Collaboration for sustainable change: Establishing an education assessment resource hub in Kenya

• In Event: A Data-Driven Approach to Foundational Learning and Peacebuilding

Proposal

This presentation will reflect on insights from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER) experience collaborating on the establishment of a regional centre of excellence for educational assessment that supports the effort in obtaining and reporting data for foundational learning. The project exemplifies a national/regional led initiative where the national stakeholders identify needs and determine paths, and international partners support through responding to the needs and ‘standing behind’ local experts to facilitate success and identifying means of delivery that is the most effective and sustainable for the context beyond the project.
The Educational Assessment Resource Centre (EARC) is a hub dedicated to sharing insights, best practice, existing resources, and expertise with technical and political stakeholders across Eastern Africa and beyond. Initiated by KNEC, the EARC is a local/regional-led community which helps to upskill stakeholders and practitioners in understanding and delivering assessment good practices in general. One of the critical components is to support countries’ commitment and efforts to better monitor and report on foundational learning through better understanding of assessment choices and consideration, and the technical requirements in assessment implementation and data utilisation. The project’s methodology offers a potential model for reshaping how knowledge is mobilised on an international scale without radical change to the sector. This presentation will also explore how the structure and strategies of this project have supported effective and more balanced cross-country/south-north collaboration and south-south exchange.

Author

• Pei-tseng Jenny Hsieh, National Foundation for Educational Research