Centre for Educational Research and Innovation Governing Board (CERI) Ms. Hege Nilssen

Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) Ms. Hege Nilssen

1. What is the mission and mandate of your Committee?

CERI’s mission is set out in the CERI mandate, as follows: “The mission of CERI reflects and complements the priorities of the OECD as a whole in providing employment opportunities for all, improving human capital and social cohesion. CERI contributes to supporting participating OECD Members and Partners in their efforts to achieve high quality lifelong learning for all, which contributes to personal development, sustainable economic growth and social cohesion. It is carried out with due regard to the mandates of other education bodies, namely the Education Policy Committee (EDPC), the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) Governing Board, the Board of Participating Countries for the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and the Governing Board of the Programme on International Student Assessment (PISA).

The operational objectives of CERI shall be to: ● provide and promote international comparative research, innovation and key indicators on current and emerging education and learning issues, and their links to other sectors of policy; ● explore forward-looking and innovative approaches to education and learning in the context of national and international cultural, social and economic change, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education and with a special focus on inclusive education; ● facilitate the bridging between educational research, innovation and policy development and promote co-operation among OECD Members and, where relevant, with Partners, in order to seek solutions and exchange views on educational problems of common interest.

2. You have been designated Committee Chair. What is your background and what has convinced you to take up this post? How do you consider your background and experience contribute to such a role and function?

My background could be summarised briefly by reference to functions and posts past and present including General Director at the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training. I have: • many years of experience at both Ministerial and Director level in education and research; • experience in public-committee work in education; • international experience in Nordic and European cooperation and from the OECD. My motivation: • member of CERI Governing Board (GB) for many years; • experience gained at the CERI GB Bureau; • honoured to be asked to chair CERI GB and to support the important work being done within it; • motivated by the opportunity to contribute to advancing CERI´s work and facilitating GB Meetings as an arena for learning and forward-looking discussions.

As Chair, I have supported activities that: ● contribute to compliance with CERI´s mandate; ● facilitate constructive meeting arenas (see Question 2 above); ● contribute (in association with the Bureau) to close and constructive cooperation between Member countries in CERI GB and the Secretariat; ● facilitate meetings with open/transparent discussions revealing views and interests of Member countries.

4. How would you define the added value of your Committee in relation to the work of the OECD in an international context? How does it differ from other international fora dealing with the same topic?

CERI draws together international research and expertise, identifies effective practices across different countries and develops new approaches across a range of topics towards the frontiers of education policies, practices and outcomes.

CERI’s work includes: • mapping what futures could look like; • developing conceptual or analytical frameworks for emerging challenges; • fostering, supporting and evaluating innovation in policies and practices; • providing a "test-bed" for the development of: ○ new tools and techniques in support of better educational policies and practices; ○ new assessment instruments; ○ approaches to building education-system capacity; ○ indicators by which to monitor progress; • stimulating knowledge creation, diffusion and use; • measuring and monitoring at a systemic level.

5. Are you facing any specific major challenge derived from the current multilateral environment?

The CERI Work Programme is designed to make the most of the multilateral environment, in both the sharing of experience and learning from each other, and to collectively create new knowledge that expands the evidence base underpinning other OECD work on education, and shaping policy considerations in our respective countries.

6. How do you encourage, and ensure national experts engage productively in the work of your Committee?

CERI is unique in that the Governing Board is itself composed of country-nominated national experts, with CERI projects under the direct oversight of the Governing Board. In each meeting the Governing Board is invited to provide feedback on the progress of the reports.

CERI projects typically involve national experts of participating and/or interested countries, and the Secretariat also often consults with invited experts as it carries out its work. These experts may be brought together from time to time for informal consultations, to provide feedback and guidance to the Secretariat.

7. How do you help maximise policy coherence through the work of the Committee?

As stated in its mandate, CERI carries out its work with due regard to the mandates of other OECD bodies operating in the educational field. More specifically, CERI develops and approves its draft Work Programme

and Budget under the Medium-Term Strategy objectives developed by the EDPC, and seeks the latter’s guidance when it comes to Recommendations with major policy implications, as well as decisions whereby major new activities with significant financial implications for OECD Members are launched.

The Chair or Vice-Chair of the Education Policy Committee (EDPC) and of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) Governing Board, the Governing Board of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and of the Board of Participating Countries for the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) may attend meetings of the Governing Board ex officio. In addition, in recent years the Chairs of these bodies have been meeting regularly outside the formal meetings to discuss and coordinate the coherence of OECD’s activities in the field of education. In 2021-2022 special attention has been paid to working on better articulation and future planning of the work on teachers, where each of the bodies has a role to play. Based on this positive experience, the Chairs have recently agreed on concrete steps to coordinate the work of different bodies on digitalisation and equity.

Further, the CERI Governing Board agenda always starts with an oral statement from the OECD Director for Education and Skills that provides an overview of developments in the Organisation as a whole, and at its Education and Skills Directorate.

8. How do you ensure effective decisionmaking by the Committee?

Several measures help me to ensure effective decisionmaking. They include: • long-term planning, early involvement and open discussions in the context of the Governing Board; • good cooperation with the Secretariat, and well-prepared (though not too long) documents and presentations; transparency.

9. Could you mention the most important documents/reports that the Committee/Group has issued in the last 2 years? Why are these important and what has been their impact?

CERI’s annual flagship publication is Education at a Glance. CERI also produces Trends Shaping Education on a three- year cycle, with the most recent publication having been published in January 2022. Other CERI Publications since 2020 are:

Books: • Jan 2022 Trends Shaping Education; • Jan 2022 How Learning Continued during the COVID-19 Pandemic; • Nov 2021 Promoting Education Decision Makers' Use of Evidence in Flanders; • Nov 2021 AI and the Future of Skills, Volume 1 : Capabilities and Assessments; • Oct 2021 Schooling During a Pandemic; • Oct 2021 Teaching as a Knowledge Profession; • Sep 2021 Beyond Academic Learning: First Results from the Survey of Social and Emotional Skills; • Sep 2021 Education at a Glance 2021; • June 2021 OECD Digital Education Outlook 2021: Pushing the Frontiers with Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Robots; • Oct 2020 Education in the Digital Age: Healthy and Happy Children; • Oct 2020 Promoting Education Decision Makers'Use of Evidence in Austria; • Sep 2020 Back to the Future of Education: Four OECD Scenarios for Schooling; • Sep 2020 Education at a Glance 2020.

Working Papers: • March 2022 Cyberbullying; • Feb 2022 Teacher professional identity;

• Sep 2020 Digital strategies in education across OECD countries; • June 2020 Why parenting matters for children in the 21st century; • April 2020 Trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) in education; • Feb 2020 What difference do networks make to teachers’ knowledge?.

10. How can you encourage synergies between policy communities?

Possible area of improvement - carefully identify and consider the bodies involved in important strategic issues.

11.How do you see the role played by the Secretariat?

The Secretariat plays an essential role in identifying future looking and strategic issues as well as in preparing and following-up of meetings. The highly skilled, competent and experienced Secretariat ensures quality and coordination of projects and products.

12. In relation to the standard-setting role, what do you suggest to maintain the relevance and impact of OECD standards over time? Which areas need strengthening?

CERI does not have a role in standard-setting.

13. How have you ensured a contribution of your actions or influence to continuous improvement within the Organisation?

Future-looking projects in CERI feed into the work of other OECD Committees. See also my answer to Question 7.

14. What are the practical implications of the work of your Committee/Group?

CERI provides an opportunity for countries to exchange perspectives on the future challenges facing education, to explore different aspects of policy-relevant research and innovation, and to try out new approaches in a low-cost and low-risk way. It also helps to encourage Ministries to prepare for the future, to invest in longer-term thinking, and to innovate.

15. What would be your key advice to a person taking up the post of Chair of an OECD Committee/Group?

Keep in mind the difference between the position of Chair and that of Delegate of a Member country a Chair represents the GB as a whole body and works to fulfil the mandate thereof. I work closely together with the Bureau and the Secretariat. Use all the expertise of the GB and of the Secretariat and facilitate an open/transparent and inclusive environment on the Committee.