ERICC Conceptual Framework
A multi-disciplinary, systematic framework to better understand how education systems and processes affect children’s outcomes in conflict and protracted crisis settings.
Despite growing momentum and commitment to reduce developmental and educational disadvantages for children living in contexts of conflict and/or protracted crisis, the field continues to suffer from the “overwhelming lack of evidence” about how children learn and develop in these contexts. Furthermore, simply generating more evidence on what works is not enough to drive “bold” policy and practice reform. Both the scarcity and the variability of research make it challenging to organise existing evidence across multiple sectors and disciplines into a systematic evidence base. Such a fragmented approach makes it difficult to draw actionable recommendations to inform systematic program and policy decisions. This situation calls for a systematic conceptual framework to translate individual studies into an interconnected and comprehensive body of knowledge on what drives meaningful change. This is the objective of the ERICC conceptual framework, which has been designed to organise evidence, identify gaps and research questions, and support effective evidence-based decision-making to improve education in conflict and protracted crisis regions. The ERICC conceptual framework emphasises the importance of understanding and addressing educational needs at both policy and local systems levels, recognizing the role of four educational drivers: access, quality, continuity, and coherence. This comprehensive approach not only provides actionable insights for immediate educational needs, but also contributes to the long-term stability and development of educational systems in conflict-affected areas.
Drivers of the ERICC conceptual framework
The ERICC conceptual framework defines four drivers of learning and development as necessary for driving improvements in equity and achievement of holistic learning and development outcomes. These drivers are also critical to assess how and in what contexts programs and policies are working. Access is defined as both the awareness of, and the opportunity and capacity to participate in, educational experiences. Programs and policies will improve children’s holistic learning and development to the extent that they improve access to education—within schools and classrooms, as well as in households and communities. Quality is defined as the quality of the resources and support within classrooms, schools, households, and communities. This also includes the relationships, norms, practices, and interactions that are necessary to safeguard and improve children’s holistic learning, development, and well-being (Tseng & Seidman, 2007). While access to education is essential, it alone is not sufficient to improve children’s holistic learning outcomes without the assurance of quality. Continuity is defined as sustained exposure to education that allows progression in both learning and grade/school transitions. Brief and sporadic access to learning environments, even if high quality, is deemed insufficient for children to learn and develop. A significant research gap exists on how to ensure continuous learning throughout the school-age years among displaced, highly mobile, and/or marginalised populations. Coherence refers to the alignment across different systems and stakeholders involved in education in order to achieve effective and equitable education opportunities. A child’s access to education, and the quality and continuity of their educational experience, is determined by factors at both the local systems level (such as schools, communities, and households) and the policy systems level (including broader policy frameworks and stakeholders). These systems and stakeholders involved in education may or may not align in goals, procedures, resource arrangements, and incentives to achieve access, quality, and continuity of education. However, without coherence and alignment, effective and equitable education may not be achievable.
Learn More
Read more about the ERICC Conceptual Framework developed by NYU Global TIES for Children during the Inception Period, and interact with the ERICC Conceptual Framework – interactive version. To learn more about ERICC’s approach to research, ERICC’s leadership and the programme’s full research portfolio, visit the ERICC website. For information on the ERICC Consortium and its wider work, reach out to the ERICC Policy and Communications Advisor, Ariana Youn at: ariana.youn@rescue.org.
Quick Notes
1. What is the purpose of the ERICC conceptual framework? The ERICC framework organises evidence, identifies research gaps and questions, and supports evidence-based decision-making to improve education in conflict and protracted crisis regions. 2. What role does the ERICC conceptual framework play in global educational policy? It is used to synthesise existing research, identify research and implementation gaps, and help stakeholders make informed decisions regarding educational interventions. It seeks to bridge the gap between research and policymaking, ensuring that educational strategies are informed by solid evidence and are context-relevant. 3. What future steps does ERICC plan for the conceptual framework? Future revisions will focus on contextualising the framework based on continuous feedback from in-country and global partners and refining it to address emerging crisis scenarios.