Advancing Equity Through Data: Strengthening Malawi’s Foundational Learning Evidence Ecosystem

• In Event: Unlocking Foundational Learning Data in Africa: Bridging Data Silos for Equity and Peace

Proposal

This presentation examines the particularities of Malawi’s foundational learning (FL) data and evidence landscape, synthesises key findings from our situational analysis and Evidence Gap Map (EGM), and shares emerging solutions. Malawi’s FL landscape is shaped by persistent challenges relating to accessibility, ownership, and system integration. Restrictive data sharing norms have created an environment where government-generated datasets remain siloed and fragmented, limiting their integration into national data systems.
Administrative data sources, such as the annual school census, are particularly underutilised. The evidence base itself is narrow, with disproportionate emphasis placed on literacy and, to a lesser extent, numeracy and socioemotional learning, non-cognitive skills, creating an imbalanced evidence ecosystem. This constrains both comprehensive understanding and policy relevance. Although Malawi has made progress in generating FL data, the lack of systematic integration and the limited scope of inquiry hinder the ability to translate evidence into action.
To address the fragmentation and imbalance, an EGM was conducted to review available research. The latter shows a strong concentration of studies on core academic skills, particularly literacy and numeracy, with literacy slightly more represented in the evidence base. Teacher knowledge and instructional practices, especially in the domains of professional development and structured pedagogy, also receive considerable attention. These findings somewhat reflect international donor priorities and the dominant focus of large-scale programs implemented in Malawi over the past two decades.
The EGM also highlights important areas of neglect. Evidence on early childhood development, parental and community engagement, school feeding, and health-related interventions is relatively scarce. Similarly, interventions targeting social and emotional learning, as well as behavioural approaches, remain under-examined within the Malawian context. This uneven distribution of evidence underscores the need to broaden research investments beyond traditional academic outcomes to include more holistic dimensions of education and child development.
In response to these challenges, guided by a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) framework, the Unlocking Data Initiative has collaborated closely with Ministry of Education teams to identify and address critical weaknesses in the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
In collaboration with EMIS teams in two pilot districts, the entire data management chain–from schools to the central ministry–was reviewed. This DBIR participatory process involved revising data collection tools, harmonising reporting processes, and eliminating duplication, which had previously caused data collector fatigue and compromised accuracy. The redesigned system aims to streamline data flows, enhance data quality, and improve the usability of information for both local and national decision-making.
A pilot of the revised EMIS approach is scheduled in the two districts to generate critical lessons on feasibility, scalability, and sustainability, with the ultimate goal of informing national-level reforms. The Malawian experience illustrates the complexity of strengthening FL data ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. While challenges of fragmentation, accessibility, and narrow evidence focus persist, initiatives such as the EGM and DBIR demonstrate that systematic mapping, collaborative design, and iterative reform can create pathways toward more integrated and impactful data systems.

Author

• Esme Chipo Kadzamira, University of Malawi