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

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).

Half-time for SDG Evidence Generation: Insights from the Development Evidence Portal

Half-time for SDG Evidence Generation: Insights from the Development Evidence Portal

Working paper 3ie 2023  

The authors of this working paper provide an overview of effectiveness evidence across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals using data from 3ie's Development Evidence Portal.

Understanding NRLM’s Impact on Livelihoods and Social Outcomes: A Unifying Framework

Understanding NRLM’s Impact on Livelihoods and Social Outcomes: A Unifying Framework

Working paper 3ie 2023  
This paper presents a unifying framework for understanding the impact of India’s National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) on livelihoods and social outcomes. It derives key insight from the literature on economic growth. This paper is part of our ongoing Rural India Livelihoods Program supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The effects of democracy and freedom interventions in democratic backsliding contexts: A rapid evidence assessment

The effects of democracy and freedom interventions in democratic backsliding contexts: A rapid evidence assessment

Working paper 3ie 2023  
The authors of this report present findings of a rapid evidence assessment on the effects of democracy and freedom interventions in democratic backsliding contexts. This report was commissioned by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).