A few weeks ago, I published a blog post on some of the unsettling implications of this paper that suggested that some interventions lose their punch when done by public agencies. One of the takeaways was the need to “go up the bureaucratic supply chain” as nicely put by Justin Sandefur in a tweet on the post. In other words, the need to jump over the “challenge of … [Read more...] about 3 good examples of the impact of impact evaluations
esther duflo
Impact evaluation, cost effectiveness and cost benefit analysis: back to the future?
In the last decade, attention has increasingly been placed on measuring and establishing the causality of the impact that development projects or interventions – either privately or publicly funded - have on an outcome of interest. In many areas such as health, education and social protection there is an emerging consensus on how to estimate the causal impact of … [Read more...] about Impact evaluation, cost effectiveness and cost benefit analysis: back to the future?
Impact evaluation, cost effectiveness and cost benefit analysis: back to the future?
In the last decade, attention has increasingly been placed on measuring and establishing the causality of the impact that development projects or interventions – either privately or publicly funded - have on an outcome of interest. In many areas such as health, education and social protection there is an emerging consensus on how to estimate the causal impact of interventions. … [Read more...] about Impact evaluation, cost effectiveness and cost benefit analysis: back to the future?
A lesson from economist Esther Duflo
Recently, as part of the 150th anniversary of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), renowned economist Esther Duflo made a passionate plea for the importance of measuring and comparing what we know and what we don’t know in order to determine which development policies work and which do not. I recommend that you read her presentation and reflect on her message. … [Read more...] about A lesson from economist Esther Duflo
Development in Latin America: why it matters to know what projects work
When the Chinese Premier Zhou En Lai was asked about the impact of the French Revolution, he reportedly said it is too early to tell. For a development bank such as the IDB, which lends more than US$12 billion a year, it is never too soon to know the impact of Bank-financed funded projects, or which policies have the best chances of success. And why does it matter? … [Read more...] about Development in Latin America: why it matters to know what projects work