UNICEF’s September 2026 education strategy, Shaping the Future of Learning, sets out a vision for improving learning, equity and skills for children and adolescents. UNICEF describes it as building on its Education Strategy 2019–2030 and supporting implementation of its Strategic Plan 2026–2029.

For African education organisations, the publication offers a prompt to review how activities connect to meaningful learning. It is a strategy document, not an open grant announcement or a guarantee of UNICEF partnership. Read UNICEF’s official strategy overview.

Define the change learners should experience

ATI’s practical recommendation is to begin a programme review with one sentence describing the intended change for learners. Avoid making attendance, distributed materials or completed workshops the final outcome. Those measures describe delivery; teams also need a feasible way to assess the learning or participation change the intervention seeks.

For example, a reading programme can specify the relevant skill, the group being supported and how progress will be assessed. Targets should follow a baseline and local agreement rather than an attractive percentage chosen for a proposal.

Examine who the programme misses

Review participation and progress together. A strong average can hide poor access for learners affected by displacement, disability, language barriers or distance. Use only information that is necessary, protect learner privacy and interpret small groups carefully.

Bring teachers, caregivers and learners into the discussion using appropriate safeguarding arrangements. Ask which practical barriers the organisation can address, which require public-sector partners and which fall outside the programme’s current capacity.

Make the delivery assumptions explicit

A new learning tool depends on more than purchasing it. Teams should examine available teacher time, language suitability, support arrangements, recurring costs and the conditions in which the tool will be used. For digital approaches, include connectivity, device access and an alternative when the service is unavailable.

These questions are ATI’s planning advice; they are not a list of requirements issued by UNICEF. Use them to identify what needs testing before expanding an intervention.

Connect evidence to the next decision

Choose a review date and state what the team will decide when the evidence arrives: continue, adapt, expand or stop a component. Assign responsibility for gathering the evidence and documenting the decision. A monitoring plan is more useful when its findings have a clear management purpose.

ATI’s project logframe template and M&E plan template can help organise this review. For developing a proposal around the agreed approach, explore Proposal Writing & Fundraising training.

Source note: The strategy summary is based on UNICEF’s official September 2026 overview. The programme-review questions are ATI’s original analysis.