The International Initiative for Impact evaluation (3ie) awards grants to 21 cutting edge impact studies which are set to have a significant impact on future policy-making.
3ie unveiled earlier this month the 21 winners for its second round of open window grants. The funds, totalling US$ 10 million, will be channelled towards assessing the impact of key development interventions in countries spanning Africa, Asia and Latin America. The awarded research teams are responding to the need of policy-makers and program managers for real evidence, by applying rigorous methodologies to investigate if development spending is indeed making a difference in people’s lives.
“In a world where nearly 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day, 1 billion suffer from chronic hunger, 75 million children are left out of primary education, and 10 million children die every year before their fifth birthday, we need leaders to push the results agenda forward and help focus development programs in a more effective way. We need organizations like 3ie to fund more quality impact evaluation and provide cost effective solutions to critical development problems,” said Professor Paul Gertler from University of California at Berkeley and Chairman of 3ie.
“3ie is not only about funding quality impact studies, but providing new evidence that influences policy and affects many lives. The studies we have chosen all have the potential to improve program design and advance development effectiveness” added 3ie Executive Director Howard White.
Policy makers and development practitioners around the world have started recognizing the importance of learning from experience, and building on what works and what doesn't, in order to improve the lives of millions of people. The US recently announced a new evaluation initiative to track results, which will be instrumental in changing how the Federal government does business and how taxpayer dollars are spent. China and India have also taken fresh steps to institutionalise evaluation.
Here are some of the key development questions that will be tackled by the funded studies in this round:
Can reconciliation reduce conflict and promote development? This study will analyse a unique transitional justice program in Sierra Leone operating at the community level in comparison with truth commissions or criminal courts. Researchers will assess if communities and individuals that come togetherthrough reconciliation are more willing to work together and contribute to communal development.
Do payment schemes work for reducing deforestation and addressing climate change? Deforestation accounts for 20 percent of annual global carbon emissions and tens of millions of dollars have been invested in payments for Ecosystem Services projects from South Africa to Costa Rica, and even New York City. Two research projects will be measuring the impact of such interventions on the ecosystem and welfare of local communities. They will in particular assess two innovative interventions – a first-of –its kind, large scale project in Mexico and a pilot in Uganda, respectively.
Are politicians responding to voters being more informed?
Education campaigns for voters are increasingly seen as a key method to empower citizens in a democracy and demand more effective leadership as well as provision of public services. The study will choose a random sample of electoral units in Delhi and Rajasthan that receives voter education campaigns and will evaluate the effect of key indicators of democracy, including: voter turnout, election of criminal candidates, constituent’s feedback as well as legislator’s responsiveness to constituent needs.
What is the impact of weather securities on increasing farmer’s income?
Index-based insurance products have a huge potential to reach small farmers in developing countries and reduce the negative effects of uncertainty in rainfall. This evaluation will test the consumption and production benefits of offering these securities to smallholder farmers in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka in India.
Can an adult literacy for mothers improve child learning?
The majority of mothers in rural India are illiterate and children’s learning not only depends on the quality of the education but also on the home environment and the education of the parents - particularly mothers. Before scaling up the intervention nationally, the project will determine to what extent adult literacy classes influence the mothers’ learning and ultimately, the children’s learning.
Are vouchers an effective way to incentivise male circumcision and reduce HIV infection in Malawi? Male circumcision significantly lowers the likelihood of their contracting HIV by up to 60 percent. Surveys will be conducted among 3,000 adult men and 1,500 women attending antenatal and neonatal clinics in Malawi to evaluate the effectiveness of subsidies and other counseling methods on increasing the demand for male circumcision.
Do community driven reconstruction programs help improve welfare and accountability?
In conflict stricken Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, researchers will examine the impact of the community driven reconstruction programs on local governance structures and the effects of gender quota on decision making.
What are the impact of conditional cash transfer programs on employment and the labor market? Over the past decade, conditional cash transfer programs have become very popular social policy tool to reduce poverty in developing countries. It has benefitted millions of families in over 30 countries by providing transfers conditional on health service and school attendance. The study will determine the cost-effectiveness of targeting interventions to different age groups and look at the impact on female labour force, income and consumption
Over 250 proposals were reviewed by over 50 leading experts in the field of impact evaluation. Each proposal was assessed by 3 external reviewers, and then discussed by a panel of 15 reviewers. Each grantee will have external peer advisors, who will serve as sounding boards for the research teams, as well as provide quality assurance for their various reports, questionnaires, data-sets and help promote policy debate.
Project's overviews are available at: www.3ieimpact.org/openwindow/round2
For more information, please contact: Christelle Chapoy, Advocacy and Communications Officer at: cchapoy@3ieimpact.org..jpg)
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