Facilitating Collaborative Partnerships in Education Policy Research: A Case of Multi-Stakeholder, Co-Investigation for Monitoring and Evaluation of Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Strengthening the research-policy interface is dependent on conducting good research, as well as the appropriateness and applicability of identified policy options. The involvement of relevant stakeholders in collaborative research efforts to co-produce knowledge and recommendations to advance policies is one approach that can arguably improve this interface. This paper provides a practical instance of a research process on education for sustainable development (ESD) to develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, which was conducted in the Asia region with participants from seven countries. This research process is presented as a pragmatic case study of how a collaborative research partnership was facilitated, and it examines how the interaction between researchers, policymakers and practitioners can be structured to support mutual learning in the field of sustainability education. The paper examines the wider debates regarding the research-policy interface, and it identifies the learning features that were achieved in this collaborative partnership, as well as the benefits this had for the research and knowledge co-generation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and issues M&E raises about the relationship between research and policy in ESD and suggests ways to address them.

Project Management Strategies for Accelerating Energy Efficiency in Hvac Systems Amidst Climate Change

“…Additionally, project teams should establish clear communication channels and escalation procedures to ensure that issues are identified and addressed in a timely manner. Regular progress updates, status reports, and stakeholder meetings can help keep stakeholders informed of project status, identify potential issues or concerns, and facilitate collaborative problem-solving and decision-making to address challenges as they arise (Didham and Ofei-Manu, 2020). Furthermore, project teams should actively monitor project performance and progress, track key milestones and deliverables, and identify any deviations from the project plan or objectives.…”

Co-Creation for Sustainability

“…Knowledge-creation platforms may work together with citizen science to develop distributed data collection (Wilson et al, 2018), though such efforts can run into resistance or incentive problems (Wilson et al, 2018). Platforms can also take the form of collaborative research platforms for developing policy-relevant knowledge for sustainable development (Didham & Ofei-Manu, 2020). They may also pool information or knowledge from a network of similar organizations, such as watershed organizations (Medema et al, 2017).…”

Involving University Stakeholders in Upgrading the Fostering of Students’ Readiness to Embark on a Career

“…The literature reveals the involvement of the stakeholders of higher education in upgrading the educational process through collaborative partnerships in research and lecturing, and facilities' improvement that is important and efficient for institutional sustainable growth (Didham & Ofei-Manu, 2020). Graham et al (2012) contend that education crisis time is appropriate for fundamental curriculum development as institutions, educational systems, and instruction methods change owing to 'external shock'.…”