2011

Colleague,

Building evidence takes time and usually requires piecing together findings from disparate sources. Thus, we learn from a new CGD working paper on Kenya how answering a big puzzle requires not only new data but also efforts to understand seemingly contradictory evidence from previous studies. Meanwhile, an innovative NGO shows how a good idea can be piloted and rigorously evaluated to the benefit of future emergency relief efforts. And as all this good evidence accumulates, there’s a new place to find it in 3ie’s database of systematic reviews. Oh, and don’t be surprised if the next World Cup has some players who have been subjected to Impact Evaluation. You heard it here first.

Regards,


William D. Savedoff
Senior Fellow
Center for Global Development

Why Did Abolishing Fees Not Increase Public School Enrollment in Kenya?

A new CGD working paper investigates why Kenyan public school enrollment stagnated despite the government’s policy of abolishing school fees in 2003. Earlier experimental studies have shown that public enrollment generally rises when fees are eliminated. In this case, the authors show that as poorer pupils took advantage of free education, their more affluent peers left for private schools. This study shows how building knowledge takes a combination of new data and hard thinking about how seemingly contradictory conclusions from different studies can be fitted together into a coherent analysis. (Following CGD’s policy, data and computer code from the study is also publicly available). Image: Flickr user/ Waterdog

Concern World innovates with mobile phones … and evaluates it!

Last year, Concern Worldwide wondered if they could provide drought aid in Niger more effectively by using new mobile phone technologies. They also took the step of contacting Jenny Aker to help them evaluate the idea rigorously. The results are reported in "Zap it to me,"which shows that the new approach reduced transaction costs as well as provided a number of other benefits to aid recipients. David Roodman tells the story and concludes that the paper “offers a tantalizing glimpse of the way a mobile payment system can rebalance power dynamics within families.” You can hear Aker discuss the study and its implications in a CGD Wonkcast. Image: Concern Worldwide

I want evidence-based policy, but where can I find the evidence?

If you’ve ever asked this question, try checking a new online database of systematic reviews maintained by The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) and funded by the UK Department for International Development. This searchable database provides summaries of the findings and methodologies of systematic reviews and protocols from a wide range of sources, as well as links to the full reports. It currently has over 100 reviews for many sectors, including agriculture, education, nutrition and health. Image: Flickr user/Matthieu Jerry