Policy labs and evidence use in education

In collaboration with EdLabs across our key geographies of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Switzerland, and Colombia, the Jacobs Foundation is working to enhance evidence use in education policy and practice. Despite the prevalence of policy labs in various sectors, there remains a notable absence of systematic evidence regarding their effectiveness. Seeking to fill this critical gap, the Jacobs Foundation and OTT have produced this review and its accompanying learning brief.

This review delves into three burgeoning areas of literature and practice: evidence-informed policy, evidence use in education, and the expanding landscape of policy labs. Offering an initial analysis of key issues, lessons, and gaps, the review concludes with practical recommendations for advancing the collective efforts to institutionalize evidence use in education.

The findings of the review were informed by the Global Convening on Ed Labs, hosted by Jacobs Foundation in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), alongside support from OTT. Held in October 2023, the event brought together stakeholders from Ministries of Education, EdLab implementing units, research institutions, multilateral agencies, and global funders.