This edition of the OTT newsletter is brought to you by Marcela Morales, who leads our evidence use in education practice. Dear OTT Community, This month has been full of exciting developments in our work on evidence use, particularly in education. Through our collaboration with the Jacobs Foundation, we’ve had the opportunity to bring insights from the evidence-use field into education, connect with partners, and think about how evidence can be most effectively used to inform education policy and practice. Our team has been busy sharing insights in key spaces. At the What Works Hub Meeting in Oxford, Clara Richards reflected on the incredible passion and knowledge dedicated to solving global challenges. However, she reminded us that we need to tackle the "thorny issues"—complexity, politics, and power dynamics—that slow down progress. If we want to scale impact, these can’t be ignored. For more on thorny issues in evidence use, check out the latest reflections from my colleagues Enrique Mendizabal and Vanesa Weyrauch on why confronting these difficult issues is essential to unlocking transformative impact. I had the pleasure of speaking at the Annual ICSEI Conference, where I explored the critical role of policy labs in advancing evidence use. A key takeaway: navigating the politics of evidence is essential to ensuring it leads to meaningful change. Check out OTT's recently published interview with Dr. Vijay Pingale, CEO CEGIS and article on Institute for Government's UK Ministers Database to see this in action. A special shoutout to the ICSEI organisers for bringing together such an engaging group of experts and practitioners, including my fellow panellists, Mukdharut Bangpan (UCL), Jonathan Kay (Education Endowment Foundation), and Nóra Révai (OECD) — all doing fantastic work to push the field forward. Earlier this month, I teamed up with Samuel Kembou from the Jacobs Foundation on the Let's Talk Education Africa podcast to discuss policy labs and evidence use. I highly recommend their podcast for great content and insights from practitioners doing impactful work in Africa. Finally, our team member Racheal Makokha represented OTT at the WHO KNOSA workshop in Addis Ababa, sharing our insights on embedding evidence use at the system level. Her key takeaways? Strong partnerships, long-term strategies, and navigating political hurdles are essential for driving policy impact. Don't forget to check out the latest edition of Global Research Insights, curated by our Research Support Service, where we round up our favourite reads from the past few weeks. As we wrap up this month, we’re grateful for the rich insights and vibrant discussions shared across various platforms. We remain committed to advancing evidence use in education and beyond, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences as we continue this journey together. Until next time, stay engaged and keep championing evidence-informed change! Until next month,  OTT Blogs: New ContentOctober Spotlight: Evidence Use in EducationCurious about how evidence is shaping the future of Education Policy? Dive into these insightful reads from OTT, covering everything from policy labs to Brazil’s education reforms and the challenges of addressing 'thorny issues' in the evidence field. Publication | Review: Policy Labs and Evidence Use in Education Blog | Evidence Use Funding in 2024: What to Watch Research Insights | What factors influence effective evidence use in teacher training institutions? Blog | Five Lessons about the Use of Evidence in Public Policy in Peru Upcoming Events & OpportunitiesCalling all funders! Join the African Education Research Funding Consortium on 22 October to explore key learnings from Innovations for Poverty Action’s study on boosting African education research capacity in Kenya and Uganda, and Better Purpose’s Daara Program. Semana de la Evidencia 2024 (co-organised by Hub de Evidencias para América Latina y el Caribe - Hub LAC) will take place from 11-16 November 2o24. Join the conversation on the use of evidence to strengthen public policies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Applications are open for the School for Thinktankers 2025! Join us in Barcelona, at Fundació Bofill, from 3 to 7 February 2025. News: What's Happening in the Think Tank Sector?
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