Synthesis-Ready Evidence Repository

The Synthesis-Ready Evidence Repository is being developed as a globally available resource to make it easier and faster to find, combine, and use education evidence for decision-making. It will host synthesis-ready data from a range of studies and interventions in education, organized under a common taxonomy. 

The early-stage repository represents its first working version: a minimum viable product that includes data, a taxonomy, and prototype tools for testing in real settings. This stage of development will explore how users engage with the repository, what they find valuable, and what should be refined.

The minimum viable product brings together studies, data, and experiences from multiple contexts, complemented by local evidence and insights that may be produced in different languages, to answer real policy/practice questions. It also involves translating that evidence into practical use by decision-makers through creative approaches, such as identifying inspiration evidence from one context to inform another. 

For evidence intermediaries, this is a way to connect evidence to action, helping decision-makers make sense of insights that are often scattered or inaccessible. Syntheses may take the form of systematic or rapid reviews, evidence summaries, or comparative or thematic analyses, as long as they help bridge research, policy, and practice. We’re also interested in exploring the idea of living synthesis (i.e., where synthesis is routinely updated, not just as a one-off analysis). The goal is not just to test the repository, but to use it to generate meaningful, policy-relevant learning for both evidence intermediaries and governments.

An expression of interest is now open for evidence intermediaries to apply and be part of the 2026 testing period.

This initiative is part of a broader global effort to transform how evidence informs education policy and practice. In a landmark step for education, 24 leading organizations have united to create a central resource that makes evidence on what works for children and learning more accessible, actionable, and globally relevant. This specific call, led by the What Works Hub for Global Education, is also supported by the Gates Foundation, the LEGO Foundation, and Porticus.

At the Jacobs Foundation, this collaboration reflects a long-term commitment to transforming education systems by leveraging globally accessible, real-time data to catalyze systemic change and ensure decision-makers act on the best available evidence.