The evidence-to-policy conundrum and how to solve it

Does better evidence lead to better policies and programs? Massive amounts of reliable evidence, drawing on scientifically strong methods, including randomized controlled trials, mixed-methods approaches, and more, have been generated and disseminated in recent decades. A Nobel Prize has been awarded for that pathbreaking work. Yet the impact of that evidence – on what policymakers and program implementers think and do – has been far below expectations, even pitifully tiny according to some accounts. billion people.

Insights from the Development Evidence Portal – the Middle East and North Africa

Our latest piece in the ‘state of the evidence’ series – which interprets data by unpacking the studies in our Development Evidence Portal (DEP) – focuses on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. . The DEP currently includes 740 impact evaluations (IE) and 352 systematic reviews (SR) from the region, which is the second smallest amongst regions containing low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs). Interested readers are encouraged to further explore the DEP for additional data not covered in this blog.

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Latest blogs

Mapping evidence gaps on human rights, civil society, and independent media

Katherine Quant, Miriam Berretta, Tomasz Kozakiewicz 22 July 2021 blog

Human rights, a strong civil society, and independent media are cornerstones of open societies. To better inform decision-making in these areas, 3ie is developing Evidence Gap Maps (EGMs) on each of these three topics.

Building complexity into development evaluation

Michael Bamberger 15 July 2021 blog

This two-part blog series by 3ie Senior Fellow Michael Bamberger underscores the need for and challenges to designing ‘complexity-responsive’ evaluations. In this second part, Bamberger recommends a practical five-step approach to address complexity-responsive evaluation in a systematic way.

Understanding real-world complexities for greater uptake of evaluation findings

Michael Bamberger 08 July 2021 blog

Most evaluations largely ignore the complexities of the context in which development programs are designed and implemented. This two-part blog series by 3ie Senior Fellow Michael Bamberger underscores the need for and challenges to designing ‘complexity-responsive’ evaluations. Bamberger discusses solutions and techniques that help evaluators take into consideration real-world factors that affect project implementation and outcomes.

15 years after "Will we ever learn?": Well, did we?

Marie Gaarder, Etienne Lwamba 29 June 2021 blog

Fifteen years ago, the Evaluation Gap Working Group published a report noting the absence of solid evidence on the effectiveness of development programming. This report, and the intellectual community behind it, drove a wave of work on impact evaluations in the development sector. So, did we learn?

Evidence impact: Community leaders engaged to increase immunization rates

Evidence impact: Increasing immunization rates by engaging community leaders

Paul Thissen, Kirthi Rao 10 June 2021 blog

In Nigeria, as in much of the developing world, many children never receive their full set of recommended immunizations. Even among children who receive some vaccinations, not all return for subsequent doses or later shots. In 2019, only 57 percent of infants in Nigeria completed their three-shot course of the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine.

Evidence Dialogues: Implementation research is key to understanding why nutrition interventions work – or don't

Paul Thissen 28 May 2021 blog

In Thursday's 3ie Evidence Dialogues webinar, nutrition experts shared the reasons implementation research is so important in the field, as well as some examples of key takeaways from already-completed studies.

Evidence impact: Claiming the influence of studies with confidence

Kirthi Rao, Paul Thissen 27 May 2021 blog

In a previous blog, we described our definition of 'evidence impact.' Now, given how messy the decision-making process can be in the real world, how can we be sure that a study and its findings made an impact?

Service d'assistance WACIE: Un nouveau dispositif pour accompagner l’usage des données probantes en Afrique de l'Ouest

Paul Thissen 25 May 2021 blog

Les lacunes dans l'expérience d'évaluation sont criantes dans les pays membres du programme de renforcement des capacités et évaluation d'impact en Afrique de l'Ouest (WACIE), comme en témoigne l'étude exploratoire du programme. En conséquence, l'utilisation des données probantes dans l'élaboration des politiques est limitée. Mais l'obstacle principal à cette utilisation est la capacité, pas l'intérêt. L’étude exploratoire a révélé un intérêt presque universel chez les décideurs politiques et professionnels de l'évaluation pour le l’accompagnement et le renforcement des capacités en la matière.

WACIE Helpdesk: A new source of support for evidence-informed decision-making in West Africa

Paul Thissen 24 May 2021 blog

In the countries where the West Africa Capacity-building and Impact Evaluation (WACIE) program works, the gaps in evaluation experience are stark, as the program's scoping study found. Accordingly, the use of evidence in policymaking is limited. But the barrier is capacity, not interest – the same study found that the desire among policymakers and evaluation professionals for support and capacity building was nearly-universal.

Working side-by-side across the COVID divide

12 May 2021 blog

At 3ie, with our biggest offices in India and the United States, we're currently treading on both sides of a stark, life-and-death divide. On our regular video calls, our faces are intermingled on the screen. But right now, when we step away, we walk into different worlds.

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Evidence Matters is 3ie’s blog. It primarily features contributions from staff and board members. Guest blogs are by invitation.

3ie publishes blogs in the form received from the authors. Any errors or omissions are the sole responsibility of the authors. Views expressed are their own and do not represent the opinions of 3ie, its board of commissioners or supporters.