The RISE Education Systems Diagnostic Toolkit

Abstract

The RISE Education Systems Diagnostic is a tool to support local actors in selecting high-level strategic priorities to improve student learning based on the latest education systems research. The Diagnostic aims to generate a shared understanding among actors about the challenges the education system faces, and to facilitate the identification of priorities for intervention. Accordingly, the process is highly participatory. As of 2022, the Diagnostic has been implemented in seven field-based studies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, led by diverse teams spanning NGOs, think tanks, consultancies, academic researchers, and government counterparts. These teams have used the Diagnostic for a range of objectives, including policy prioritisation, programme design and retrospective policy analysis. The RISE Diagnostic Toolkit is made up of eight sections, divided into three parts. Part 1, “Overview”, comprises an introduction to the Diagnostic and to the toolkit, along with brief descriptions of the Diagnostic pilot studies conducted between 2019 and 2022. Part 2, “Implementation”, comprises a section that lays out the conceptual framework of the Diagnostic, an implementation guide that gives practical guidance on each phase of the Diagnostic, and a set of planning and analysis tools for implementing the Diagnostic. Part 3, “Resources”, comprises a glossary, a set of training materials, and a set of example materials from the Diagnostic pilots.

Applying Systems Thinking to Education: Using the RISE Systems Framework to Diagnose Education Systems

“…An assessment of which alignment or alignments best describe a relationship can be made by reviewing each element (delegation, finance, information, support, and motivation) of the relationship and considering the alignment that best explains those elements. In the RISE Education Systems Diagnostic Toolkit (Spivack, Silberstein, and Hwa, 2023), Tools #4, #5, and #6 lay out features that describe the sub-elements of delegation, finance, information, support, and motivation respectively in the case of different possible alignments. Tool #4 shows this for compact, Tool #5 for management, and Tool #6 for voice & choice.…”