Impact to Go – Strengthening education systems

Evidence on digital skills training for TVET teachers in Rwanda and energy-efficient school rehabilitation programs in Georgia

Strong education systems depend on both qualified teachers and conducive learning environments. This session brings together two very different experiences from two impact evaluations in the education sector: a digital skills training programme for TVET teachers in Rwanda implemented by GIZ and evaluated by the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT Berlin), and an energy-efficient school rehabilitation programme in Georgia implemented by KfW and evaluated by the University of Hamburg.

The session presents key findings from the Rwanda evaluation, including insights on how low-cost nudges can, and cannot, improve teachers’ course progress, since non-completion is a major challenge in MOOC-style online courses. In addition, the Georgia project presents findings from a qualitative research component exploring challenges within the Georgian education system, as well as experimental evidence on how school rehabilitation shapes perceptions of educational and health impacts.

Both groups will highlight the practical and institutional challenges and unanticipated benefits of their rigorous impact evaluations. Drawing on both experiences, the session not only presents results but also reflects on what enables impact evaluations to succeed, where challenges and opportunities emerge, and what lessons can be learned for future evaluation practice.