Closing the Evaluation Gap

Efforts to design better aid programs are often hampered by the failure to evaluate what works in existing programs. In 2004, Ruth Levine convened a working group to find solutions to this problem. After consulting with over 100 development policymakers and practitioners, the group released a 2006  report that urged the creation of a new institution to establish best practice standards, identify high-priority areas for study, and fund and review new impact evaluations. With significant technical support from CGD, a group of bilateral and international donors backed the creation of the new International Initiative for Impact Evaluation or 3ie (“Triple I E”). 3ie has since become a benchmark for development expertise.