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in response to national crises (for example, environmental issues, food security), with the lead agencies taking responsibility for inspiring comprehensive systems data development. Beyond coming to a consensus on desired outcomes, creating metrics, and developing data-collection capacity within and among institutions, effective ways of using the data to improve early learning services and aligned systems must be considered. Such data utilization and data sharing are particularly crucial, given that early learning transcends systems and given that it is an emerging field. There are lessons to be learned across countries about notable processes for advancing systems work in community engagement, consolidated financing systems, integrated data systems, consolidated governance, and other areas in early learning that are begging for more information. As such, mechanisms for data sharing and utilization within and across countries are needed.
Recommendations Related to Assessing Early Learning Services • Create a process or mechanism to define outcomes and their indicators for early learning services. • Develop, pilot, and validate systemic metrics and tools that address the above outcomes and indicators. • Update data systems to effectively collect and use early learning services data that transcend ECEC and education systems. • Support data efforts that create and disseminate empirically driven, useful, and innovative information directly related to early learning services and the systems that encase them.
Key Takeaways • To implement quality early learning services, it is important to structure those services to suit the context, prioritize continuity among institutions and systems, and sustain capacity at the provider and leader levels. • The benefits of institutional linkages for young children should be stressed to underlie implementation efforts.
CONCLUSION This chapter presents a systems approach to implementing early learning services that fosters their quality, equitable distribution, scalability, and efficiency. Predicated on data and capturing the lived experiences from countries around the globe, this chapter affirms that, although much has already been accomplished to this end, much remains to be done.
