Not everything learned is transferred: unravelling knowledge use and lesson-drawing behind school autonomy with accountability reforms in Colombia

In times of evidence-based regulation, policymakers are expected to make decisions based on existing knowledge to address policy problems. In search of alternatives, governments often utilise international evidence to borrow lessons, which results in the transfer of foreign policies. However, the linkages between knowledge use, lesson drawing, and policy transfer are messier than assumed, shaped by actors' interests, ideological preferences, and institutional constraints. This article examines how and when evidence use and lesson-drawing lead to policy transfer, focusing on Colombia's adoption of school autonomy with accountability policies. Following a sequential mixed-methods design that integrates network and content analysis of policy documents alongside interviews with key informants, the study yields three key findings. First, it identifies a gap between the knowledge cited in Colombia's policy documents and the actual lessons applied in policy adoption. Second, it highlights the emergence of the OECD as an influential policy broker in Colombia, particularly following the country's accession process in 2011. Specifically, it demonstrates the OECD's pivotal role in shaping Colombia's autonomy and accountability policies. Finally, the study argues that policy transfer occurs only when knowledge and lessons drawn are aligned with the country's political and institutional context.