Improving the quality of education is a challenging task. Even though achieving this goal is a priority on the agenda of every country in Latin America, we do not know too much on how to get there. Rigorous evidence is scarce, and results are mixed on what works. And when effects are found, they are usually small and contingent on a number of conditions dictated by the … [Read more...] about Do we know how to improve the quality of education?
Is blogging good for economics?
A few days ago, I attended an entertaining discussion on blogs at the IDB. It had the wonkish title “Blogging without borders: best practices of highly effective global blogging.” Shanta Devarajan Chief economist for Africa at the World Bank, Felix Salmon from Reuters and David Roodman from the Center for International Development discussed on whether blogging can be good for … [Read more...] about Is blogging good for economics?
Please wash your hands and save a child
Dr. Atul Gawande in his fascinating book “Better” reports his bewilderment on the mystery on why “the meticulousness of the operating room has not spread beyond its double doors”: even after a year-long campaign in the Hospital in which he works in Boston, 30% of all doctors still did not follow standard hygiene protocols. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … [Read more...] about Please wash your hands and save a child
Just one pesky passenger can save your life
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.3 million people die each year from road accidents. Over 90% of deaths happen in low and middle income countries and it is the leading cause of deaths for young people (15-29). In low income countries, more people die from accidents than malaria and HIV/AIDS combined! The recipe for addressing this issue is … [Read more...] about Just one pesky passenger can save your life
Policy, politics and evidence: why does it matter?
At the Mind the Gap conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico, the main theme was how to affect policy with hard evidence. Some would argue that this is the essence of why we evaluate programs. We want to know what works and why so we can improve upon what we have, replicate what works or move away from what does not. Although it seems reasonable, policy-making is about politics … [Read more...] about Policy, politics and evidence: why does it matter?