Making evidence accessible

This brief is based on findings from four 3ie-funded pilot interventions in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Uganda that used role models, peers, partners and normative attitudes to evaluate whether or not these influencers had a positive impact on VMMC uptake. The impact evaluations summarised in this brief showed mixed results.

The research team examined some of the key factors that influence the effectiveness of computer-assisted learning programmes for improving children's English language test scores. The findings suggest that the impact of these programmes depends on the quality of implementation and the level of teacher engagement.

Despite nearly universal uptake of HIV testing among women clients in antenatal care, testing among their male partners remains low. This brief summarises the findings of an impact evaluation by Gichangi and colleagues which assesses the effectiveness of providing HIV self-test kits to women to encourage testing among their male partners, as opposed to inviting men for a finger-prick HIV blood test at the antenatal clinic.

More often than not, programmes targeted at households lead to changes that have economy-wide impact. This may be especially true for public works programmes that invest in building community assets. The brief draws on the findings from two impact evaluations that assess the Productive Safety Net Programme in Ethiopia holistically, exploring impacts both at the beneficiary household level and economy-wide impacts at the local and national levels.

This brief combines the findings from the evidence gap map on adolescent, sexual and reproductive health and the social behavioral and community engagement interventions map for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.