Each year billions of dollars are spent on development programs with relatively few rigorous studies of their effect. CGD’s recommendations for addressing the lack of good quality impact evaluations led to the creation of the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) in 2009.
The number and quality of impact evaluations has risen significantly, but there is still a long way to go to make sure future development interventions are based on evidence of what works and strategically use evaluation to add to that knowledge base.