Data Must Speak: When evidence listens, learns, and leads

In late 2014, in a cafe near government buildings in Kathmandu, Dr. Lava Deo Awasthi (then Joint Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Education) reflected on the country’s evolving Education Management Information System (EMIS). “Data is there,” Dr. Awasthi said, “sitting in our laptops in Kathmandu, being silent. We must make it speak… data must speak.”  

Those words, scribbled on a napkin, became a catalyst for transforming Nepal’s education system. They sparked a decade-long partnership between the Government of Nepal, UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through the Data Must Speak (DMS) initiative.  

For over 10 years, this government-led, co-created technical and research collaboration has guided the way data is used to improve equitable learning across Nepal. The DMS initiative has supported:  

• The government’s design of the Equity Index in 2014, a data-driven tool that systematically measures disparities in education outcomes based on socio-economic status, gender, geography, disability, language, and caste, identifies their drivers, and allows for comparisons across local, provincial, and national levels. Nepal has institutionalized the Equity Index to inform increased budget allocations and targeted technical assistance for low-scoring local governments through partnerships with UNICEF, the European Union, and others.
• Implementing data-driven targeted interventions for learning continuity in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake and through countless virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Conducting the positive deviance research since 2021 in collaboration with UNICEF Innocenti, identifying effective practices and behaviours implemented by high-performing schools compared to their peers, even in challenging contexts.
• Generating equity scores at federal, provincial, and local government levels and embedding into the web-based EMIS in 2022, while empowering local governments to undertake needs-based planning and budgeting.  

Government leadership guided every stage of the partnership and has been key to its success and sustainability. From the very beginning, Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) was not a passive recipient of global support – it was the driving force – setting priorities, engaging in technical dialogue, and guiding the direction of the DMS partnership. This leadership was matched by DMS’s co-creation approach which values national context, respects institutional knowledge, and engages actors at every level, from national ministry to rural head teachers at each step of the partnership.  

Lessons from Nepal’s success have been shared at global forums, demonstrating how low-cost, scalable strategies can drive systemic change. Nepal’s Equity Index has also inspired similar efforts in other countries like Pakistan, which has developed its own education disparity index (pdf).   

What is next for DMS in Nepal? 

The next phase of DMS in Nepal will focus on turning evidence into action. Through the new Data Must Speak to Strengthen Capacity and Advance Local Evidence Use (DMS SCALE) research, the government of Nepal, UNICEF Nepal and UNICEF Innocenti will explore what supports – and what hinders – effective data use in the education system. The goal is to generate actionable insights on how to improve data use for planning and decision-making, especially at the local government level, building on existing government efforts and initiatives. 

True to its co-creation approach, DMS SCALE will continue to be led by the Government of Nepal, with support from UNICEF and partners, and will bring together mayors, ward chairs and education officers as key actors in the research design and implementation, but also as users of the evidence and data generated. These diverse perspectives will ensure the work responds to local needs and realities. 

DMS will also be connected to broader sector-wide efforts coordinated through Nepal’s Education Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), helping local governments understand, contextualize and apply evidence of ‘what works’ from the DMS positive deviance research and the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel’s “Smart Buys” in their own contexts. By ensuring that data works for those closely supporting schools, DMS will continue supporting Nepal’s education system to drive improvements in learning, equity and inclusion. 

From napkin notes to national strategies, the story of DMS in Nepal is one of government leadership, meaningful partnership, and an unwavering commitment to support children’s learning. The DMS partnership will continue evolving to support addressing government needs.  

When data speaks, change is possible, but when people listen, co-create, and lead, transformation becomes inevitable.