International Initiative for Impact Evaluation

The UK Department For International Development (DFID) calls for systematic reviews to promote evidence based policy making

2010-02-23

This innovative pilot project aims to increase the use of evidence in shaping and improving the effectiveness of development policy by commissioning over 40 priority systematic reviews in eight thematic areas: Growth and Investment, Governance, Fragile States, Climate and Environment, Social Development, Human Development, Agriculture and Aid Delivery.

“Good evidence laid out systematically and fairly has to be the basis for improving policy making in international development. Systematic reviews are a rigorous way to pull together the evidence we need to act to improve the lives of the poorest", said DFID’s Chief Scientist, Chris Whitty.

The studies should systematically review available evidence to give rigorous information on what works and what doesn’t, and will be carried out according to recognized international guidelines, such as the Cochrane Handbook or EPPI-Centre.

Some of the key questions to be addressed by the reviews include:

Growth and Investment: What is the evidence of the impact of business incubation centres on the creation and use of new technology?

Governance: What is the evidence of the impact of increasing salaries on improving the performance of public servants, including teachers, nurses and judges?

Fragile States: What is the evidence of the impact of rapid privatization of industrial State-Owned Enterprises in post-conflict countries on diversifying the economy, creating jobs, and promoting stability?

Climate and Environment: What is the evidence about glacier melt across the Himalayas?

Social Development: What is the evidence of the impact of benefits of work guarantee schemes on poor women and men as compared with cash transfers?

Human Development: What is the evidence of the medium-long term impact of the abolition of school fees in low income developing countries?

Agriculture: How effective have direct subsidies to agriculture been in relation to increasing agricultural sector growth in Africa?

Aid Delivery: What is the evidence that performance-based financing helps to deliver better results as part of a sector budget support programme?

The deadline for submission is April 6. A number of applications will go through external review managed by 3ie. Read more.