Blogs

Why does India account for more than half of all impact evaluations in South Asia? What does that reveal about who’s producing evidence in the region and where critical gaps remain? This is the latest entry in our blog series looking at the state of impact evaluation evidence in different regions, based on data from the Development Evidence Portal (DEP).

Glance at the news on any given day and it's clear that the world has a long way to go to achieve the 16th Sustainable Development Goal: "Peace, justice, [and] strong institutions." Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East dominate headlines. A December Wall Street Journal article declares that "Africa Has Entered a New Era of War." The world must do more to stop conflict and help those affected by it, but what approaches are effective?

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are a powerful tool for understanding what works in development and anti-poverty programs. They provide insights to guide practitioners and policymakers in improving and scaling interventions. But for RCT findings to inform these decisions, they must be communicated clearly and systematically—something that’s easier said than done. Good reporting isn’t just about sharing final findings; researchers should share their process to make results actionable.

The Swashakt program launched by 3ie, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, helps answer key aspects of this central question. Swashakt supported women’s empowerment collectives (WECs) spanning farm and non-farm sectors in 10 Indian states with the goal of fostering self-sustaining, women-led enterprises that strengthen their economic empowerment and agency. In this blog, we summarize what worked and what did not and what could be done for greater effectiveness.