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Bridging Data and Decision-Making in Education: Exploring the Role of the Middle Tier in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Data Must Speak

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Title: Bridging Data and Decision-Making in Education: Exploring the Role of the Middle Tier in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Data Must Speak
Language: English
Authors: Chandni Jain, Jessica Bergmann, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti (Italy)
Source: UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti. 2026.
Availability: UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti. Via degli Alfani, 58, 50121, Florence, Italy. Tel: 39055-20330; Fax: 39055-2033220. email: florence@unicef.org; Web site: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 39
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX)
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (Canada)
Document Type: Information Analyses
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Developing Nations, Data Use, Decision Making, Data Collection, Educational Improvement, Educational Planning, Instructional Improvement, Equal Education, Evidence Based Practice
Geographic Terms: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania
Abstract: Over the past few decades, decentralization has emerged as a defining trend in global education governance, widely promoted as a means to improve government accountability and service delivery. However, the effectiveness of decentralization reforms, among other factors, depends on the administrative, technical and/or strategic capacities of middle-tier actors. Middle-tier actors are those working at the layer between central ministry and schools. There is growing attention to the critical role that these actors can play in supporting improvements in teaching and learning, yet they often remain under looked and their potential untapped within education systems. This evidence review contributes to the growing dialogue on the critical role of middle-tier actors in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically exploring their involvement in data collection and use functions. Drawing on 80 studies across more than 20 countries, it synthesizes existing evidence from LMICs on how these actors collect, transmit, and use education data to support planning, instructional improvement, and equity. The review shows that while middle-tier actors are often positioned as compliance agents, they are increasingly recognized as critical intermediaries for translating data into local action that can improve teaching and learning. The review concludes by outlining evidence gaps and priorities for future research to strengthen data use for improving learning outcomes at scale.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680084
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Bridging Data and Decision-Making in Education: Exploring the Role of the Middle Tier in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Data Must Speak
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chandni+Jain%22">Chandni Jain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jessica+Bergmann%22">Jessica Bergmann</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22United+Nations+Children's+Fund+%28UNICEF%29+Office+of+Strategy+and+Evidence+–+Innocenti+%28Italy%29%22">United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti (Italy)</searchLink>
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  Data: UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti. Via degli Alfani, 58, 50121, Florence, Italy. Tel: 39055-20330; Fax: 39055-2033220. email: florence@unicef.org; Web site: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/
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  Data: 39
– Name: DatePubCY
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX)<br />International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (Canada)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developing+Nations%22">Developing Nations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+Use%22">Data Use</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+Collection%22">Data Collection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Improvement%22">Educational Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Planning%22">Educational Planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Improvement%22">Instructional Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evidence+Based+Practice%22">Evidence Based Practice</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bangladesh%22">Bangladesh</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brazil%22">Brazil</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethiopia%22">Ethiopia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ghana%22">Ghana</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kenya%22">Kenya</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Madagascar%22">Madagascar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Malaysia%22">Malaysia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Namibia%22">Namibia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nepal%22">Nepal</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nigeria%22">Nigeria</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pakistan%22">Pakistan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rwanda%22">Rwanda</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Senegal%22">Senegal</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sierra+Leone%22">Sierra Leone</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Sudan%22">South Sudan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Uganda%22">Uganda</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tanzania%22">Tanzania</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Over the past few decades, decentralization has emerged as a defining trend in global education governance, widely promoted as a means to improve government accountability and service delivery. However, the effectiveness of decentralization reforms, among other factors, depends on the administrative, technical and/or strategic capacities of middle-tier actors. Middle-tier actors are those working at the layer between central ministry and schools. There is growing attention to the critical role that these actors can play in supporting improvements in teaching and learning, yet they often remain under looked and their potential untapped within education systems. This evidence review contributes to the growing dialogue on the critical role of middle-tier actors in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically exploring their involvement in data collection and use functions. Drawing on 80 studies across more than 20 countries, it synthesizes existing evidence from LMICs on how these actors collect, transmit, and use education data to support planning, instructional improvement, and equity. The review shows that while middle-tier actors are often positioned as compliance agents, they are increasingly recognized as critical intermediaries for translating data into local action that can improve teaching and learning. The review concludes by outlining evidence gaps and priorities for future research to strengthen data use for improving learning outcomes at scale.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: ED680084
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 39
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Developing Nations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data Use
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      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
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      – SubjectFull: Data Collection
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Improvement
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Planning
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      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
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      – SubjectFull: Evidence Based Practice
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      – SubjectFull: Bangladesh
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      – SubjectFull: Brazil
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      – SubjectFull: Ethiopia
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      – SubjectFull: Ghana
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      – SubjectFull: Kenya
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      – SubjectFull: Madagascar
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      – SubjectFull: Malaysia
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      – SubjectFull: Namibia
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      – SubjectFull: Nepal
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      – SubjectFull: Nigeria
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