Getting to ownership and use of information: the case of Uganda in Ministry-led Early Grade Reading Assessment and Action Research

• In Event: Better “M” for better “E”: What is the price of data ownership?

Proposal

How do we get governments or individuals to use information and data to change or adapt to improve systems and outcomes for beneficiaries or themselves? The literature (and our own experiences) tells us that early and wide involvement in planning for and carrying out information gathering or data collection efforts is key. The USAID/Uganda School Health and Reading Program (SHRP) works through existing Ministry systems to provide reading instruction in 12 local languages and English to over 3,000 primary schools. A major focus of the program has been on increasing the use of evidence to inform programs and improve performance. This presentation highlights examples of program support to the Ministry to take the lead in information generation to increase “buy in” of results and, ultimately, action. Ministries (and affiliated institutions) are made up of people with priorities, skills, and interests. We will highlight two examples of how committed individuals and organizations worked to institutionalize locally-led data generation and utilization. In the first, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) undertook their own Early Grade Reading Assessment. In the second, we will explore how National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) staff explored a lack of reading progress in one region, which provided key insights into what was happening (or not happening) during reading lessons, with implications nationwide (and beyond).
The UNEB EGRA is being used to monitor effectiveness of the early grade reading component of the Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project supported by the Global Partnership for Education (which uses the same materials and methods as SHRP). Action research was used to inform how early grade reading teachers are taught to teach reading, how teaching and learning materials are developed, and what to look for when observing a reading lesson (hint: you need to see children actually reading).
This presentation is intended to spark a discussion on replicable best practices in engaging in meaningful dialogue and partnerships around data needs and use.

Authors

• Tracy Brunette, RTI International

• Sarah Natunga, National Curriculum Development Centre, Government of Uganda

• Amos Opaman, Uganda National Examinations Board