Purpose of the Learning Agendas

To better understand the knowledge and evidence gaps central to the work of USAID and its partners and stakeholders, as well as track the learning needs of the international education communities, the Center for Education developed and refined four sub-sectoral learning agendas from 2020 to 2023. While not exhaustive of all of USAID’s work in the education sector, the Learning Agendas aim to support evidence use within USAID by informing the organization and dissemination of existing data and the generation of new evidence to improve USAID strategy, planning, implementation, and professional development. The Center for Education uses these learning agendas to direct much of its primary and secondary research efforts, fill gaps in the evidence base, organize and synthesize learnings, and inform and improve education programming globally.

Additionally, we encourage internal and external stakeholders in the education sector to engage with these learning agendas by conducting research which builds the evidence base and sharing learnings with USAID and the broader sector. Learning agenda questions can help facilitate joint collaborations for improved evidence generation and use.

The learning agendas enable the Center for Education to achieve its mandate and the visions laid out in our 2018 USAID Education Policy and the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education. 

Content of the Learning Agendas

The Education Policy and the U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education, as well as the learning agendas, emphasize similar critical themes. This cross-mapping demonstrates how specific learning questions across the USAID education learning agendas align to common cross-cutting themes. Critical themes include:

Sub-Sectoral Learning Agendas

Learning agendas were developed in four critical global education sub-sectors, which align to key areas of USAID’s work in education. They represent different levels of the education continuum, as well as USAID’s focus on improving education in crisis- and conflict-affected environments:

• Foundational Skills Development
• Youth Workforce Development
• Higher Education 
• Education in Crisis and Conflict 

Implementation and Use of the Learning Agendas

USAID operationalizes the learning agendas through a variety of methods that leverage opportunities to collaborate with USAID Missions, other donors, partner-country governments, implementing partners, higher education institutions, and researchers. These methods shape USAID's work by identifying research studies to conduct, organizing and synthesizing guidance for USAID missions and implementing partners, and identifying collaboration opportunities.

Findings and knowledge products developed to advance the learning agendas are regularly disseminated to USAID Missions, partner country governments, implementing partners, other donors, and other relevant global and local stakeholders to promote uptake and use of learnings.

Further information on the Center for Education’s approach to learning can be found here.

How to Engage

The USAID Center for Education invites potential collaborators to share their learning priorities and present ideas for how to partner to jointly generate and use evidence and knowledge related to USAID’s education sector learning agendas. For more information, contact us at education@usaid.gov.