insight.”

In November 2020, Cameroon adopted the “National Development Strategy 2020-2030”, a reference framework for its development action over the next decade, making education a fundamental pillar for the development of the nation. Despite significant progress in improving access to education, issues revolving around quality and equity remain a major concern with over 77% of students learning-poor.

Unlocking education data can provide valuable insight into the challenges faced by the education system and inform policy and practices for the best routes to tackle these challenges and improve attainment. This is however a very daunting task considering the country’s complex educational system, as well as its diverse range of institutions, programs, and data sources. How can we make sense of the vast amount of data available and use it to improve educational outcomes for learners?

In this article, we explore the challenges and opportunities of navigating Cameroon’s educational data ecosystem. We build on the assumption that by understanding the connections between the key players, data sources, and tools available, we can make informed decisions and drive positive change in education. Specifically, we will discuss the role of government agencies, universities, and NGOs in collecting and analyzing data. By the end of this article, readers will have a better understanding of how to navigate Cameroon’s educational data ecosystem and use data to improve educational outcomes.

A – Complex education data ecosystem with a variety of stakeholders

Cameroon’s education data ecosystem is complex and diverse, with multiple actors and sources involved in the collection, management, and dissemination of information. Government agencies are the primary authority for education data in Cameroon, overseeing the collection and management of data from various educational institutions across the country. Six ministries oversee the education sector in Cameroon. These are the Ministry of Basic Education (MINEDUB), the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC), the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP), the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFOP), the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Youth and Civic Education (MINJEC).

Each of these ministries is responsible for a particular subsector of the education landscape and is therefore collecting, analyzing and disseminating data solely for that sector. They all use different methods for collecting and compiling data, making it difficult to compare or aggregate their data. This is mostly due to the absence of a coordination mechanism at institutional levels. The Division of Education, Teaching and Research at the prime ministry could fill this gap, ensuring coordination between these ministries. However, they are understaffed and under-budgeted. One final state actor intervening in Cameroon’s education data ecosystem is the National Centre for Education at the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation with the mission of conducting research in the field of education and building the capacity of educational stakeholders. 

Other actors collecting, compiling, and disseminating education data In Cameroon include the National Institute of Statistics, universities, international organizations, local NGOs and actors from civil society. These stakeholders are all motivated by the desire to improve educational outcomes; however, they operate in silos, reducing the scope of their impact. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the creation of a holistic and inclusive education data network ensuring collaboration between actors for increased access, use and sharing of data.

B – MINEDUB and the premise of a functional Education Management Information System

The education data management system championed by the Ministry of Basic Education is by no doubt one of the most advanced in the country today. The Department of Planning, Projects, and Cooperation of the Ministry of Basic Education is responsible for drawing up and updating the school map; centralizing and processing statistical records; collecting data on various education systems; putting in place a databank; and normalizing the data collected. In order to achieve these tasks, they partner with various actors at central and decentralized levels including, regional and divisional delegations, the National Institute of Statistics and international agencies such as UNESCO or UNICEF, the latter providing technical assistance and support for education data collection and analysis. This synergy of actors produces useful and reliable educational data for decision-makers, donors, and other data users. However, data collected remains insufficient as it focuses primarily on broad outcomes like enrollment, attendance, academic performance, resources etc… There are invaluable educational data sources mainly coming from other actors within the data ecosystem which are available but unexploited.

Developing and maintaining a functional, inclusive, and sustainable education data ecosystem is essential for achieving predetermined educational goals. Data is crucial in providing a better understanding of the current situation, setting goals, elaborating benchmarks, and measuring success. In a context like Cameroon with multiple actors intervening in diverse education sectors, it is important to understand the role and capacity of each of these actors, establish a working relationship between them and build solid a network of partners working in tandem towards promoting data-driven decision making in education. Education data mapping stands out as the ideal strategy to achieve this aim. Beyond understanding what education data exists and is accessible, it will involve mapping the various actors, their skills, and experiences, and bridging the gap between them. We aim to do this using the methodology and conceptual framework developed by the Unlocking Data consortium. Case studies from Kenya, Malawi and Sierra Leone using this approach are a testament to the benefit of this process as shown in this guidance note. We look forward to sharing our experience of undertaking this approach in Cameroon with the whole Unlocking Data community.

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Guidelines for Mapping Education Data in Sub-Saharan Africa

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BY TASKEEN ADAM AND IRENE SELWANESS | Originally posted on EdTech Hub

© SHUTTERSTOCK/1417078181

Are you a government official, NGO or researcher looking to understand what education data is available locally? Our new guidance note shares practical lessons learnt from mapping the availability of education data in Kenya, Malawi, and Sierra Leone.

Last year, we posted about the Unlocking Data initiative and its goal to support access, use, and sharing of education data to effectively tell the story of education in Africa. In 2020,  we hosted a series of workshops that aimed to unpack the biggest barriers in data sharing. At these workshops, the community of practice realised that before we can truly discuss (re)using education data effectively, we need to understand what data exists, where the data gaps are, and what data indicators are needed for decision-making. To delve into the topic further, we hosted an event to showcase early ‘Lessons Learnt from Education Data Mapping in Africa’ and created a working methodology for education data mapping.

Moving from theory to practice

Unlocking Data and its partners have been working towards mapping education datasets in selected African countries. Through sharing lessons between the different mapping exercises, we realised that mapping education data happens in different ways. This could involve various stakeholders and can be conducted for a wide range of purposes. We found these different practical aims and approaches to be enlightening and incredibly beneficial to others, so we combined them into a guidance note on mapping Africa’s education data. 

Building on the data mapping methodology, the guidance note takes the theory to practice, sharing practical experiences, lessons learnt, and challenges encountered.

READ THE GUIDANCE NOTE

What can you find in the guidance note?

This guidance note would not have been possible without the key insights from the partners we interviewed. We are grateful for their contributions:

  • Eldah Onsomu shared insights on the mapping of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) data in Kenya
  • Esme Kadzamira shared insights on the mapping of administrative and survey data in Malawi, and
  • Iman Beoku-Betts and Chris McBurnie shared insights from the mapping of the supply and demand for education data in Sierra Leone.

The guidance note explores the different questions, purposes, successes, challenges, and key considerations learnt from these mapping initiatives, highlighting factors that other countries and stakeholders pursuing data mapping may find useful.

Initiating a data mapping project can be quite daunting. We found that it is important to scope it well from the onset, understanding what you are — and are not — hoping to achieve from the exercise. To assist future data mappers in scoping, the guidance note unpacks various rationales and approaches of the three data mapping projects through the following questions:

  1. What are the different purposes driving data mapping? 
  2. Who are the potential stakeholders in the process, and who are the end-users for this data mapping exercise? 
  3. What is the area of focus in education?
  4. What are the types of data that the data mapping intends to cover?

What key challenges did we identify in these data mapping projects?

Our review of  the different mapping projects identified  key challenges that are useful for data mappers to consider:

  1. Accessing and analysing data: Issues such as lack of data availability and/or accessibility, trust in data security, and skills to analyse data impact and the use of, and demand for, secondary data.
  2. Coordinating stakeholders: Data mapping involves multiple stakeholders (e.g., government officials, researchers, and non-governmental organisations) and getting a commitment from and convening and coordinating stakeholders is challenging.
  3. Presentation and dissemination of the mapping project output: Decisions around the most effective means of cataloguing and visualising the mapping output (i.e., whether a presentation, report, database or dashboard) have not yet been ascertained.
  4. Resources: Scoping the timeline and human resources needed for the mapping project is difficult as the amount of data is unknown, existing skillsets within teams vary, and the availability of key stakeholders can be erratic.

What’s next for Unlocking Data?

The strength of Unlocking Data is in its community, therefore, we want to learn more from you! What are you or your organisation doing to support access, use, and sharing of education data? In the next few weeks, we’ll be launching our call for more content, so you’ll be able to share your experiences with the network! To keep up-to-date with our knowledge-sharing blogs, upcoming events, and report releases,  

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

LET’S BUILD UP THE NEXT GENERATION OF EDUCATION RESEARCHERS

Posted on by Lucy Heady in Blogs, Uncategorised

Have you ever had a performance review that really hit home? One where you felt maybe your manager could see into your soul? Mine came a few years ago. I had been called out for not doing enough to implement a new reporting system. In response I mumbled something about being under pressure with all the other things on my plate.

My manager looked me in the eyes and said, “the thing is Lucy, I know you, if you want to make something happen you can. You just didn’t care enough.” I had no come back. She was right. I hadn’t cared enough, but until that moment I had not seen that this was the problem.

If we, the global education sector, were to give ourselves a performance review, what is the thing we could make happen if only we cared enough? I point the finger at sharing data.

DATA SHARING HAS OFTEN BEEN SEEN AS A TRANSPARENCY ISSUE BUT IT IS SO MUCH MORE; IT IS A SECTOR-BUILDING ISSUE.

Much is made of the need to build education research capacity in the Global South and yet we fail to invest in one of the simplest ways to do this: let us match scholars from countries in the Global South and their students, with the data sets they need to become experts in education research.

The last 15 years has seen an explosion in research and evaluation in education. We are convinced by the power of strong monitoring and assessment to contribute to effective education systems. Of course, the critic can point to how far we lag behind the health sector or how we are still finding the right mix of research methods to properly influence policy and practice, but no one can deny the progress in understanding impact.

WHAT WE HAVE NOT CARED ABOUT ENOUGH IS SHARING THE RAW DATA.

Data sets languish on the hard drives of academics, consultants and funders. In the best case scenario, they are rigorously analysed and published in an open-access journal but frequently they will be used to develop private reports that benefit only a paying client.

If data is only ever analysed by those who collect it, we miss out on the wealth of human imagination that could be brought to bear on it.

Different perspectives bring new thinking, new ways of combining data across studies, new research questions.

Anyone who has done a Master’s degree in a social science knows the pain of finding a good data set to analyse for their dissertation. We go where the data sets are. Data availability defines entire academic careers. Opening up data attracts the best minds to a discipline and increases access to those without the resources to collect primary data.

Last year Addis Ababa University hosted a meeting with the REAL Centre at Cambridge and the Centre for Global Development for African leaders in education research, based on findings from the African Education Research Database. Lack of access to datasets was highlighted by those attending as a major barrier to improving the discipline of education research on the continent and increasing influence with policy-makers.

There are lots of reasons why sharing data is hard: it costs money, data must be properly anonymized, academics are keen to harvest the publications they can before sharing further and so on. But none of these are killer problems if we care enough.

There are numerous examples of data repositories from the UK Data Archive to the Global Health Observatory which have set up approaches to access and governance that suit the needs of their communities.

THE GLOBAL CRISIS CAUSED BY COVID-19 CHANGES THE CALCULUS AGAIN.

It unlikely that any new primary data will be collected for months and so all existing data has become even more precious. Many researchers and their students will have had their plans change. While many will be absorbed with responding to the crisis, there will also be many with analytical capacity to spare.

Let’s do what we can now to direct this spare capacity to the education sector and build up the next generation of education researchers.

As a first step, we would like to crowd-source a list of education data sets that are already available so that it is easier for interested researchers to access them.

The next blog in this series discusses how we can accelerate research on these data sets by scholars from sub-Saharan Africa and their students.

Now is the time to open up access to data sets in education, to release those spreadsheets from dusty hard drives. We can do this; we just need to care enough.

We are building a list of open access education data sets.

If you would like to add to this list, or contribute an idea to our blog series ‘Doing more with Data’ please email comms@essa-africa.org.

AFRICAN SCHOLARS MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE DATA WE NEED

Posted on by administrator in Blogs, Uncategorised

It is thought that the extended closure of education institutions following COVID-19 could worsen inequity in many ways. Scholars on the continent can use this moment to provide solutions through analysis of the situation and publication. However, the research output of African scholars has been the lowest in the world.

Connecting African scholars to quality data may help accelerate research output in Sub-Saharan Africa, and improve education and learning on the continent.

Though Africa is home to 17% of the world’s population, less than 1% of the global research output originates from Africa.

Some authors relate this to the poor ranking of African Universities. In the Ranking Web of Universities (2020), only 4 of the African Universities are ranked among the top 500 universities globally. All the 4 are from South Africa. The top ranked University of Cape Town is ranked 276th globally.

CHALLENGES FACED BY SCHOLARS IN AFRICA

Looking at what is written about this, the perspectives of African scholars are poorly represented. First, poorly matched by resources, the expansion of the university in the last decade has yielded an extremely poor lecturer to student ratio.

In most social science classes, it is common to find one lecturer in front of 1,000 students. The teaching workload, exacerbated by marking of scripts in an examination, rather than knowledge driven education system, is one untold scholarly nightmare.

Related to this, the low ratio of Ph.D. holders to graduate students has yielded very poor supervisor ratios. One scholar lamented:

“At one time in my early years of scholarly life I was supervising 11 PhDs and 24 Masters students.”

At the same time, the relatively low salary of university scholars, against the expectations of being the most educated in society, yields pressure. Scholars are often trapped in part-time teaching of commercial courses (referred to as moonlighting in Kenya) or leading a life of consultancies.

Access to research funding is poor, as most universities have sunk their capital into the development of infrastructure to accommodate the swelling student populations.

Combined, these circumstances present the worst recipe for research output.

NOT ALL IS GLOOMY, AND COVID-19 OFFERS MOMENTUM TO ACT

In 2018, documentation by Duermeijer and others established that in Africa, scientific production grew by 39 % between 2012 and 2016, the fastest in the world. However, much of what is published is in the health sector and other areas of the economy. Despite the fact that most scholars are in education (within universities), publications in education are relatively low.

The education closure following COVID-19 offers a moment of reflection on how we, African scholars, could change the landscape.

Though teaching is moving online for most universities, the burden of moving to class and marking physical scripts is less. Many research consultancies have dried up now, and a dip in field research opportunities is expected in the period of recovery that follows.

This period, and the next months, present a grand opportunity for scholars to pick up analysis and writing. This may be the best time for African scholars to pick up the broken pieces, and demonstrate their resilience.

CONNECTING SCHOLARS TO DATA AND TOOLS IS POSSIBLE

Many solutions to the improvement of scientific output have been sought, including facilitating greater access to data and analytical tools, increasing funding, and restoring a balance between teaching and research workloads.

Despite the low scientific output, the amount of data generated on Africa’s soil is immense. Most of these, however, sit idle on closed datasets and in unpublished research reports, gathering ‘dust’ in the hard disks and flash disks of scholars and programme officers.

While collecting good data is expensive, many organizations and funders have invested heavily to collect data on various development issues. Most of these datasets are hardly scratched to generate knowledge.

HOW COULD WE INSPIRE COLLABORATION BETWEEN DATA GENERATORS AND OWNERS, AND SCHOLARS IN AFRICA?

First, a call is made to African organizations and funding partners to make their data available, but also contribute modest resources to facilitate analysis and publication. Making data available is a powerful imperative to our commitment to Africa’s development.

On the other hand, senior scholars can work with junior scholars and graduate students to land on the data, mine knowledge, publish, tell our stories and help improve learning and development for Africa.

Investing in rapid cleaning, anonymization and publishing of data can be possible, as Africa is not low on statisticians. At the same time, creating fellowships is necessary to incentivize analysis, publication and presentation in conferences to share this knowledge.

Now we will wait to see who reads this, and who wants to achieve this goal with us. 

 We are building a list of open access education data sets. Here are some of the education data sets that are available by the Zizi Afrique Foundation, info@ziziafrique.org

  • A national study on youth and skills among youth not in education, employment or training in Kenya (2019).
  • A study of youth supply and demand among entry level youth employees and employers in various sectors in Kenya (2019).
  • A study on youth and skills among youth not in education, employment or training in Kenya (2019). 

If you would like to add to this list, or contribute an idea to our blog series ‘Doing more with Data’ please email comms@essa-africa.org.

ESSA, DJY, ZIZI AFRIQUE AND EDTECH HUB HOLD UNLOCKING DATA WORKSHOP

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We held a workshop with Decent Jobs for Youth, EdTech Hub and Zizi Afrique to get stakeholders’ views on data relating to youth skills and employment.

On the 6th of May 2021, our workshop brought together over 70 stakeholders in the education sector and industry from over 8 countries: Columbia, Pakistan, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Canada, and India.

Moderated by John Mugo, Executive Director of Zizi Afrique, the launch saw the participation of various representatives of organizations including the International Labour Organization, MasterCard foundation, eBASE Africa, VVOB, UNICEF, GIZ, UNFPA and Traore Consulting. Through breakout sessions, participants shared their experiences, challenges and solutions in accessing data on education & youth employment in Africa.

In regions where government data is limited, unlocking the patchwork of data collected for baseline evaluations, landscaping studies and feasibility assessments would give decision makers a bigger picture of the state of education in their countries.

John Mugo, who participated in one of the breakout sessions aimed to interact with many people from different contexts to deepen his own understanding and sensitize his attitude on how stakeholders could do better for the benefit of all youth globally.

“The biggest gap is the use of evidence to connect trainers and employers to transform the way youth access opportunities post-training.”

The Chief Executive Officer of ESSA, Lucy Heady was grateful to participants for their contributions and highlighted the need for more collaborations to improve education and work for young people in Africa.

“So much energy, so much ambition from the group, it was really exciting to see”.

Visit the new Youth Foresight, a knowledge facility launched by Decent Jobs for Youth in partnership with Generation Unlimited. Tap into this network of knowledge, action and resources; supporting more jobs for young people.