Paul Thissen

Paul-Thissen
Designation: Senior Evaluation and Communication Specialist
Paul provides technical and management leadership of and support for impact evaluations, synthesis, and other evidence programs. He is the lead author for 3ie’s 2020 Hindsight campaign blogs. Paul also supports the production of communication materials to effectively convey research findings and 3ie accomplishments to a wide variety of audiences.
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Blogs by author

#Evidence Dialogues: Peacebuilding programs are stronger when informed by evidence, despite the constraints of their environments

Paul Thissen 30 September 2020 blog  

In response to new and ongoing violent conflicts, the international community increasingly reacts not just with humanitarian aid, but also with innovative transitional assistance and peacebuilding programs. In 3ie's inaugural Evidence Dialogue webinar, our panel of experts discussed some new evidence about effective peacebuilding approaches, the role of evidence in designing peacebuilding programming, and the constraints which make both implementation and evaluation difficult.

Shifting forest management to local control may reduce deforestation, without payments to anyone

Paul Thissen 29 September 2020 blog  
The timeframes over which the studies analyzed data also varied widely. Most were evaluated a few years after implementation, while the 1931 establishment of Van Panchayats (Village Forest Councils) in India was evaluated with data from 1931 through 2001.

Paying people to protect the trees on their land may reduce deforestation

Paul Thissen 25 August 2020 blog  
It is no surprise that trees, which breathe in carbon dioxide, are key to the fight against climate change. Keeping existing forests intact is one pillar in the ongoing efforts to slow the planet's warming. By one estimate, tropical deforestation is responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions each year than the entire European Union.

Text message reminders help people make healthy choices

Paul Thissen 14 July 2020 blog  
The research on the topic has included a wide range of healthy behaviors: getting immunizations, attending medical appointments, taking medications for chronic illnesses like AIDS, quitting smoking, exercising, practicing safe sex, and drinking less alcohol.

In the right circumstances, market support interventions may yield big dividends for food security

Paul Thissen 06 July 2020 blog  
This post looks at interventions that work differently, intervening in the market systems behind the food supply. The evidence on their effectiveness is exploratory and preliminary, which is why we are working on an evidence gap map to show what evidence exists and where more studies are needed.