Paul Thissen

Paul-Thissen
Designation: Senior Evaluation and Communication Specialist
Paul provides technical and management leadership of and support for impact evaluations, synthesis, and other evidence programs. He is the lead author for 3ie’s 2020 Hindsight campaign blogs. Paul also supports the production of communication materials to effectively convey research findings and 3ie accomplishments to a wide variety of audiences.
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Blogs by author

Evidence Impact: Residents use drones and apps to protect the Ecuadorian Amazon

Paul Thissen, Kirthi Rao 22 April 2021 blog  
In the Ecuadorian Amazon, a highly biodiverse tropical rainforest, more than 3,000 active oil wells pose threats to both the people and wildlife who live there. In addition to accidental oil spills, these wells' operators sometimes intentionally discharge toxic byproducts of the oil production process into streams and rivers.

Evidence Dialogue: For development institutions, learning requires more than collecting data

Paul Thissen 18 March 2021 blog  
The world's development institutions collect lots of data – but do they learn from it? Perhaps not as much as they should. Between the challenges of quick timelines, rigid systems, and disconnects between implementers and evaluators, development agencies do not always walk the talk of evidence-informed decision-making, 3ie's expert panel agreed.

Evidence Impact: South Africa finds an effective way to teach children to read better

Paul Thissen, Deeksha Ahuja, Kirthi Rao 16 February 2021 blog  
In 2019, as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation address, one of his new policy announcements was the expansion of a program aimed at helping children learn to read.

Evidence impact: The ways evaluation findings shape real world outcomes

Kirthi Rao, Paul Thissen 28 January 2021 blog  
The changes that research findings set in motion are often hidden from plain view. Evidence may inform the knowledge base for policies and programmes before decision makers make any concrete plans or contribute to small changes that they can push through.

Expert panel: 3ie's new food system Evidence Gap Map offers a roadmap of the field

Paul Thissen 17 January 2021 blog  
Expert policymakers and researchers joined 3ie for a panel discussion on the new gap map, highlighting the ways it can be useful and the findings that surprised them.