Spotlight
New funding opportunities from the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre

We are excited to announce three new funding opportunities on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)’s Research Commissioning Centre. 

Managed by 3ie and the University of Birmingham, the Research Commissioning Centre (RCC) is inviting applications from organizations and consortia to conduct research on topics across international development and foreign policy.  

  • landscape study on the use of AI in food and agriculture 
  • systematic review of the shadow economy in the Baltics 
  • systematic review of the impact of climate change on railway operations in Turkey

Read the call for proposals and supporting documents here

If you are interested in receiving updates about the centre, please sign up here

Learn more about the Research Commissioning Centre here.

Featured | Rapid evidence to strengthen Cote d'Ivoire's nutrition strategy

In Cote d'Ivoire, the government has been facing immense challenges in addressing child malnutrition and stunting. Its five-year strategic plan aims to eradicate these and improve the implementation of its nutrition interventions. 3ie’s WACIE helpdesk recently produced rapid evidence to respond to specific questions from decision-makers on the effects of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions on child malnutrition. Our evidence shows the strong correlation between safe water interventions, improved sanitation, and health – and the need for greater integration in the implementation of these. This evidence informs the government’s Nutritional Technical Committee, which is responsible for the development of its new strategy. Read blog
Featured | Promoting equity and integrity in research

We recognize the deep inequities that exist in funding opportunities for research in low- and middle-income countries (L&MIC). As part of quality-assuring the Journal of Development Effectiveness (JDEff), we are particularly concerned with research involving primary data collection in an L&MIC where there is no author from an institution in that country. The Journal is taking concrete steps to support equity, inclusivity and transparency in the research it publishes in support of 3ie’s mission of equitable, inclusive and sustainable development. JDEff is set to become the first social science journal to implement guidelines including an ethics statement and an author reflexivity statement. Read more
Latest issue | 2024’s first issue as part of Volume 16 includes articles focusing on studies that cover Georgia’s cooperative groups and small farmers, Kenya’s agricultural extension program, survey evidence from rural Ethiopia among other studies on citizen engagement, rural poverty and inequality from other regions.

Articles in this issue: To submit an article to the journal, please read the guidance here.
In the media
The Science for Policy podcast – produced by Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission – recently hosted 3ie Executive Director Marie Gaarder and Director of Evidence for Policy and Learning Thomas Kelly. In a free-flowing conversation, Gaarder and Kelly reflect on the changing evidence needs and timelines of policy decisionmakers, the drivers and barriers of evidence use in international institutions, the progress in some sectors on understanding cost-effectiveness of different measures, among other relevant topics. Listen here
Publications
Journal article | Effective interventions for improving routine childhood immunisation in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review of systematic reviews
Learning brief | Lessons learned from the implementation of the Special Food Security Program (PSSA)
Events
Upcoming events

What is the future of evaluation? 
Hosted by the Independent Evaluation Group and the Global Evaluation Initiative as part of the IEG@50 anniversary celebrations, this series of virtual conversations from April 8 to 10, 2024 will focus on the future direction of the evaluation practice, the questions it will have to answer, and the impact of new technologies for ever greater data gathering and analysis. 3ie’s Executive Director Marie Gaarder will be moderating the first session titled The Role of Evaluation in a Changing Global Context.  Register here

Session 1: The Role of Evaluation in a Changing Global Context | 8 April (online)
9:00AM – 10:00AM ET
How can evaluation remain relevant and provide policymakers with reliable evidence on global issues such as climate change, fragility, and pandemics, among others?
  • Welcome | Sabine Bernabè, Vice President and Director-General, Evaluation, Independent Evaluation Group.
  • Opening Remarks | Raj Kumar, Founding President and Editor-in-Chief, Devex.
  • Speakers:
    Andrea Cook, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Goals System-Wide Evaluation Office, United Nations;
    Juha Ilari Uitto, former Director, Independent Evaluation Office, Global Environment Facility;
    Patricia Rogers, Founder, Better Evaluation, former Professor of Public Sector Evaluation, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
  • Moderator: Marie Gaarder, Executive Director, 3ie.
Register | Full agenda
Save the date | 3ie Evidence Dialogues | Teaching critical thinking about health: impacts and implications | 25 April 2024 (online)

Critical thinking is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. Misinformed choices can be harmful and wasteful for everyone, including patients, health professionals, citizens, and policymakers. There is an overwhelming amount of information about what is good or bad for our health, and it is difficult for people to know what to believe. In this 3ie Evidence Dialogues webinar, we will discuss the results of impact evaluations of an educational intervention to improve secondary students’ ability to think critically about health in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. We will present the results of randomized trials and process evaluations, a panel of policymakers will discuss implications and lessons learned from this research, and we will discuss the importance of critical thinking for international development in and beyond healthcare.

Pre-register for the event. 


What Works Climate Solutions Summit | 9–12 June 2024, Berlin
The What Works Climate Solutions Summit (WWCS) is a high-level conference for evidence-based climate policy to promote and catalyze synthetic evidence on climate solutions for upcoming climate change assessments – particularly the IPCC’s 7th Assessment Report ─ as well as other forms of scientific policy advice. 3ie is a partner organization and our Executive Director Marie Gaarder is part of the steering committee of WWCS.

Read more

Jobs
Join our growing and dynamic team by applying for one of these unique and impactful roles. View all the current opportunities here.
Featured
Senior Research Fellow

3ie’s Senior Research Fellows Program includes experts from various sectors – including development, evaluation, policy as well as academia. This month, we feature Emmanuel (Manny) Jimenez, who is Director General for Independent Evaluation Asian Development Bank (ADB). He was 3ie’s executive director until January 2020, prior to which he spent several years at the World Bank Group where he provided technical expertise and strategic leadership in a number of research and operational positions, including as director of the Bank’s operational program in human development in its Asia regions from 2000-2012 and as director of public sector evaluations from 2012- 2014. Read more

Since 2020, 3ie's Fellowship Program has contributed to achieving our mission by tapping into diverse expertise and experience across the world.