More than 40 GPE KIX focal points and other education policy stakeholders (18 women, 24 men) from 18 countries in Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on May 25th, 2023, for the first workshop of the course Evidence-based Policymaking for Education in Africa, part of UNESCO IICBA’s Policy Academy. The aims of the workshop were to:
- provide an understanding of the need to use evidence in policymaking and how to do so effectively;
- engage KIX focal points in a reflection of case studies from countries on evidence used to inform policy; and
- encourage KIX focal points to ask relevant policy questions based on their context.
The morning session consisted of presentations about evidence-based policy development processes. Presenters from UNESCO IICBA expounded on various case studies, including early marriage and girls’ education, ICT education, teacher training, teacher motivation, and peace education in Africa. KIX focal points learned the importance of evidence-based problem identification and policy question development to formulate efficient policy and interventions. In the afternoon session, they proposed research questions based on what they had learned earlier in the day. Participants were given the opportunity to clarify their research questions after the workshop.
Following the Policy Academy workshop on May 25th, focal points of the KIX Africa 19 Hub gathered virtually on May 30th and 31st, 2023, to narrow down their policy questions for research and evidence-based policymaking. Each country received personalized feedback from experts, including UNESCO staff and professors at different universities across Africa, for their research questions. Focal points will conduct a reflective case study on self-directed policy questions and receive continued support from UNESCO staff and select expert researchers through the next few months. KIX focal points will present their papers and policy recommendations at the 2nd Continental Research Symposium from Oct. 3rd to 5th, 2023, which aims at strengthening their capacity for policy research and analysis for evidence-based policy development.
