By Priya Chattier Have Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) contributed to reducing global poverty by generating rigorous scientific evidence which is turned into effective public policy? While the ‘randomistas’ proffer RCTs as the most rigorous approach to impact evaluation, there has been a pushback from critics on its gold-standard claim. This debate was at the heart …
Category: Research and Learning
Why aren’t aid projects making better use of research and evidence, and what can we do about it?
By Lavinia Tyrrel and Priya Chattier Does research and evidence really make a tangible difference in Australian aid for development? Or are we just kidding ourselves that we are solving complex development challenges and making a lasting impact? And if we are, how can we make better use of research and evidence that not only …
Hanging out in men’s bathrooms: is it time to rethink what ‘evidence’ means in international development?
What constitutes ‘sufficient evidence’ for aid program and policy makers to take decisions – about budgets, activities and so on – in aid and development? Have been talking about this with academics, officials, NGOs, project managers and donors for a number of years now. Ever since working with The Asia Foundation (TAF) where the question …
Are we divorced yet – or just arguing?
Somebody once said (George Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde would be pretty good guesses), that America and England are two countries separated by the same language. I have similar sensations on the (thankfully few) occasions I attend annual conferences on this, that or the other. As the Australian National University’s (ANU) Annual Australasian Aid Conference …
What it’s like to be a (consenting) lab-rat: using research in aid and development
By Reiko Take and Lavinia Tyrrel Spent last Friday in the kick-off workshop looking at how to get aid organisations to make better use of evidence and research in development policy and programming. This is all part of an action research project funded by the Research for Development Impact (RDI) Network and implemented by La …
Continue reading What it’s like to be a (consenting) lab-rat: using research in aid and development
Governance and Development Soapbox 