In Colombia, education reform efforts increasingly rely on collaboration across government, civil society, research, and philanthropy to strengthen both policy and practice. A clear example of this approach is Colombia Evidencia Potencial en Educaci贸n (CEPE), an initiative formally launched in 2024 through a partnership between the Ministry of Education, Fundaci贸n Empresarios por la Educaci贸n, and multiple philanthropic organizations, including the Jacobs Foundation. CEPE was designed to promote evidence-based decision-making and foster collaboration across national, regional, and local education systems, with the explicit goal of improving pedagogical practices and children鈥檚 learning and development.
CEPE operates through interconnected components that link research, policy, and implementation. An Education Evidence Lab supports the generation and use of data to inform education decisions, while Communities of Change bring together education secretariats, foundations, universities, private-sector actors, and local technical teams. These collaborative spaces allow stakeholders to jointly identify priorities and define concrete actions tailored to territorial needs, ensuring that decisions are informed by both evidence and local realities. A co-funding mechanism, supported by philanthropic partners and government actors, provides sustained resources to support this long-term systems change effort.
This approach is already influencing education practice at scale. According to Fundaci贸n Santo Domingo, fourteen priority territories representing roughly 32 percent of Colombia鈥檚 official student enrollment are developing Territorial Educational Strengthening Plans that aim to improve learning quality and address persistent inequalities. More than three million students are expected to benefit from these plans, which focus on strengthening institutional capacity, improving foundational learning and socio-emotional skills, and supporting the strategic use of evidence, including in decisions related to technology in education.
By linking national policy leadership with territorial planning and cross-sector collaboration, CEPE demonstrates how coordinated partnerships can influence both education policy and day-to-day practice. Government leadership, research and university engagement, NGO facilitation, and foundation support work together to move education systems away from isolated planning toward shared, evidence-informed action.
At Whole Child Advisors, this case reinforces a core lesson of systems change: when diverse actors align around evidence, local context, and long-term commitment, education reforms are more likely to translate into meaningful and equitable outcomes for children.
References
Jacobs Foundation. (2024, March 22). Announcing our new Colombian initiative: Colombia Evidencia Potencial en Educaci贸n.
https://jacobsfoundation.org/announcing-our-new-colombian-initiative-colombia-evidencia-potencial-en-educacion/
Fundaci贸n Santo Domingo. (2025, August 28). Fourteen territories across the country are developing evidence-based plans to drive educational transformation.
https://fundacionsantodomingo.org/noticias/catorce-territorios-pais-construyen-planes-evidencia-impulsar-transformacion-educativa/
