CLEAR–LAB Strengthens Evidence Use among Public Education Managers in Brazil

From September to December 2025, the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR–LAB), an implementing partner of the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), partnered with the Instituto Unibanco to deliver a training and advisory program for 60 public education managers from State Secretariats of Education in Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, and Piauí. The initiative aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to use evidence across the public policy cycle to support more effective education policy making.

The program supported managers involved in implementing Jovem de Futuro 4, an education initiative focused on improving secondary education outcomes. Through a combination of conceptual foundations and practical tools, participants explored evidence-informed public management, policy prioritization, the public policy cycle, and the design and validation of Theories of Change.

Participants also worked on defining evaluative questions and relevant indicators, planning monitoring systems, and strengthening information governance to support data-driven decision-making. The learning pathway totaled 25 hours and combined in-person and online activities, concluding with final presentations held in the participating states’ capitals. By the end of the program, participants were equipped to diagnose public problems using evidence, identify causes and target populations, and adapt public policies through structured Theories of Change—contributing to more coherent and sustainable M&E practices within State Secretariats of Education.

Reflecting on the experience, Edward Borges, a project analyst at the Piauí State Department of Education, said, “This was my first contact with the concepts covered in the project, which made the learning experience especially meaningful. From the start, I was able to apply tools such as the problem tree in my daily work at the Project Office in Piauí. The initiative had a strong impact not only on my professional practice but also on the way I think, fostering a more critical and structured approach to problems, their causes, and possible solutions.”

Michel Szklo, a researcher at CLEAR–LAB, emphasized the importance of strengthening monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacities in the education sector and said, “Strengthening M&E skills is essential for improving education policies, particularly in complex and unequal contexts. Training programs like this help bridge the gap between technical tools and day-to-day decision-making, enabling education systems to use evidence more systematically and effectively.”

The participants also developed skills to define indicators and structure monitoring systems aligned with decision-making needs. The expectation is that these competencies will support policy implementation adjustments and contribute to the institutionalization of evidence-based practices within State Secretariats of Education.