June 15-17, 2011: 2011 Mexico Impact Evaluation Conference: Mind the Gap: From Evidence to Policy Impact
The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico (INSP), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Center for Labor and Social Distributive Studies in coordination with the Impact Evaluation Network and the Poverty and Economic Policy Network (CEDLAS-IEN-PEP) co-hosted the conference "Mind the Gap: From Evidence to Policy Impact" in Cuernavaca on June 15 -17, 2011.
Over 400 researchers, policy makers and programme managers came together for this conference and which featured several discussions and presentations on impact evaluation findings, and on issues concerning the management and use of impact evaluations. The conference was preceded by a range of clinics tailored to the interests and needs of both researchers and programme managers.
To know what the participants have to say about this conference, read the
Post-Conference Survey Report.
All the presentations, photographs, videos and recordings of some of the sessions are now available on the conference site
http://www.impactevaluation2011.org/index.html
Nancy Cartwright
"Knowing what we are talking about: Why evidence doesn’t always travel"
Howard White "Mixed methods in impact evaluation"
May 23, 2011: 3ie-LIDC symposium 'Thinking out of the black box'
Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) have moved to the forefront of the development agenda to assess the results and the impact of programmes. But RCTs are not without their critics, with questions raised about their usefulness, both in terms of providing more substantive lessons about the programme being evaluated and having findings that can be generalized to other settings. This symposium features Nancy Cartwright, London School of Economics, Howard White, 3ie and Jeff Waage, LIDC and brings perspectives from the philosophy of science and a mixed method approach to impact analysis.
July 12-13, 2010: 3ie-DFID Impact Evaluation Workshop
At the workshop held in New Delhi, grantees working in India teams from many institutions, including J-PAL, MIT, IFPRI, Delhi School of Economics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the International Water Management Institute presented the rationale, questions and design for impact studies in the diverse areas of governance, health, education, environment, water and agriculture. Read more.
The 3ie conference “Mind the Gap: From Evidence to Policy Impact” brought to centre stage the need to address the “tension between learning and doing” as Ruth Levine (Hewlett Foundation) called it in the conference opening. For researchers, there is pressure to deliver quick results and for policymakers “there is still a pronounced hunger for success stories but a tendency to choke on failure”.
Many of the participants at the conference spoke of a real shift in the political discourse and demand for evidence. In Latin America, impact evaluation has become part of the democratic dialogue. For the Chilean Planning Minister Felipe Kast, this movement in Latin America is partly due to the fact that “people don’t believe in politicians anymore. Since the credibility is so low, politicians must use good evidence to convince citizens that programmes are working” (For more, view video).
All the presentations, photographs, videos and recordings of some of the sessions are now available on the conference site.
May 7, 2010: Closing the evaluation gap: 3ie one year on
CGD and 3ie held a one day workshop in Washington D.C. on Conditional Cash Transfers. For more information and programme, click here.
January 14-15, 2010: 3ie workshop 'Evaluating Response to Shocks'
This hands-on clinic at the Global Development Network conference in Prague, Czech Republic, focused on rigorous impact evaluation design, using examples of three different interventions to cope with shocks - health insurance, emergency relief, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Participants first reviewed the fundamentals of impact evaluation, followed by practical case studies relating to the different interventions and group work where participants designed an impact evaluation.
Download key presentations:
Howard White "Theory Based Impact Evaluation"
Howard White "Shocks and impact evaluation"
Marie Gaarder "Experimental and Quasi Experimental designs"
Hugh Waddington "Impact evaluation on a health insurance programme"
Birte Snilstveit "Climate change mitigation and impact evaluation"
2009 International Conference on Development Evaluation
October 12: India takes steps to become world leader in evaluation
Over 250 senior Indian Administrative Service staff and leading international and local researchers were meeting to discuss the future of the Indian evaluation system, and draw on international experiences of development evaluation. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, announced the establishement of a new Independent Evaluation Office. In a new report released by 3ie at the conference, one of the key take aways is that there is no unique model for strengthening and institutionalizing a monitoring and evaluation system. It all depends on having local champions and using results to improve performance. Read more.
2009 Campbell Collaboration Colloquium
May 18: Access to clean water and sanitation saves lives
3ie organized a session at the recent Campbell Collaboration Colloquium presenting new evidence on how better access to water and sanitation can save lives through better child health.
2009 Cairo Impact Evaluation Conference: Perspectives on Impact Evaluation
March 29 - April 2: Approaches to assessing development effectiveness
Seven hundred evaluators, policy makers, donors, development practitioners and researchers were gathered in Cairo in March 2009 to share experiences and lessons learned, and guide political leaders in shaping and implementing development policies and programs that make a difference in poor people’s lives. For more information, click here.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
