Monitoring and measuring
We have been pioneering how to monitor and measure evidence uptake and use for more than five years. We know what improves the chances evidence will be relevant and likely to be used. Through consultation with our researchers and learning together, we understand what is most appropriate to expect researchers to do in terms of promoting evidence use. Importantly, we have learned a lot about what a funder can and cannot effectively do to promote evidence use in studies that we fund. Using our specialised evidence use approach, we have now documented more than 150 instances of how 3ie-supported evidence from over 90 studies have been used.
Our careful monitoring of engagement and uptake shows seven types of use: taking successful programmes to scale, closing programmes that do not work, changing policy or programme design, informing the design of other programmes, informing discussions of policies and programmes, informing global policy discussions and improving the culture of evaluation evidence use by strengthening the enabling environment.
We have focused our innovation and learning on how to improve evidence use measurement. We have tried a number of different approaches to monitoring, validating and coming up with cost-effective and timely methods that works for our needs. In 2018, we adopted contribution tracing for testing and improving our evidence use claims. This method has helped strengthen our monitoring, as well as our confidence in what we are measuring and reporting.