Innovations for Poverty Action

Innovations for Poverty Action
Name	Innovations for Poverty Action
Founded	0 2002
Founder	Dean Karlan
Type	Nonprofit
Focus	Poverty reduction
Headquarters	New Haven, Connecticut
Key people	Annie Duflo (Executive Director)
Website	https://www.poverty-action.org

Innovations for Poverty Action is a prominent research and policy nonprofit dedicated to discovering and promoting effective solutions to global poverty problems. Founded by economist Dean Karlan, the organization is renowned for its rigorous use of randomized controlled trials to evaluate social programs. With a network of affiliated researchers and partnerships worldwide, it works to translate evidence into actionable policies that improve the lives of people in low-income countries.

History and founding

The organization was established in 2002 by Dean Karlan, a professor of economics at Yale University, alongside a group of fellow academics. Its creation was inspired by the growing movement within development economics to apply more scientific rigor to poverty interventions, moving beyond anecdotal evidence. Early support came from institutions like the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which shared a similar mission. The founding team sought to build a permanent organization that could both conduct high-quality field research and ensure its findings influenced real-world programs and policies.

Research methodology

The cornerstone of the organization's approach is the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials, often considered the gold standard for impact evaluation. Researchers collaborate with implementing partners, such as BRAC or the World Bank, to randomly assign eligible participants to either receive a program or serve in a control group. This method allows for the isolation of a program's causal effect from other factors. The methodology is heavily influenced by pioneers like Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, and it emphasizes pre-registration of study designs to ensure transparency. Findings are then meticulously analyzed and published in leading journals like the American Economic Review.

Key research areas and findings

Research spans several critical domains of international development. In financial inclusion, studies have examined the impacts of microcredit, microsavings, and insurance products, revealing nuanced effects on business investment and household resilience. In health, rigorous evaluations have tested strategies to increase vaccination rates, improve malaria prevention, and enhance sanitation. Education studies have assessed the effectiveness of teacher performance pay, school-based deworming programs, and teaching at the right level methodologies. In agriculture, research has evaluated the adoption of technologies like fertilizer and improved seeds, often exploring the role of information and subsidies.

Notable projects and initiatives

One landmark initiative was the evaluation of the Graduation approach, a multifaceted program providing assets, training, and coaching to the ultra-poor, which demonstrated sustained impacts on consumption and assets across multiple countries including Ethiopia and Pakistan. Another significant project involved partnering with the Government of Kenya and GiveDirectly to study the effects of large, unconditional cash transfers. The organization also manages the Peace and Recovery Program, funding research on reducing violence and supporting post-conflict recovery in places like Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Organizational structure and partnerships

Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, the organization maintains country offices across Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, employing local research staff. It operates as a key connector between academia and practice, frequently collaborating with university researchers from institutions like Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley. Major funding and partnership comes from entities such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Its policy team works directly with governments and NGOs to translate evidence into scaled programs.

Impact and recognition

The organization's work has directly influenced national policies, such as informing the scale-up of the Graduation approach within government safety nets in several countries. Its research contributed to the body of evidence recognized by the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, awarded to affiliated researchers Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. The organization's commitment to evidence is further demonstrated by its role in co-founding the Evidence in Governance and Politics network and the Global Innovation Fund. It continues to be a leading voice in advocating for evidence-based decision-making in the fight against global poverty.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Connecticut Category:International development organizations Category:Research organizations