Design-Based Implementation Research Report: Cycle 2. Scaling Data Use in Subnational Education Systems in Kenya

Kenya's foundational learning ecosystem does not suffer from a lack of data. It suffers from a persistent gap between what is collected and what is used.

The Unlocking Data Initiative's second Design-Based Implementation Research cycle set out to close that gap at the county level, working across five counties to shift data from a compliance exercise into a genuine decision-making tool.

The results are candid about both progress and remaining fragility. Data officer roles are being formalised. Real administrative decisions, from teacher deployment to water infrastructure prioritisation, are now being informed by locally generated data. At the same time, technical hosting capacity, staff turnover, and the absence of formal HR recognition remain open challenges for the next cycle.

This is useful reading for anyone working on data systems, strengthening governance, or implementing education policy in decentralised government contexts.

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