Data and evidence inform policy-makers about how countries are advancing towards their education targets and which policies and programmes could improve their education outcomes. There is a tremendous growth in education data and research output which could serve this purpose. A growing number of international organizations, think-tanks and foundations are engaged in evidence generation, synthesis and brokerage. However, the use of evidence for education policy, planning and implementation is still limited. The SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC), the apex body for global education cooperation, recognizes this evidence-to-policy link as a critical lever for countries’ towards the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and promotes evidence-based policy formulation and implementation as one of its core functions. To understand and better guide the HLSC’s evidence and policy function, UNESCO commissioned NORRAG at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, to conduct this strategic review to examine the current practice and challenges in using evidence for education policy-making and implementation at the country level and to provide recommendations and a roadmap of actions for the HLSC to consider.