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Sonakshi Sharma

Education Research Specialist

Sonakshi is an education research manager with UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, working on the Teachers for All (T4A) and Women in Learning Leadership (WiLL) research. Before joining UNICEF, Sonakshi worked at IDinsight—a data analytics, research, and global advisory organization—for almost 5 years. During her time at IDinsight, Sonakshi oversaw a wide portfolio of impact evaluation and measurement projects across different sectors such as Education, Agriculture, Health, Governance, and Nutrition. Prior to IDinsight, Sonakshi gained field and research experience running impact evaluations at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) in Zambia. Sonakshi holds a master’s degree in International and Development Economics from Yale University, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from St. Xaviers College, Mumbai.

Publications

Data Must Speak: Exam Performance Over Time
Publication

Data Must Speak: Exam Performance Over Time

The Ministry of Education of Ghana (MoE) has developed the Education Sector Plan 2018–2030 (ESP) that establishes the vision for achieving equitable access to quality education and effectively managing education service delivery. Beyond traditional sector analysis, the MoE of Ghana is invested in deepening its use of existing data to enhance education quality. This policy brief – about teacher and head teacher characteristics and exam performance– is part of a series that presents key research findings of the quantitative stage of the Data Must Speak (DMS) Positive Deviance research in Ghana. By merging and analyzing existing administrative datasets in Madagascar, this series highlights specific resources and contextual factors associated with good school performances in Ghana. More importantly, it aims to inform policy dialogue and decision-making in Ghana and other interested countries.  DMS – a global initiative implemented since 2014 – aims to address the evidence gaps to mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. DMS research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. DMS research relies on mixed methods and innovative approaches (i.e., positive deviance approach, behavioural sciences, implementation research and scaling science) to generate knowledge and practical lessons about ‘what works’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the broader international community of education stakeholders.  DMS research is currently implemented in 14 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Zambia. 
Data Must Speak: Teacher and Head Teacher Characteristics and Exam Performance
Publication

Data Must Speak: Teacher and Head Teacher Characteristics and Exam Performance

The Ministry of Education of Ghana (MoE) has developed the Education Sector Plan 2018–2030 (ESP) that establishes the vision for achieving equitable access to quality education and effectively managing education service delivery. Beyond traditional sector analysis, the MoE of Ghana is invested in deepening its use of existing data to enhance education quality. This policy brief – about students’ exam performance over time– is part of a series that presents key research findings of the quantitative stage of the Data Must Speak (DMS) Positive Deviance research in Ghana. By merging and analyzing existing administrative datasets in Madagascar, this series highlights specific resources and contextual factors associated with good school performances in Ghana. More importantly, it aims to inform policy dialogue and decision-making in Ghana and other interested countries.  DMS – a global initiative implemented since 2014 – aims to address the evidence gaps to mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. DMS research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. DMS research relies on mixed methods and innovative approaches (i.e., positive deviance approach, behavioural sciences, implementation research and scaling science) to generate knowledge and practical lessons about ‘what works’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the broader international community of education stakeholders.  DMS research is currently implemented in 14 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Zambia. 
Data Must Speak: Unpacking Factors Influencing School Performance in Ghana
Publication

Data Must Speak: Unpacking Factors Influencing School Performance in Ghana

The Ministry of Education of Ghana (MoE) has developed the Education Sector Plan 2018–2030 (ESP) that establishes the vision for achieving equitable access to quality education and effectively managing education service delivery. Beyond traditional sector analysis, the MoE of Ghana is invested in deepening its use of existing data to enhance education quality. What resources and contextual factors are associated with school performance in Ghana? By merging and analyzing existing administrative datasets in Ghana, this report helps to identify positive deviant schools – those that outperform other schools despite sharing similar contexts and resources. Data Must Speak – a global initiative implemented since 2014 – aims to address the evidence gaps to mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. The DMS Positive Deviance research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. DMS research relies on mixed methods and innovative approaches (i.e., positive deviance approach, behavioural sciences, implementation research and scaling science) to generate knowledge and practical lessons about ‘what works’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the broader international community of education stakeholders. DMS research is currently implemented in 14 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Zambia.
Data Must Speak: Unpacking Factors Influencing School Performance in Zambia
Publication

Data Must Speak: Unpacking Factors Influencing School Performance in Zambia

Recognizing that children’s learning outcomes generally remain low, in its recent 2017–2021 Education and Skills Sector Plan (ESSP) the Government of Zambia prioritized improving learning outcomes through strategies that addressed gaps in education system quality, access, equity and efficiency. What resources and contextual factors are associated with school performance in Zambia? By merging and analyzing existing administrative datasets in Zambia, this report helps to identify positive deviant schools – those that outperform other schools despite sharing similar contexts and resources. Data Must Speak – a global initiative implemented since 2014 – aims to address the evidence gaps to mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. The DMS Positive Deviance research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. DMS research relies on mixed methods and innovative approaches (i.e., positive deviance approach, behavioural sciences, implementation research and scaling science) to generate knowledge and practical lessons about ‘what works’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the broader international community of education stakeholders. DMS research is currently implemented in 14 countries: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Togo and Zambia.