What happens once the intervention ends? The medium-term impacts of a cash transfer programme in Malawi | 3ie

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3ie invented evidence gap maps to improve decision-making around where to make investments in producing more evidence or synthesising existing evidence. Since then, we have pioneered further advancements, including developing our interactive online map platform and innovating evidence mapping to broaden its use in development decision-making.

3ie funds and quality assures formative and impact evaluations of development programmes in low- and middle-income countries. These evaluations provide crucial evidence on what works, for whom, why and at what cost. On our website, we host the largest-of-its-kind impact evaluation repository that includes summaries of both 3ie-funded and other studies.

We are global leaders in producing and assuring the quality of theory-based systematic reviews of the effectiveness of development interventions. 3ie continues to innovate and improve synthesis and systematic review methodologies and the uptake and use of synthesised evidence.

3ie specialises in increasing access to, demand for and use of evidence by governments, parliaments, programme managers, civil society, programme participants and the media. We do this by emphasising the value of planning and engaging with stakeholders to ensure that evaluations and reviews are relevant and useful. We use robust and effective monitoring to measure evidence use so that we can convey evidence impact on programmes and policies with greater confidence.

We set up our replication programme to address the need for a freely available global public good that helps improve the quality and reliability of impact evaluation evidence used for development decision-making. Replication is the most established method of research validation in science, yet it has not been fully embraced by the research community or development donors, leading to this gap.

3ie’s evidence programmes and services help build technical capacity to commission and conduct rigorous evaluations, produce evidence gap maps, conduct evidence synthesis and use evidence. We also work with L&MIC governments to build effective monitoring and evaluation systems. 3ie’s bursary programme supports L&MIC policymakers, programme managers and researchers to participate in specialised training and international events.

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On request, 3ie provides services to partners for supporting the generation and use of evidence to inform their development policies and programmes. We commission and quality assure evidence gap maps, evaluations and syntheses as well as provide training.

3ie plays a unique role in promoting collaboration among researchers, policymakers and development programme managers at country, regional and global levels. Our global advocacy for evidence-informed action helps ensure decision makers have quality evidence about what works when they need it.
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Searching this database will bring up published impact evaluations from our Impact Evaluation Repository as well as completed 3ie-funded impact evaluations.

This repository includes summaries of systematic reviews drawn from a range of sources and sectors. The summaries include findings, methodologies and quality appraisal of existing reviews and protocols of ongoing studies.

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3ie’s evidence programmes support studies to fill critical knowledge gaps in a sector, sub-sector or in an area with limited rigorous evidence. We fund studies under a specific theme or which address a particular question or set of questions in programme areas where our donors want to expand global public knowledge of what works and what does not.

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We support impact evaluations to build the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions that reduce the risks faced by the poor through participation in public works and employment programmes.

3ie’s has two major evidence programmes that support the generation and use of high-quality evidence for informing decision-making in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector

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We work with various departments in the Philippines government to develop and fund rigorous evidence useful for policymakers. We also support capacity-building activities for Philippine researchers and support the impact evaluation management framework of the National Economic and Development Authority.

Working in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister, the primary aim is to improve developmental outcomes through evidence-informed decision making in Uganda. 3ie is currently supporting evaluation of government programmes around youth livelihood, family planning, public service delivery and local governance, and universal primary education.

3ie and the government of Benin are working on a a multi-year regional initiative that aims to promote the institutionalization of evaluation in government systems across eight countries in West Africa, including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

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3ie funds internal replications of influential or innovative impact evaluations of financial interventions on mobile money, cash transfers, bank deposits, and other financial service interventions targeted towards underserved and unbanked populations in developing countries.

3ie funds internal replications of influential or innovative impact evaluations of biomedical, behavioural, social, and structural HIV prevention and treatment interventions to improve the evidence base in low- and middle-income countries.
Funding
- Open opportunities
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View our current funding opportunities for evaluations, systematic reviews and internal replication studies.

3ie’s bursary programme offers funding for individuals to attend workshops and conferences related to impact evaluations and systematic reviews.

This study by Sarah Baird, Ephraim Chirwa, Craig McIntosh and Berk Özler evaluated the impacts of the Zomba cash transfer programme (ZCTP) in Malawi two years after the programme ended. The ZCTP took place during 2008-2009 and involved cash transfers, both conditional on schooling and unconditionally, to never-married young women in the age group 13-22 years. The study tries to understand if ZCTP had lasting effects on education, marriage and fertility, health and nutrition, and sexual behaviour of young females.

Overall, the study findings suggest that the benefits of unconditional cash transfer did not sustain beyond the programme period. However, conditional transfers to girls who had dropped out of school had large and durable impacts on primary school completion, years of education, marriage rates and likelihood of bearing children.

Increasing HIV testing demand among Kenyan truck drivers and female sex workers

Increasing HIV testing demand among Kenyan truck drivers and female sex workers

Impact evaluation 3ie

2019

In this impact evaluation report, authors evaluated whether making HIV self-test kits available as a testing option at North Star Alliance roadside wellness clinics in Kenya and advertising via SMS

Impacts of community stakeholder engagement interventions in Ugandan oil extractives

Impacts of community stakeholder engagement interventions in Ugandan oil extractives

Impact evaluation 3ie

2019 In this impact evaluation report, authors evaluated the effectiveness of multistakeholder forums in improving accountability to communities affected by the extractives industry in western Uganda.

The impacts of formal registration of businesses in Malawi

Impacts of formal registration of businesses in Malawi

Impact evaluation 3ie

2019 Authors evaluated the impact of three interventions aimed at formalising small businesses in Malawi.

Unpacking the determinants of entrepreneurship development and economic empowerment for women in Kenya

Unpacking the determinants of entrepreneurship development and economic empowerment for women in Kenya

Impact evaluation 3ie

2019 Authors evaluated the impact of the International Labour Organization’s Gender and Entrepreneurship Together training programme (GET Ahead) in rural Kenya.

Impacts of key provisions in Ghana’s Petroleum Revenue Management Act

Impacts of key provisions in Ghana’s Petroleum Revenue Management Act

Impact evaluation 3ie

2019 The authors evaluated the impact of using public meetings and an ICT platform used by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee to promote transparency and accountability.

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