Applying implementation research in education – good practices, tools and case studies based on a Building Evidence in Education (BE2) guidance note

Group Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Description of Session

Although many interventions aiming to improve quality, inclusion, and equity in education have been tested around the world, it is not always clear from the existing research base why they work, for whom they work, and what are the defining contextual circumstances under which they work. As governments and education funders aim to design and fund lifelong learning opportunities that are based on empirical and observational methodological and theoretical approaches, having answers to these questions is critical. Implementation research (IR) is an important tool in researchers’ toolbox to get these answers. While the health sector has used implementation research extensively, it is still less prevalent in education.

To address this gap, Building Evidence in Education (BE2), a working group of 40 education funders, including the World Bank, UNICEF, FCDO, USAID, other bi- and multilateral funders and foundations, commissioned the development of a new guidance note for the global education sector that will provide practical guidance for governments, donors, researchers, and implementing partners on how to integrate IR in education development programs and how to best leverage its results.

In this session, BE2 members (FCDO, UNHCR, UNICEF and USAID) and a representative from NORRAG will use the forthcoming guidance note as a basis for presentations, share recommendations and practice examples on how IR can be used effectively and efficiently in education projects, and provide an opportunity for open discussion about successes and challenges among workshop participants.

BE2 has defined IR as “the scientific inquiry into questions concerning implementation—the act of carrying an intention into effect, which in [education] research can be policies, programmes, or individual practices (collectively called interventions).” It is an “examination of what works, for whom, under what contextual circumstances, and whether interventions are scalable in equitable ways.” [BE2 Guidance Note, 2022. Forthcoming]
In this session, participants will learn:
• Why and when they should use implementation research
• Tips for designing IR and integrating it into ongoing implementation
• Advice on how to use IR for adaptive management
• IR examples
In addition to presentations, participants will participate in small group discussions based on a hypothetical scenario.
Furthermore, participants will also be able to share their own IR project(s) and questions and discuss with other participants and the presenters.

Agenda: (approximate time in brackets)
· Welcome and introduction (5)
· Topic introduction: Why IR? (5)
· Presentation 1: Stakeholder Engagement and IR Design (10 min) and Q&A (5)
· Small group discussion based on a scenario and feedback in plenary (35)
· Presentation 2: How to integrate IR into ongoing implementation (10) and Q&A (5)
· Small group discussion based on a scenario and feedback in plenary (35)
· Break (15)
· Presentation 3: How to use IR for adaptive management (10) and Q&A (5)
· Discussions in small groups about participants’ own projects, successes, challenges and their questions (20)
· Plenary discussion - breakout group feedback and general Q&A (25)
· Closing (5)
(Hand-outs and link to the guidance note will be provided).

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Workshops, Book launches, and Visual Art Exhibits / Pre-Conference Workshop

Workshop Organizers

• Maria Brindlmayer, Building Evidence in Education (BE2)/KM Excell

• Moira V Faul, NORRAG, Geneva Graduate Institute

• Jessica Bergmann, Unicef - Office of Research, Innocenti

• Cirenia Chavez Villegas, UNHCR

Presenters

• Elena Walls, USAID

• Christine Allison, Data and Development Strategies, LLC