Working papers

These papers cover a range of content. They may focus on current issues, debates and enduring challenges. Policy-relevant papers in this series synthesise or draw on relevant 3ie-funded studies and reviews, as well as other rigorous evidence, to offer new analyses, findings, insights and recommendations. Methods papers and technical guides help advance understanding, design, and use of rigorous and appropriate evaluations and reviews. 3ie also uses this series to publish lessons learned from 3ie grant-making.

Latest working papers

Working papers

Integrating Aquaculture–Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity in Malawi (IAAM): A Baseline Report

Integrating Aquaculture–Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity in Malawi (IAAM): A Baseline Report

Working paper 3ie 2026  
The authors of this report present findings from a baseline survey conducted to evaluate the Integrating Aquaculture-Agriculture to Combat Food Insecurity in Malawi (IAAM) Project implemented by the Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF Canada).

Development cooperation for food security and nutrition: Rapid evidence assessment on the effects of information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change interventions on food security, nutrition, and environmental food system resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa

Development cooperation for food security and nutrition: Rapid evidence assessment on the effects of information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change interventions on food security, nutrition, and environmental food system resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa

Working paper 3ie 2026  
The authors of this report present a summary of the evidence available on the effects of development cooperation on food and nutrition security.

Mapping the evidence on learning to earning interventions in low- and middle-income countries: A framework proposal and scoping review

Mapping the evidence on learning to earning interventions in low- and middle-income countries: A framework proposal and scoping review

Working paper 3ie 2025  
The authors of this paper have proposed a framework that categorises existing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills interventions and labour market outcomes in L&MICs.

Impact of a COVID-19 emergency liquidity support package on bank performance and lending: a controlled interrupted time series (CITS) analysis

Impact of a COVID-19 emergency liquidity support package on bank performance and lending: a controlled interrupted time series (CITS) analysis

Working paper 3ie 2025  
The authors of this study evaluate the impact of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Solidarity Package, which was a COVID-19 emergency liquidity support package.

Key learnings from one-year pilot studies under Swashakt

Key learnings from one-year pilot studies under Swashakt

Working paper 3ie 2024  
The authors of this working paper synthesize learnings from the five pilot projects that were implemented in the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

The enablers and barriers to rural women’s participation in management training programs

The enablers and barriers to rural women’s participation in management training programs

Working paper 3ie 2024  
The authors of this paper provide insights into some of the enablers and barriers to women’s participation in a micro-MBA program that seeks to cultivate competencies and encourage leadership capabilities among women weavers to initiate or manage their microenterprises.

Setting up women’s collective enterprises in rural India: Learnings from 3ie’s Swashakt program

Setting up women’s collective enterprises in rural India: Learnings from 3ie’s Swashakt program

Working paper 3ie 2024  
The authors of this paper synthesise findings from four process evaluations of programs that support collective and group-based models for women-led businesses in India.

The effects of food systems interventions on women’s empowerment: a rapid evidence assessment

The effects of food systems interventions on women’s empowerment: a rapid evidence assessment

Working paper 3ie 2024  
The authors of this report summarize the available evidence on the effects of food systems interventions on women’s empowerment through a rapid evidence assessment. This report was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’s (GIZ’s) Knowledge for Nutrition Program.

Measuring cost-effectiveness in impact evaluation

Measuring cost-effectiveness in impact evaluation

Working paper 3ie 2024  
The authors of this handbook provide practical guidance on how to design, implement, and report cost-effectiveness metrics in experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation designs.

Mapping the evidence on interventions to address climate and biodiversity crises in low- and middle-income countries: a framework proposal

Mapping the evidence on interventions to address climate and biodiversity crises in low- and middle-income countries: a framework proposal

Working paper 3ie 2024  
The authors of this paper have proposed a framework that categorises existing interventions and outcomes in climate change and biodiversity programming in L&MICs and is intended to serve as a comprehensive basis for an Evidence Gap Map of interventions in the climate and biodiversity sectors. This work was commissioned by UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).