The middle tier of governance in education systems, which operates between central government and schools, is a critical yet often overlooked lever for improving education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Theoretically, this middle tier acts as a bridge between central policymaking and school-level implementation, facilitating communication, contextualization, and cooperation. A well-functioning middle tier can enhance innovation by integrating local knowledge, tailoring delivery, sustaining impact through data use and teacher support, and ensuring local commitment for sustained ownership. However, in practice, this potential is frequently untapped, with mid-level actors often limited to compliance, documentation, and data collection tasks.
Over the past 14 months, the Research on Scaling the Impact of Innovations in Education (ROSIE) project at the Center for Universal Education, part of the Global Partnership for Education’s Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, conducted a study on the role of mid-level actors in decentralized systems. The study focused on identifying, contextualizing, and scaling education innovations for impact in El Salvador, the Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, and Nepal.
Key Assets of the Middle Tier
The study revealed four key assets of the middle tier that can be leveraged to improve education systems’ ability to scale innovation:
1. Unique Positioning: The middle tier’s role as a critical link translates central policies downward and communicates local needs, assets, and challenges upward. This dual communication ensures that policies are both informed by local realities and adapted to meet local needs.
2. Expertise and Knowledge: Mid-level actors’ education expertise, experience, and local knowledge enable them to identify, develop, contextualize, and scale promising innovations. They can also provide essential teacher support and instructional leadership.
3. Commitment to Jurisdiction: The inherent commitment of mid-level actors to their jurisdiction ensures that the system is invested in local education success. This commitment fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for educational outcomes.
4. Proximity to Schools and Communities: The middle level’s proximity to schools and communities enhances the likelihood of local ownership of innovations, making them integral to daily education practices.
Barriers to Realizing the Assets
However, the study also identified several barriers that prevent these assets from being fully realized:
1. Incomplete Decentralization: Incomplete decentralization or re-centralization diminishes mid-level agency, limiting their ability to implement and scale innovations effectively.
2. Rigid Hierarchies: Rigid top-down hierarchies decrease mid-level autonomy, restricting their capacity to innovate and adapt policies to local contexts.
3. Insufficient Training and Support: Mid-level officials often lack sufficient training and support, hindering their ability to perform their roles effectively.
4. Exclusion from Data and Implementation: Mid-level actors are frequently excluded from engaging with data or leading implementation, relegating them to administrative tasks and limiting their impact on educational outcomes.
5. Absence of Peer Exchange: The lack of peer exchange or innovation sharing further isolates mid-level actors, preventing them from learning from each other and from best practices in other regions.
Recommendations for Fostering a Virtuous Circle
To harness the power of the middle tier, the report offers tailored recommendations for fostering a virtuous circle of system strengthening and scaling leadership at the middle level:
1. Shared Ownership and Decision-Making: Central governments should share innovation ownership and decision-making authority with middle levels by establishing national consultation systems. These systems should involve mid-level actors in contributing knowledge and ideas for designing, developing, and scaling education innovations.
2. Strategic Efforts for High-Quality Personnel: Governments must undertake strategic efforts to hire, train, and support high-quality mid-level actors. This includes providing ongoing professional development and ensuring that mid-level personnel have the resources and support they need to succeed.
3. Commitment and Collaboration: Mid-level personnel must commit to developing their capacities, strengthening their commitments to the job, and learning to work together. This collaborative approach is essential for driving innovation and improving educational outcomes.
4. External Support: External education organizations and global funders should prioritize strengthening the middle tier as a crucial system component. They should intentionally include mid-level officials in their innovation work, recognizing the vital role they play in scaling education innovations.
By following these targeted recommendations, locations around the world can work collaboratively to unlock the potential of the middle tier. This approach leverages the inherent ability of the middle tier to improve education systems for all communities, children, and entire regions.
