Projects that work.
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The Aga Khan Foundation and Schools2030
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a major international development organization focused on reducing poverty and improving quality of life in 18 countries, predominantly in South and Central Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, with a commitment to community-driven and sustainable solutions. AKF employs approximately 4,000 staff globally; as part of the broader Aga Khan Development Network, there are 96,000 employees worldwide.
AKF’s Schools2030 program is a ten-year, multi-country education initiative catalyzing teacher-led innovations in holistic learning. Schools2030’s mission is to empower teachers and communities to innovate in classrooms and improve learning outcomes, foster holistic learning, and drive evidence-informed policies for the world’s most marginalized students.
How it started
The absence of an integrated, standardised, and accessible data infrastructure limited AKF and partners’ ability to understand and communicate about the program’s impact on teaching and learning and to make informed decisions about program strategy
How it’s going
10
Different Country Contexts
1
Piloted Centralized Data System
1000+
Schools for
Interoperability
10,000
Teachers Supported
Schools2030 is equipped with standardized data process maps and tools that provide clear, replicable guidance, establish roles, and create accountability. They are prepared for procurement and implementation for a centralized data management system, following the successful pilot.
Teachers and teams can quickly see strengths, areas for improvement, and aggregate insights through timely, user-friendly feedback and reporting tools.
How we got there
DARO partnered with AKF’s Schools2030 program to standardize student and teacher assessment data collection, management, and reporting across 10 countries.
This involved discovery, training, and workshops to define user requirements, best practices, and flexible software tools for diverse country contexts and data capacities. Through this work, stakeholders identified a need for a centralized data repository with clear roles, ensuring a replicable system of sustainable local ownership and accountability.
The workshops revealed that an effective data strategy for Schools2030 required a flexible core data structure to accommodate country differences and future needs, based on Schools2030's holistic view of educational data. This approach functioned as a proof of concept for AKF across their wider data/program ecosystem.
“DARO's ethos was always to put local teams in the driver’s seat and to respond to needs and realities on the ground. This has led to significant capacity development of our teams and partners.”
- Bronwen Magrath, Global Programme Manager
DARO developed:
A product and technical plan for the centralized data system
Human processes and organizational structures for the centralized data system’s use, support, and expansion, mapping a broader data strategy beyond assessment data.
The first assessment data prototype was piloted in three countries, and the documented strategic plans provided AKF with necessary information for future decision-making and procurement.
The Mastercard Foundation and Hanga Ahazaza
The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified, meaningful, and fulfilling work.
It is one of the largest foundations in the world, with has offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa.
In 2018 Mastercard Foundation (MCF) launched Hanga Ahazaza, a new 10 partner program, aiming to rapidly expand and strengthen a key regional workforce sector (hospitality and tourism) in Rwanda. This program, and its coordination and reporting processes, would serve as the prototype for many of Mastercard’s program investments going forward.
Creating a multi-partner program with data collection, analysis and decision-making infrastructure to strengthen hospitality and tourism in Rwanda.
DARO managed the flow of information through the program and its 10 stakeholders to bridge raw data collection and real-world use for informing program adjustments.
The original concept for management was a stand-alone web tool for data sharing and resources.
Limitations with the tool, such as restrictions on sensitive information, double counting, and partners’ inability to track participants from one program to another or to engage with each other on the platform, created low buy-in and made reporting challenging.
DARO was tasked with fixing the web platform to improve data and learning.
A soft infrastructure problem masquerading as a hard infrastructure problem
DARO recognized the problem needed new processes, rather than new technology. DARO worked with the Mastercard Foundation to refine the program’s theory of change to focus on learning, clarifying several key components:
What data needed to be collected to make programmatic decisions;
Ongoing partner relations and support needs for data collection requirements for data collection tools;
The parameters of data sharing between partners.
DARO implemented simpler and more connected tools for information collection and focused on stakeholder collaboration, instead of relying only on the web-tool.
Greater clarity and practical tools helped collaborative work shift from data collection challenges to substantive conversations about how to improve the program.
The success of Hanga Ahazaza’s Learning System led to the Mastercard Foundation pursuing Learning Systems in other program areas in the organization.
DARO developed
Single theory of change that identified information needs and provided feasible program metrics, including proxy indicators where needed
New information systems with an iterative approach to manage risk and complexity and ensure use and adoption by partners
Data collection mechanisms appropriate for different analysis needs and designed and supported ongoing data management
Shared repository for tracking interactions between partners and enterprises in Rwanda and delivered training on the shared CRM to partners
Shared data resources for hospitality and tourism enterprises
Coordinated surveys for partners to better identify and understand hospitality and tourism enterprises in rural areas
Processes and tools to collect and synthesize rich information for strategic communications about the program