GENERATING AND USING EVIDENCE THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM CYCLE How is Evidence Produced? Key Messages Biodiversity conservation is about the health for the world thus it is urgent to adopt an evidence based approach in conservation. There is a growing movement towards evidence-based conservation. USAID staff generate and consume a massive amount of data and information but we need to be better consumers and synthesizers. We can build an evidence based approach into key elements of the program cycle. Defining evidence: The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. An evidence based approach is a conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions. It recognizes that development is context specific, ever-changing, and involves uncertainties, and that the best evidence is derived from a systematic process which aims to minimize bias. (Adapted from the Center for International Forestry Research) Sectors actively taking evidence-based approaches: Medicine Public health Education Law and criminology Forestry EVIDENCE IN USAID TODAY Scientific Research Policy: improve the quality and use of research for decision-making Monitoring and Evaluation: more impact evaluations; increase use of more sophisticated data gathering and analysis; report negative results Collaborating, Learning and Adapting: increase use of evidence and learning EVIDENCE SESSION—ENVIRONMENT OFFICERS CONFERENCE, FEBRUARY 2016 Meta-analysis Systematic review Analysis of monitoring data Evidence-based Theory of Change Operations research Impact evaluation and complexity- aware monitoring Scientific research Literature review on key topic Lessons learned review of practice or approach Desk study of site, status, trends Generating new evidence Creating an evidence or gap map Mining existing evidence The Challenge “The root cause of the current inability in international development to learn has relatively little to do with the availability or quality or evidence or the level of rigour. It is likely much more about the system of incentives and structures underpinning how development agencies and donors operate, which together create the conditions for use … of impact knowledge.”

Conservation, Evidence and Policy - Cambridge Journals: Evidence Based Forestry: www1.CIFOR.orgwww1.CIFOR.org Environmental Evidence Journal: Conservation evidence, decision-making and the role of scientific publications: Conservation Evidences: USAID Learning Lab: Effective Sustainability and Exit Strategies for USAID FFP Development Food Assistance Projects: FAB OFFICE CONTACT: Diane Russell at USAID Best Practices Using evidence in the Program Cycle Biodiversity Conservation Network Portfolio-based, hypothesis testing biodiversity program. Food for Peace development-food Rigorous ex post evaluation that showed what interventions were sustained and why. E3/LTRM Series of impact evaluations to help determine how land security affects uptake of sustainable intensification. USAID/West Africa Integration of impact evaluation into program design and implementation. USAID/Peru Use of geospatial data in project design to locate threats and collaborate across borders. Evidence for problem definition Seek and filter up to date geo-referenced data on targets, threats and drivers. Evidence to craft a Theory of Change Carry out due diligence on strategic approaches. Evidence for effectiveness throughout implementation Deploy state of the art M&E approaches for adaptive management. Resources