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.

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Unlocking the Power of Data in Africa’s Education Sector

Posted on by administrator in Blogs
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!