Evidence and Policy
Education research produces a wealth of data and evidence, but the uptake and use of evidence in education policy, planning and implementation is limited in many countries. This is due to two broken feedback loops: a) between researchers and policy makers and b) between global and local levels.
Data and evidence inform policy makers about which policies and programmes work and which may not. More learners and educators could enjoy inclusive quality education if their learning environments, content and methods were informed by data and evidence. This is the rationale for the SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) to promote evidence-based policy formulation and implementation through its Policy and Evidence Technical Committee.
To address this issue, the HLSC’s Evidence and Policy Technical Committee promotes cooperation and harmonized actions aimed at strengthening the institutional capacities of education authorities to use data and evidence for policy, planning and implementation with three objectives:
- Strengthen country capacity: Support governments in increasing accessibility of locally relevant research and evidence syntheses and in using data and evidence for policymaking, planning, and implementation.
- Promote regional cooperation: Build knowledge and policy bridges between global and country levels through support for regional SDG4 coordination mechanisms, cooperation, peer learning and knowledge sharing.
- Produce global public goods and advocate for evidence-based policy: Produce knowledge products and tools to support and advocate for country-level uptake and use of evidence for education policy making, planning and implementation.
Evidence and Policy Learning Series
The Evidence and Policy Learning Series is designed as peer learning webinars aiming to address knowledge-policy-practice gaps throughout the policy cycle by bringing together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and relevant stakeholders to discuss their experiences and learn from each other in using evidence in policy and practice to make change. Learning Series webinars are structured around key stages of the policy cycle, with each session zooming into evidence use and uptake in a distinct phase. The first four webinars began in July 2024. All sessions are offered online.
