International Initiative for Impact Evaluation
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| International Initiative for Impact Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Initiative for Impact Evaluation |
| Formation | 2003 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Region | Global |
| Leader title | Director |
International Initiative for Impact Evaluation is an international non-governmental organization focused on advancing evidence about poverty reduction, development interventions, and public policy through rigorous impact evaluation. The initiative works across countries in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to inform decisions by linking donors, research institutions, governments, and civil society. It collaborates with institutions such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, DFID, and leading universities to produce rigorous randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and systematic reviews.
History
The initiative was launched in 2003 amid debates involving thinkers from Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, London School of Economics, and Princeton University about improving evidence for policy making in low-income countries. Early supporters included figures associated with Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who sought to professionalize evaluation practice following influences from landmark studies such as those by Angus Deaton, Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerjee, and institutions like RAND Corporation and International Monetary Fund. Over time the initiative expanded partnerships with national agencies such as Ministry of Finance (India), provincial governments in Kenya, and municipal actors in Brazil, drawing attention from journals including The Lancet, American Economic Review, Journal of Development Economics, and Science.
Mission and Objectives
The stated mission aligns with objectives promoted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations, and philanthropic organizations to improve transparency, reproducibility, and relevance of impact evidence. Core objectives emphasize capacity building with partners like University of Cape Town, University of Chicago, Yale University, and Columbia University; promoting standards similar to those advanced by CONSORT and PRISMA in clinical and systematic review literatures; and creating shared repositories akin to initiatives at ICPSR and RePEc. The initiative aims to influence policy processes in countries represented in forums such as the G20, Global Partnership for Education, and Global Fund.
Organizational Structure and Governance
The organization has typically combined a small secretariat with advisory boards drawing members from World Bank Group, International Labour Organization, UNICEF, WHO, and academia including scholars from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, and Brown University. Governance has featured boards and technical advisory panels with experts who have also served at National Bureau of Economic Research, Brookings Institution, Center for Global Development, and Overseas Development Institute. Operational units have coordinated country programs in partnership with national research centers such as Indian Statistical Institute and Kenya Medical Research Institute, while ethics oversight has engaged institutional review boards modeled on those at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Research Methods and Standards
Methodological approaches reflect practices found in randomized evaluation work pioneered in contexts like projects associated with J-PAL and CID and draw on econometric traditions from MIT and Stanford. Standards emphasize preanalysis plans, registry use akin to ClinicalTrials.gov and Open Science Framework, power calculations used in trials at NBER, and transparency practices promoted by Transparency International and Open Data Institute. The initiative has advocated for mixed-methods designs combining quantitative impact estimates with qualitative work from researchers linked to Institute of Development Studies and Overseas Development Institute, and has incorporated statistical techniques developed in textbooks from Cambridge University Press and software commonly used at Harvard Kennedy School.
Major Projects and Impact Evaluations
Major studies have evaluated programs in sectors where agencies such as UNICEF, WHO, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and UN Women operate. Evaluations have covered conditional cash transfer programs modeled on Bolsa Família, microfinance initiatives similar to those studied by Grameen Bank and BRAC, teacher incentive schemes in partnership with Pratham, health interventions related to GAVI campaigns, and agricultural extension trials correlating with projects by IFAD and CGIAR centers. Findings have been cited in policy dialogues at venues including the World Economic Forum, UN General Assembly, and OECD ministerial meetings.
Partnerships and Funding
Funding and partnerships have come from a mix of multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, bilateral donors including UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and USAID, and philanthropic foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Academic collaborations involve Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Duke University, and ETH Zurich, while implementation partners have included CARE International, OXFAM, Save the Children, and World Vision. The initiative has also worked with national statistical offices and donors coordinated through mechanisms like the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critics from circles around Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, and advocacy groups linked to ActionAid and Development Alternatives have argued that randomized approaches can neglect context emphasized by scholars at SOAS University of London and University of Manchester. Debates have involved methodological critiques voiced in outlets such as Nature and The Economist, ethical concerns raised by panels associated with UNAIDS and Human Rights Watch, and discussions about research priority-setting influenced by major funders like the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. Disputes have also arisen over replication issues highlighted by researchers affiliated with Reproducibility Project-style initiatives and about the balance between experimental evidence and historical perspectives advocated by scholars linked to Cambridge University and Columbia University.