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The Learning Generation Initiative
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Dear Partners and Friends, | |
We are thrilled to present the vision and direction for the Learning Generation Initiative (LGI) over the next three years. Building upon the legacy of the Education Commission, LGI has transitioned into its new phase, hosted by Education Development Center (EDC). We, Dr. Liesbet Steer, President & CEO of EDC, and Amy Bellinger, Director of Programs at LGI, are excited about this transition.
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As its own team within EDC, LGI remains committed to advancing the Commission’s Learning Generation vision of all children and youth in school and learning the skills they need to be successful in work and life. We have refreshed our strategy and our updated mission is to empower the people within and connected to education systems to enable all children to be learning within a generation.
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To achieve this, we are focusing on three transformation areas: | |
Throughout these, we will have a strong focus on addressing marginalization, building system resilience, and facilitating cross-sectoral collaboration.
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We will continue to use our Analyze, Act, Amplify approach to drive impact, working with governments and other partners to undertake and synthesize research (Analyze), undertake policy engagement, co-design and testing (Act), and to influence collaborative action at all levels (Amplify). More information on our strategy, website and champions to follow soon!
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Now housed at EDC, LGI will be able to draw on and contribute to EDC’s deep operational and technical expertise which includes extensive international implementation and system strengthening work in basic and higher education, youth and workforce development, psychosocial, mental health and adolescent health.
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Your collaboration, suggestions, and feedback are invaluable as we work towards a future where all children can learn what they need to succeed in life. Wishing you a happy, healthy, and fruitful 2024!
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The Education Workforce Initiative (EWI)’s vision is for all countries to have a strong education workforce that is designed and supported to collaborate with each other and those outside the education system to achieve learning for all. | |
Building on the work, EWI has done to date, we will continue to focus on these three objectives: - Strengthen school and system leadership
- Improve the supply and quality of teaching for the most marginalized
- Advance the use of the learning teams approach
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Our work with Ghana and Sierra Leone has continued since EWI began working with these countries five years ago. In the first phase of the Ghana Education Service Workforce Initiative, together with PwC Ghana, we worked with the government to re-design the GES organization structure from school to national level. Over the past year, we have been working as a learning partner on the implementation phase of this pioneering system reform. Working with Research Trust Limited, we led the first learning cycle, capturing key lessons that have informed adaptation of the implementation. We will continue to lead learning cycles and undertake research throughout the implementation. | |
We have a new partnership with T-TEL in Ghana, supporting the Leaders in Teaching secondary education reform initiated by the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service. We are providing research support for the leadership aspects of the program and designing an evaluation approach for the training of teachers through the National Service Scheme. | |
Funded by UK FCDO, our ongoing collaboration with Sierra Leone's Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education builds on the nationwide school leadership program co-developed last year with Education Development Trust, Fab Inc and EducAid and now being implemented at secondary level. We are developing policy guidelines for school leaders and will support the TSC to enhance equitable teacher deployment and explore options for alternative initial teacher education and innovative professional development approaches. | |
Looking ahead, our research plans include a partnership with UNESCO IIEP for a multi-country research agenda on the middle tier's role in teaching and learning. Our collaboration with the Open University continues to research different types of learning teams across countries. Our evidence on learning teams has been referenced in the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel’s Smart Buys paper presented at ICERDA 2023 and accepted for CIES 2024, and this blog offers insights from our ongoing research. | |
For more information on our Education Workforce Initiative, please contact: kgodwin@edc.org. | |
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DeliverEd ended in June 2023, so we’re at the start of developing our new strategy which includes building on what we have achieved earlier. Under the FCDO funded DeliverEd program of the Education Commission, four years of research was conducted on the efficacy of delivery approaches in implementing education reforms. This was done in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government (BSG) at the University of Oxford and research partners in five countries (Ghana, Jordan, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Tanzania). | |
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Nine working papers have been published, attracting widespread attention (the global mapping paper alone garnered over 1,000 downloads). Furthermore, three papers have been accepted for publication in academic journals. | |
The system delivery transformation or strand builds upon the work done under DeliverEd and we are now focusing on two important areas that emerged from that research that are in high demand or under researched. Our goal is to improve delivery through better prioritization, use of data, and problem solving to achieve learning for all. | |
We will work with countries to:- Use evidence and data to prioritize, problem-solve, and improve organizational learning at all levels of the education system – particularly the sub-national and school levels and prioritizing the middle tier and the most marginalized.
- Embed problem-solving practices throughout the delivery chain as we found that governments and institutions are good at accountability but less at problem-solving.
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We will develop a research agenda for understanding barriers, enablers, and positive practices for problem-solving. We will be working with EDC to synthesize practical examples of building capacity for data for decision-making. As part of the What Works Hub, we will develop a delivery toolkit for govts to use when considering delivery approaches. We will continue to promote the DeliverEd findings, share evidence, undertake political engagement, influence global fora and publications, and lead the African Policymakers forum. | |
For more information on our system delivery work, please contact: clee@edc.org . | |
School Health and Nutrition | |
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The goal of our School Health and Nutrition transformation is for governments to prioritize investments in school health and nutrition to advance equitable access to education and learning for all. Our objectives by 2027 are to work with countries to mobilize innovative, domestic, and donor financing for school feeding and promote the cross-sectoral value of school meals beyond financing. | |
Our Sustainable Financing Initiative within the School Meals Coalition has been gaining momentum, supported by WFP, Rockefeller Foundation, and BMZ. With a focus on reforming food systems, addressing climate change, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, our recently launched paper on food systems underscores the critical role of school meals. | |
In February, we are set to release a paper on international donor financing for school meals, highlighting the importance of more transparent reporting on school feeding spend. Innovation is at the forefront of our efforts, as we collaborate with the Overseas Development Initiative and Develop Finance International to explore debt swaps, climate finance and earmarked taxes, our research aims to illuminate new avenues for financing school feeding. | |
Our country financing strategies work is gaining traction, as we partner with six countries this year to develop sustainable financing strategies for school feeding. We have developed a methodology and costing tool to support this work, and we welcome inquiries for widespread sharing. Additionally, we are actively seeking public financing experts with a strong understanding of Ministries of Finance in Africa and Asia, please contact us if you have relevant skills. | |
Our long-term strategy includes expanding our current scope of work to explore research gaps on school-based health and nutrition that complements school meals, and to explore opportunities to support governments on areas beyond financing. | |
For more information on our school health and nutrition initiatives, please contact: kkullman@edc.org | |
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The Learning Generation Initiative (LGI), formerly the Education Commission, is a global initiative encouraging greater progress on Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education—ensuring inclusive and quality education and promoting lifelong learning for all.
© 1994 - 2024 Education Development Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | |
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