Toward data-driven education systems: What information do education leaders want and need?

To foster learning-centered and equitable education systems, policymakers need to know where and why learning gaps exist in their systems, and what strategies will close those gaps. High-quality data and analyses are essential in this regard.

Governments and international organizations have undertaken considerable effort to develop data collection systems, generate evidence on programs and policies, and use data and evidence in decisionmaking. There has been little research, however, on the types of information education decisionmakers in developing countries value, how they use information, and how to break the barriers to more data- and evidence-informed decisionmaking.

On February 21, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and AidData co-hosted a presentation and panel discussion on their new report “Toward data-driven education systems: Insights into using information to measure results and manage change.” The event shared findings from two unique global surveys that assess the use of data and evidence by education leaders in developing countries. Among those surveyed were senior and mid-level government officials, in-country staff of development partners, and domestic civil society leaders.

Participants took audience questions after each session.