{"id":2850384,"date":"2025-02-14T17:10:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T22:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/?p=2850384"},"modified":"2025-02-24T14:58:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T19:58:27","slug":"mechanisms-and-initiatives-that-connect-evidence-production-and-use-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/articles\/mechanisms-and-initiatives-that-connect-evidence-production-and-use-in-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Mechanisms and initiatives that connect evidence production and use in education"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many existing networks dedicated to connecting global evidence producers and users. Many education evidence programmes, often funded by partners in the Global North, have teams working within country contexts. These teams usually have their own mechanisms for connecting evidence producers and users. In the broader evidence architecture, EdLabs<\/a> and evidence units in governments play a key role in ensuring better utilisation of global evidence by users in local contexts. Communities of practice are also vital for bridging different stakeholders, such as government officials, researchers, funders, and practitioners. These communities and the working groups within them are important mechanisms for improving the links between producers and users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, there is significant work being done around evidence databases, which organisations like What Works Hub are championing. These databases help classify and categorise evidence, making it easily accessible and searchable, often based on country or other categories. Capacity-building efforts, such as training programmes and professional networks, further help educators and policymakers engage with and implement evidence-based practices. Digital platforms and repositories, including the EPPI and Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel, facilitate knowledge sharing and rapid access to relevant studies. Ultimately, though, the most effective mechanism depends on the specific context of the country. The tools we deploy need to be relevant to the local situation to ensure they\u2019re truly effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ensuring that the questions of local policymakers inform global evidence syntheses requires a deliberate and collaborative approach. Engagement platforms where policymakers can directly communicate their needs to researchers are crucial. Collaborative research models should involve local stakeholders from the beginning to ensure that their concerns and priorities are central to the research agenda. Feedback mechanisms, such as periodic consultations or review sessions, should allow users of global evidence to provide input on its relevance and applicability. Additionally, the producers of global evidence syntheses need to be proactive in seeking out local input and adapting their findings to address specific regional contexts. This two-way interaction can create a more dynamic and responsive evidence ecosystem<\/span><\/p>\n

The table below presents a few examples of existing mechanisms that aim to improve the connections between the global evidence synthesis producers and users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Mechanism\/Initiative<\/b><\/td>\nDelivery Institution<\/b><\/td>\nDescription<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EPPI<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nUniversity College London, UK<\/span><\/td>\nThe Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre) is a research organisation based at University College London (UCL). It specialises in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis to inform policy and practice across various sectors, including education, health, social policy, and international development.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP)<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nWorld Bank<\/span><\/td>\nLaunched in July 2020, the<\/span> Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP)<\/span><\/a> is an independent, cross-disciplinary body composed of leading education experts from around the world. Its mandate is to provide succinct, usable, and policy-focused recommendations to support policymakers\u2019 decision-making on education investments in low- and middle-income countries.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What Works Hub<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nBlavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford), the UK government\u2019s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the British Council, Building Evidence in Education (BE2), the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), the Learning Generation Initiative, USAID, UNICEF Innocenti, UNESCO-IIEP, the World Bank and the Jacobs Foundation.<\/span><\/td>\nThe What Works Hub for Global Education is an international partnership working out how to implement education reforms at scale, with the ultimate goal of increasing literacy, numeracy and other key skills in low- and middle-income countries.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EdLabs<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nJacobs Foundation<\/span><\/td>\nEdLabs are dynamic hubs that foster innovation and evidence-informed decision-making in education. They work to bridge the divide between global and local education systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Education Endowment Fund<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nEducation Endowment Fund, UK<\/span><\/td>\nThe Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) plays a key role in synthesising and translating research evidence to guide schools and policymakers in adopting effective teaching strategies. Through its flagship initiative, the Teaching and Learning Toolkit, the EEF provides schools with accessible summaries of research, offering insights into the cost, impact, and security of various educational practices. This toolkit has become a trusted resource for schools worldwide, helping educators make informed decisions about how to allocate resources, including pupil premium funding.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Q-Project, Monash University, Australia<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nMonash University, Australia<\/span><\/td>\nIt was a research project that investigated how research evidence is used in schools, and how to support educators to better use that evidence in their practice.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Luker Foundation<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nFundaci\u00f3n Luker, Colombia<\/span><\/td>\nFundaci\u00f3n Luker, based in Manizales, Colombia, has been at the forefront of addressing structural issues in education for over 30 years. Rather than traditional philanthropy, their approach treats Manizales as a “social learning lab” where local stakeholders\u2014schools, teachers, parents, and government\u2014collaborate to improve educational outcomes, particularly in reading, mathematics, and social-emotional learning. Through programs like Aprendamos a Leer and Escuela Activa, the foundation implements evidence-based interventions tailored to the local context, ensuring they are both effective and sustainable. Their overarching goal is to develop replicable, scalable models that can be transferred to other municipalities across Colombia.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
E-base Africa<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nE-base Africa, Cameroon<\/span><\/td>\nBased in Cameroon, they\u00a0 use storytelling to translate evidence in a compelling way. They combine rigorous systematic reviews based on global evidence with localised translation methods. Instead of presenting technical reports, they share findings through oral storytelling with local stakeholders, making the evidence more accessible and actionable.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SUMMA<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nInter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Fundaci\u00f3n Chile.<\/span><\/td>\nThis is a knowledge hub for Latin America and the Caribbean. They focus on embedding evidence directly into policy reforms, considering the political landscape in Chile, and working closely with the government. Both organisations engage policymakers in the evidence-generation process. They also use evaluation funding to improve the understanding of government policies. These are two contrasting examples, but both emphasise building strong relationships with key stakeholders.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
UK Area of Research Interest (ARI)<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nUK Government<\/span><\/td>\nUK ARI sees all government departments producing, publishing and updating a list of priority research topics, in order to create a cross-government set of priorities, including at the local level.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Parliamentary research week<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nParliament of UK and also held in the Uganda, Austria, Canada and Ghana<\/span><\/td>\nPioneered by the Parliament of Uganda and also held in the UK, Austria, Canada and Ghana, offer spaces for MPs to engage with research and evidence-production organisations from across the local ecosystem\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Semana de la Evidencia<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nOTT, Evidence Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean (Hub LAC)<\/span><\/td>\nSemana de la Evidencia (\u2018evidence week\u2019) in Latin America is a platform that brings together various interested parties dedicated to exchanging experiences in the field of evidence-informed policy. It aims to promote the use of evidence in public policy and improve the conversation between decision-makers and researchers. The evidence week started as a Peruvian initiative in 2016 and generated interest across the region.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brookings FSCE (Family, School, Community Engagement)<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nBrookings Institution, US<\/span><\/td>\nThe Brookings Institution’s <\/span>Family, School, and Community Engagement (FSCE) initiative, part of the Center for Universal Education, focuses on building strong partnerships among families, schools, and communities to enhance student learning and development.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Building Tomorrow<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nBuilding Tomorrow, Uganda<\/span><\/td>\nBuilding Tomorrow is a non-profit organisation based in Uganda that focuses on improving educational outcomes for underserved communities by engaging community members, recent university graduates, and volunteers in creating and supporting sustainable educational programs. Building Tomorrow\u2019s work is centred around its Roots to Rise program, which is inspired by the Teaching at the Right Level (TARL) methodology and emphasises community involvement in solving the education challenges that local communities face.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
D3E, Brazil<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nStanford University, US<\/span><\/td>\nThe Disseminating Evidence-based Policy Research (D3E) project, affiliated with the Lemann Center at Stanford University, focuses on key issues in Brazilian education. The project plans to produce reports and host events assessing the role of new technologies in enhancing school and student performance.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Africa Evidence Network<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nPan African Collective Evidence<\/span><\/td>\nAEN is\u00a0 a community of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders committed to advancing evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) across Africa.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Education Evidence Network<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nQueen Rania Foundation, SUMMA, E-base Africa, Evidence for Learning, Leer Punt, Education Review Office, Education Endowment Fund, La caixa Foundation, NRO, Llywodraeth Cymru Welsh Government<\/span><\/td>\nEEN is a global collaborative initiative dedicated to improving educational equity by promoting the use of high-quality evidence in teaching and learning. The network aims to make research findings accessible to educators and policymakers, enabling them to implement effective strategies that benefit disadvantaged children and young people.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NORRAG<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nGraduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland<\/span><\/td>\nNORRAG is a global network focused on international education and development policies. NORRAG works to bridge the gap between research, policy, and practice by facilitating dialogue and knowledge exchange among policymakers, researchers, and practitioners worldwide.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FLN Hub Africa<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nUNICEF, J-PAL, Pratham & Delivery Associates<\/span><\/td>\nThis is a resource hub that provides guidance on improving an education system\u2019s capacity to deliver on children\u2019s foundational learning success.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE)\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Australia\u2019s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)<\/span><\/td>\nRISE is a global research initiative focused on understanding how education systems can be reformed to improve learning outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Launched in 2015, it\u00a0 aims to go beyond individual interventions and examine system-level changes that can drive sustainable improvements in education.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Global Coalition for Evidence<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nWorld Health Organisation (WHO)<\/span><\/td>\nThis is a WHO informal collaborative network of stakeholder organisations, united by a common goal to strengthen the global evidence ecosystem to improve health and well-being throughout the world. It aims to leverage the collective expertise and resources of its members to foster the integration of different evidence ecosystem workstreams and advance the institutionalisation of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) globally.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KIX Hub<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nGlobal Partnership for Education, IDRC<\/span><\/td>\nKIX helps lower-income countries identify and close knowledge gaps, strengthen their ability to use knowledge, and bring innovations to scale so that more children get a quality education. KIX works to build the capacity of education actors to produce, integrate and scale knowledge and innovation in partner countries.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Smartbuys Report<\/span><\/a><\/td>\nGEEAP<\/span><\/td>\nThe ‘Smart Buys’ report is an evidence-based tool designed to improve learning outcomes through identifying cost-effective approaches to education around the world.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are many existing networks dedicated to connecting global evidence producers and users. Many education evidence programmes, often funded by partners in the Global North, have teams working within country contexts. These teams usually have their own mechanisms for connecting evidence producers and users. In the broader evidence architecture, EdLabs and evidence units in governments […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[525,3442],"class_list":["post-2850384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-education","tag-evidence-use","article-types-research","people-racheal-makokha","theme-better-informed-policy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2850384"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2850433,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850384\/revisions\/2850433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2850384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2850384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}