Solving Social Problems “One Coin Toss at a Time”
Andrew Leigh’s Randomistas: How radical researchers are changing our world celebrates the triumphs of RCTs.
Review
Measurement & Evaluation - Most Popular
New ways to measure and evaluate the impact an organization’s work has on society (more)
Time to Scale Psycho-Behavioral Segmentation in Global Development
Most global development programs still segment people by demographics when trying to change their behavior. We must learn from the private sector and segment people based on the reasons behind their actions. Open access to this article is made possible by The Surgo Foundation.
Why Proven Solutions Struggle to Scale Up
Many social innovations fail because they are unable to bridge the “stagnation chasm.” Here is a look at the resources, ecosystems, and skills needed to overcome it.
Measurement & Evaluation
Re-defining Corporate Behaviors and Norms Through More-Holistic Assessment
Why environmental, social and governance assessment needs to go beyond risk avoidance, and take into account both business model and corporate strategy.
The Beginning of Good Data Is the Definition of Terms
Making sure everyone at your organization captures, synthesizes, and communicates data in the same way is a worthy investment of time and resources.
If a Report Is Published and No One Reads It, Did It Really Happen?
Investing in smart communications can help ensure that valuable research gets read and put to use in solving global development challenges.
Strong Social Networks are Key to Turning Around Communities
What is the difference between communities that are able to recover from disinvestment and those that cannot? The answer, according to recent research from MDRC, are the presence of strong social networks.
How Adaptive Strategy Is Adapting
New developments from the disciplines of innovation, data science, and implementation management are teaching us that good strategy isn’t just about setting your destination and path, it’s also about how you execute and adjust over time.
Ten Reasons Not to Measure Impact—and What to Do Instead
Impact evaluations are an important tool for learning about effective solutions to social problems, but they are a good investment only in the right circumstances.
Education
Low Performance and High Satisfaction: The Information Paradox of Bad Schools
Parents in emerging economies seem happy with schools that don’t teach their kids very much. The lack of demand for good quality education could be one of the biggest barriers to solving the education crisis.