Implementation Research in support of ecosystems - Implementation Research under SHARE

• In Event: Learning in groups, learning in loops using data for development: Implementation research grant makers

Proposal

Through its implementation research grant-making process, Supporting Holistic and Actionable Research in Education (SHARE) employed a process that aligned with other implementation research grantmakers working in FLN and provided opportunities to generate evidence from both USAID-funded interventions and locally based implementing and research organizations. This included a dual-tiered approach of 1) forging multi-country studies with existing USAID activities, and 2) attracting complementary projects to study through a small grants mechanism, inspired by the efforts of uBoraBora.

The SHARE-led multi-country studies and the SHARE-supported small grants will support a set of prioritized USAID learning agenda questions. The selection of implementation research opportunities to pursue was based on their ability to generate evidence across different contexts about why and how similar interventions work and for whom (Allison, 2023).

Multi-country studies: SHARE commenced its multi-country study process with introductory virtual meetings with previously identified USAID Missions. These then proceeded to virtual meetings with their respective Implementing Partners and the UND SHARE research team. An important aspect of these meetings was for SHARE to present its plans for implementation research in a compelling way that elicited concurrence from the Implementing Partner. It focused principally on the struggle of the education sector to understand if what we are doing is having as strong of an effect as it can, especially as it tries to navigate changing contexts and more complex issues. For those that agree to the study, the design process culminates with a two-day, in-country co-creation workshop that includes USAID/EDU, SHARE UND, SHARE in-country partners, the USAID Country Mission, and the Implementing Partner alongside policymakers in local government, program participants, and external funders.

Small-grant mechanism: Through a parallel process, SHARE sought applications from both USAID implementers and other locally based implementing and research organizations that would complement the multi-country studies in the learning areas they explored. Given the overlapping goals of the SHARE and uBoraBora grants, in preparation for the call for applications, the SHARE team met with the uBoraBora team to learn about their grantmaking process. The SHARE team aligned its application with the uBoraBora application to make it easier for uBoraBora applicants to apply for the SHARE grant.

Applications were expected to approach the research process in a way that contributed to the capacity of evidence ecosystems to generate, translate, and use high-quality evidence to facilitate programmatic and investment decisions. The small grants application process coupled a brief narrative description of the research opportunity together with 90-minute co-creation sessions with short-listed applicants.

Through these processes, SHARE is setting up a series of complementary studies that invite co-creation with a broad spectrum of actors while promoting opportunities for exchange, mentorship, and localization. The grant-making process is the first of many opportunities to collaborate with uBoraBora, Global Schools Forum, and What Works Hub to exchange valuable lessons on supporting implementation research in FLN through small grants.

Author

• Nancy Rydberg, University of Notre Dame