Badara Sarr is ESSA’s Director of Policy and Impact, leading the organisation’s work to strengthen the use of African education evidence in national and regional decision-making. He supports evidence-informed policy dialogue, reform design, and implementation across ESSA’s programme countries, with a focus on foundational learning, system coherence, and government capacity. 

With over 25 years of experience in education systems strengthening and public sector reform, including more than 12 years managing large-scale education portfolios with USAID Senegal, Badara has led national programmes in early grade reading, bilingual education, and education technology. He has overseen complex grants and partnerships, helping Ministries of Education integrate evidence into policy, planning, and performance monitoring systems. His work is characterised by political economy insight, cross-donor coordination, and a commitment to locally led development.

Badara holds an MBA in Management from Centre Africain d'Etudes Supérieures en Gestion, a Master’s Certificate in English from Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, and a teaching certification from École Normale Supérieure, Dakar.