Applied Education System Diagnostic How-To Guide
- Jenna White
- Apr 11
- 2 min read
Updated: May 19
Systems thinking provides a powerful framework for understanding the complexity inherent in education systems. Unlike simpler or more technical issue-areas, where cause and effect relationships are straightforward, education systems involve a multitude of interconnected elements—including policies, culture and gender norms, school administration, family life, teaching practices, infrastructure, and student outcomes—that interact in complex and often unpredictable ways. For instance, a national policy intended to improve educational outcomes may have varied effects across different regions, depending on local contexts, resource
availability, and the level of stakeholder engagement. This complexity necessitates a holistic approach to diagnostics, one that considers the unique challenges and dynamics of
educational environments.
This how-to guide will lead you through the steps to conduct a participatory system diagnostic as a foundational approach to generating a more holistic understanding of the various factors and system dynamics underlying a particular challenge. Furthermore, this approach can identify similarities and differences in stakeholder perceptions of the factors and dynamics driving a particular challenge, leading to more systemic, impactful programming decisions.
Supporting Holistic and Actionable Research in Education (SHARE) was a five-year cooperative agreement by USAID’s Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation/ Center for Education (IPI/EDU) to the University of Notre Dame (UND) that advances global education learning priorities to improve learning outcomes. This Activity was funded through USAID’s Higher Education Leadership, Innovation, and Exchange (HELIX) Annual Program Statement under the USAID New Partnership Initiative (NPI). Within UND, this Activity was led by the Pulte Institute for Global Development together with UND’s Institute for Educational Initiatives and its Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child. UND implements SHARE in partnership with higher education and research institutions based in USAID geographic regions around the world.
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