Building Evidence for Decision-Making (BE4D)

2T9B6TC Tanzania, Kilimanjaro;
Irrigation of bean crop in a large-scale agricultural breeding station for seed production.

Problem

USAID, its missions, and partners sometimes struggled to make use of data, evaluation findings, and research.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had a long-standing commitment to evidence-based decision making. However, the agency’s Bureaus, Missions, and Operating Units often struggled to use evaluations and research findings to inform policy and programmatic decisions due to time constraints and a lack of capacity and resources. Moreover, evaluations were often not part of the program design phase and, therefore, rigorous methods for evaluation and research were often not used.

USAID provided global assistance for economic growth, expanding partnerships, and innovative solutions to complex development challenges and key U.S. government foreign assistance priorities. To ensure investments had the desired impacts and result in more effective programming to meet government objectives, USAID needed data, evidence, and learning to identify what did and did not work and why. It also needed support in adaptive management and use of evidence for design.

Solution

NORC led USAID’s BE4D consortium to promote the use of evidence and data for decision-making that supported U.S. Government foreign assistance priorities and objectives.

NORC led USAID’s Building Evidence for Decision-Making (BE4D) Activity consortium, consisting of the Dexis Consulting Group, ECODIT, the International Development Group, the Iris Group, and the Training Resources Group, to promote the use of evidence and data for decision-making. We worked in close collaboration with USAID to generate evidence in a systematic manner and support its integration into activity design, implementation, and adaptive management. Our services included:

Literature and evidence reviews
Design workshops
Evaluation design support
Performance evaluations
Impact evaluations
Assessments
Activity performance management planning support
Support in data visualization and Geographic Information Systems
Knowledge management and dissemination
Trainings and workshops
Collaborating learning and adapting approaches

Result

BE4D improved the performance, learning, and sustainability of evidence-based development projects and activities.

NORC and its consortium partners improved the performance, impact, and sustainability of evidence-based development projects and activities for USAID Missions and Operating Units working across multiple sectors:

Education
Economics and Market Development
Innovation Technology and Research
Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships
Private Sector Engagement

Examples of projects are the following:

Impact Evaluation of a Women in the Digital Economy Fund Intervention: We designed and implemented a rigorous impact evaluation to examine the effects of a selected intervention funded by the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) on outcomes related to women’s economic empowerment. WiDEF identifies, directly funds, and accelerates evidence-based, proven solutions to close the gender digital divide with the aim of improving women’s livelihoods, economic security, and resilience.

Research and Analysis of the Global Care Economy: We conducted a rapid landscape analysis to understand how organizations working in the care economy sector globally define, measure, and implement programming. We mapped USAID’s care economy-related programming, identified key accomplishments, and uncovered opportunities to advance and strengthen USAID’s future care economy efforts through a systematic analysis of USAID reporting data, complemented by primary qualitative data. This activity was led by NORC consortium partner Iris Group.

Getting Kids to Read in Liberia Impact Evaluation: We designed and implemented a randomized controlled trail to evaluate USAID/Liberia’s Foundational Skills Activity to assess impacts on enrollment and reading performance of grade one to grade three students. The impact evaluation was also complemented by qualitative data from classroom and training observations.

Ex-Post Evaluations for Greenhouse Gas Emissions: We conducted a set of ex-post evaluations to inform USAID’s 2020-2030 Climate Strategy Reporting to support USAID’s Natural Climate Solutions Division under the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security. These estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in Colombia, India, and Mexico and assessed the extent to which GHG emissions reductions and development impacts from past USAID Sustainable Landscapes activities were still occurring in FY22-23 one selected activity in each country. NORC and Ecodit co-led this activity.

Impact Evaluation Learning Clinic: We organized an Impact Evaluation Learning Clinic (IE Clinic) for USAID’s Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management in coordination with the Center for Natural Environment. We addressed critical issues in environment and climate change, with a special focus on biodiversity. The IE Clinic was designed to support USAID field missions to intervene early in activity design to improve the evidence base and to generate learning through the application of rigorous impact evaluation methods. The event was structured around a clinic-based model, offering a comprehensive blend of technical sessions and workshops.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Food Security Performance Evaluation: This activity supported a performance evaluation for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of three Resilience Food Security Activities in the DRC. The evaluation assessed how each activity has been managed and implemented, its role in improving food security outcomes and strengthening resilience, and progress made towards sustainability.

Tajikistan Learn Together Activity Performance Evaluation: This activity supported the design and implementation of a performance evaluation of USAID/Tajikistan’s Learning Together Activity to assess the relevance and quality of selected interventions with a focus on improving instruction and availability of supplemental reading, math, and socio-emotional learning materials. NORC consortium partner Dexis led this activity.