Implementation research at the middle tier
Brink Foundation and the What Works Hub for Global Education are forming a partnership to enable implementation research at scale by implementers for implementers through agile grant-giving, demand-led technical assistance and a platform to connect grantees with each other and their evidence.
We’re delighted to be announcing our first initiative together, which will focus on Implementation Research at the Middle Tier. We’ve received seed funding from the Gates Foundation to support this work and are excited to introduce our first portfolio of five grantees.
Why are we establishing this partnership?
Together, we build on a foundation of robust research depth, spanning qualitative and quantitative methods, to ensure our work is rigorous and responsive to the realities of implementation.
We’re grounded in shared beliefs that:
- Implementers can and should lead as principal investigators of research
- Researchers can become ever more practical and embedded in implementation
- Technical assistance can be leveraged, especially when market driven and demand-led
- Education can learn from other sectors, especially tech.
Our first initiative together: Implementation Research at the Middle Tier
Our first initiative is shining a spotlight on one of education’s most overlooked powerhouses: the middle tier of government officials, especially district and sub-district officials. District and sub-district officials are essential to the daily functioning of education systems, yet their potential to drive change is often untapped. When equipped with the right tools, guidance, and routines, these officials can transform how foundational learning reforms reach classrooms at scale.
Image credit: VVOB in Zambia
The Middle Tier Initiative, the first of many, builds on predecessor work of both partners, for example through uBoraBora, deepening our commitment to implementation research in the education sector.
In this first portfolio, five implementation teams, each in close collaboration with government district counterparts who have signed off and requested the partnership, are leading implementation research projects. Spanning Sub-Saharan Africa and India, these implementation research (IR) projects are embedded within large-scale foundational literacy and numeracy programmes and address live challenges faced by middle-tier officials. By working directly with the government, the research is co-created, ensuring insights are practical, scalable and relevant to the people and systems they aim to improve. Teams are using IR to test and refine tools and strategies, from coaching models to data systems, that improve instructional support while simultaneously generating policy-relevant insights. Collectively, this portfolio contributes to global understanding of how education systems can recognise, enable and strengthen this often underutilised middle tier layer.
Implementation research by implementers, for implementers
Image credit: LLF, India
Implementation research questions are critical for achieving outcomes at scale. Small tweaks to core programme elements, like materials, training and support, can optimise implementation and learning. Implementation research can also help us to identify bottlenecks, improving uptake into government systems and fidelity of existing programmes.
We hope that the Middle Tier Initiative will be the first of many portfolios of grants that tackle key implementation research questions. Each initiative we fund and research with our grantees will focus on one specific issue and every time we work on a new initiative we will:
- Prioritise implementers and government priorities. We will design and prioritise initiatives that governments and implementers on the ground demand and feel advance their work.
- Drive evidence-based continuous improvement by supporting implementers and government systems in adapting, testing, and refining programmes, embedding learning and iterative improvement as standard practice.
- Make small grants available and support high-impact implementation research by providing nimble funding and market-driven technical assistance to generate actionable evidence in foundational learning programmes at scale.
- Advance global thought leadership and promote systematic understanding by developing and contributing to frameworks, tools, and open-access evidence that inform broader sector practice and contribute to global public goods. This includes advancing rapid iterative learning techniques such as A/B testing, among others.
Portfolio of grantees
Meet the five grantees: learn about the key implementation research questions they are investigating and the research methods they are using, and hear insights from the government officials they are partnering with on why this work matters. The portfolio focuses on key themes of interest for the middle tier, including behaviours and incentives that stick, data that drives action, and delivering instructional support. It also focuses on systematic learning, including techniques such as careful implementation measurement and iterative, adaptive, ongoing learning. In all efforts, it prioritises government demand, ownership and leadership.
Department of Basic Education (DBE), South Africa
Scaling school support: How might Subject Advisors (SAs) adapt their instructional support practices in response to the rollout of two national interventions?
Mixed-methods including interviews, implementation measurement and A/B testing.
‘Success will be producing rich insights into the experiences of subject advisors and how they can effectively support early-grade teaching. Our findings will inform scalable strategies for improving instructional support at the mid-tier, and influence programming nationally, ultimately contributing to stronger learning outcomes in South Africa and similar education systems.’
– Stephen Taylor, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
South African Department of Basic Education
FHI 360, Nigeria
Norms, behaviours & incentives that stick: How can management routines and role clarity strengthen SSOs’ ability to lead consistent, high-quality instructional support to schools?
Qualitative methods, including interviews and classroom observations.
‘The government welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on the initiative to improve the role and support SSOs (School Support Officers) provide to schools, contributing to effective teaching and better student outcomes in Kaduna South.’
– Mikaila Isah Gubichi, Education Secretary
Kadua South Local Government Education Authority
Norms, behaviours & incentives that stick: Strengthening the instructional leadership role of Block Education Officers (BEOs) for foundational learning while balancing existing workload
Mixed-methods including interviews, implementation measurement and A/B testing.
‘We recognise that the findings from this study will be valuable in scaling high-impact instructional practices across districts and will contribute to evidence-informed educational leadership strategies within the state. We look forward to working closely with LLF on this important initiative, and to future collaborations that further strengthen FLN outcomes in Uttar Pradesh.’
– Bharti Tripathi, Education Secretary
Office of the Basic Shiksha Adhikari, Fatehpur, UP
Meerkat Learning, Namibia
Data that drives action: How can data systems and decision-making routines at the middle tier help target and improve the delivery of instructional support to schools?
Implementation measurement and A/B testing.
‘A key strength of our partnership is our data-sharing and joint monitoring culture. We are enthusiastic about the proposed implementation research. The A/B test exploring how visual data can improve coaching and learning outcomes aligns with our priorities and can strengthen teacher support and engage school leaders and education officers.’
– Regional Council, Namibia
VVOB, Zambia
Delivering instructional support: How can district-level structures strengthen mentoring for effective TaRL implementation?
Mixed methods, including case studies and A/B testing.
‘The Ministry acknowledges that the middle tier has historically been under-researched and under-supported. Through this research, we aim to better understand how to equip the middle tier with appropriate tools, routines, and professional support systems to deliver high-quality instructional support to schools.’
– Permanent Secretary–Educational Services, Ministry of Education
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