AQW 48201/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 09/06/2026
Answered On Date: 29/06/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on (i) the action contained within his TransformED Delivery Plan to establish a research function that will support a strong evidence-base for future education policy and practice in Northern Ireland; and (ii) any cost incurred as a result of this.

Answer:

The Research and Evaluation Team within the Department, consisting of staff from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), is taking forward this TransformED action. Its purpose is to bring together a coherent and aligned research approach to better inform policy development and implementation in Northern Ireland.

The aims of the new research function are to:

synthesise and summarise the global evidence base across key areas of education to clearly articulate what we already know;

support the dissemination and effective use of research across the Northern Ireland education sector so that evidence is used in ways that make a difference;

generate high-quality, locally relevant research to inform education decision making; and

support the piloting, development and evaluation of new approaches and interventions.

Since its inception, the team has assumed responsibility for a range of workstreams related to local and international surveys conducted in schools and provided advice and support to policy teams on a range of ad hoc research projects, consultations and evaluations.

Following extensive stakeholder consultations, the team is finalising a scoping report setting out the scope and delivery options for the dedicated research function. A final design and implementation plan is being developed, setting out a clear proposal for how the research function should operate and next steps for implementation.

Costs of approximately £70,000 of staff costs have been incurred to date.