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

Vocational training helps women find better employment

Paul Thissen 05 March 2020 blog

Women face countless extra hurdles in the working world. They earn less than men, are more likely to be unemployed, are over-represented in vulnerable employment situations, and have extra challenges when starting their own businesses, according to the United Nations.

How do electricity access interventions affect social outcomes? A forthcoming systematic review.

Ari Perdana, Douglas Glandon, Nick Moore, Birte Snilstveit 24 February 2020 blog

In 2017, around 89 per cent of the global population, predominantly based in high-income countries, were fortunate enough to have access to a reliable source of electricity and were able to go about their personal and professional lives without the risk of a power cut, let alone the prospect of having no electricity access at all.

What works to get firms hiring? Support small businesses — but not the smallest ones

Paul Thissen 19 February 2020 blog

In the last two weeks, we've talked about how to train youth for existing jobs and how to push young people to start new businesses. But those strategies only touch parts of the world's employment problem. So what strategies create jobs by encouraging existing firms to hire more workers?

Entrepreneurship promotion gets people working in low- and middle-income countries

Paul Thissen 13 February 2020 blog

The challenges of youth unemployment and underemployment are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. They're home to 87 per cent of the world's unemployed youth — 62 million young people, according to the International Labor Organization.

Landing the big one: Can we rely on the private sector to empower women and improve child nutrition?

Mark Engelbert 11 February 2020 blog

A lot of traditional thinking in development says that the private sector can be a powerful force for tackling problems associated with poverty, but it can’t do everything. For example, private-sector actors, with their financial motivations, have incentives to work with poor farmers on value chains.

Interview with Marie Gaarder, 3ie’s new executive director

Catching up with Marie Gaarder, 3ie’s new executive director

06 February 2020 blog

On 1 February 2020, Marie Gaarder took over as 3ie’s new executive director. She sat down for a quick interview on her new role, challenges and opportunities in the evaluation sector, the persistent gaps in evidence, and what 3ie has planned in the coming year.

What gets youths into jobs around the world? Train them in a skill

Paul Thissen 04 February 2020 blog

Worldwide, young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults, according to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO). Even among employed youth, many work bad jobs for painfully low wages.

Dhanyavaad aur alvida from Manny Jimenez

Emmanuel Jimenez 31 January 2020 blog

In his last blog, Manny Jimenez, 3ie's outgoing executive director looks back at his five-year tenure and recounts some of his best experiences at 3ie and in India. Following this blog, Ruth Levine (on behalf of 3ie's Board of Commissioners) has written a note thanking Manny for his service and his myriad contributions to 3ie. She also extends a warm welcome to 3ie's new executive director, Marie Gaarder.

How to read a systematic review: A quick guide for policy practitioners

Paul Thissen 28 January 2020 blog

Here at 3ie, we're big supporters of systematic reviews, which combine evidence from multiple different studies addressing the same type of research question. This strategy provides stronger evidence than relying on a single case, where idiosyncratic issues can affect program outcomes.

Building evidence culture within government: the Ugandan case

Radhika Menon, Francis Rathinam 23 January 2020 blog

When we work with our government partners to encourage evidence generation and use, we draw on our experiences from success cases we know well. Uganda is a particularly important case, where 3ie supported the evaluations of several flagship government programmes and contributed to capacity development.

About

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.