Strengthening and Promoting Education Data Systems and Utilization: Lessons from the UNICEF Data Must Speak Research

• In Event: Embedding Evidence into Education Systems: Results from three global grant projects

Proposal

The Data Must Speak (DMS) Positive Deviance Research is based on the core belief that the most important change agents in education are grassroot-level stakeholders (e.g., teachers, headteachers and communities). It aims to (1) identify school-level practices and behaviours that are leading some schools in a country to perform better than peer schools in similar contexts and with similar levels of resources and (2) investigate potential levers and mechanisms for scaling these positive deviant practices to lower performing schools. The DMS research incorporates a mixed method, positive deviance research approach, generating insights from behavioural sciences, implementation research, and scaling science.

DMS aims at embedding its research within participating countries’ education systems to strengthen and maximize evidence use. This is done through research co-creation and co-implementation. The DMS research is conceptualized and implemented from the outset with Ministries of Education and other key partners and stakeholders in the country. It sets up and engages in-country core and technical working groups, which are comprised of representatives from the MoE, bilateral- and multilateral development partners and experts, academics, and school and community members, among others. In addition, all primary research outputs are drafted and produced together with the in-country groups.

Part of the objectives of the DMS research is to leverage the extensive power of existing administrative datasets (e.g. EMIS – Education Management Information System and national examinations data). The research team and the in-country TWG work hand-in-hand to merge and analyze those datasets. This process ensures that the countries’ education data system is robust and effective, especially in exploring the resources and contextual factors associated with school performance.

The DMS research team following more than two years of implementation with 14+ participating countries across three continents have learned many lessons on how to efficiently engage with country partners, how to co-create meaningfully, and how to best leverage existing datasets. This presentation aims at highlighting some of those lessons learned and best practices while also focusing on the team’s shortcomings and mitigation strategies.

This session contributes important knowledge and “know-how” on several ongoing global education discussions, including:
1. How to co-create and co-implement large-scale education research with Ministries of Education, development partners, and academics?
2. How can existing administrative datasets be leveraged to address education challenges?
3. How can research play a vital role in ensuring strengthening of education data systems and utilization for more data-informed decision-making?
4. What are some of the best practices and lessons learned from coordinating multi-country education research across contexts?

Authors

• Jessica Bergmann, Unicef - Office of Research, Innocenti

• Renaud Comba, UNICEF