Education policy and strategy

We work with policymakers and ministries of education around the world to address these challenges and ensure that all schools in their education systems receive highly effective support. We provide technical expertise and support policy development, strategy design, and implementation, as well as data informed decision-making and capacity building, in areas as diverse as curricula, assessment, inspections, teacher recruitment and retention, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), equity, and inclusion. 

Among other achievements, we have designed and implemented new competency standards and qualifications for school leaders in Ethiopia, introduced school-based approaches to teacher development in Zimbabwe, and supported the development of equitable gender-responsive approaches in and Kenya. We also work with ministries specifically to support increasing access to and quality of early childhood education provision.  

Many of our large-scale education workforce development programmes (such as Building Learning Foundations in Rwanda and TARGET in Ethiopia) have, in the long-term, influenced nationwide education system reform. This reflects our commitment – along with that of our ministry partners - to translate evidence and programmatic learnings into sustainable policy and practice.

To holistically strengthen school systems, we employ our distinctive school System Reform Framework.  This framework identifies the six core capabilities of rapidly improving school systems, culminating in improved outcomes for all learners. These are: vision and leadership, coalitions and capacity building for change, delivery architecture, data for accountability and improvement, teacher and school leader effectiveness, and evidence-informed policy.

Our teams also support education system reform worldwide with expert guidance, and technical assistance. On behalf of the Gates Foundation, we manage Engeza, a technical assistance hub which is collaborating with the Nigerian government and World Bank to create a tool for evaluating foundational literacy and numeracy teaching and learning materials. We also support the provision of technical assistance to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) overseas through the SCALE programme, while helping to shape and deliver the UK government’s international education development strategy.  In addition, in 2023-24, our consultants supported policymakers in 32 countries, mainly through capacity building at a government ministry level, to strengthen education systems and improve learning outcomes at scale.

Our work in system strengthening also includes more than 20 years’ work in fragile and conflict-affected states and supporting education in emergencies. In addition to providing rapid-response support and advice to ministries of education around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, our experience ranges from large-scale post-conflict education capacity building and reform in Cambodia (1997-2017), Rwanda (2001-2016), and Somalia (late 1990s-2017), to providing immediate technical assistance in Ethiopia, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Uganda, among others.