Trinity IMpact Evaluation Unit (TIME) Strong evidence, better investments, real impact

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin TIME TIME will bring together researchers in economics working on micro-economic impact evaluations, development practitioners, and policy makers in a collective effort to estimate and understand the impact of development aid and investments. TIME will contribute to the global debate on the economic development process and the underlying mechanisms at work. Our vision is to provide strong evidence of what works, so that better investments that have real impact on the development process can be made. Strong evidence, better investments, real impact

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Our Mission –In order to learn which types of development programmes are most effective, we need to be able to accurately measure impact. –We need to go beyond correlations to understand how programmes truly affect outcomes. –By employing rigorous statistical techniques, TIME will strive to identify the causal effect of interventions, thereby providing credible evidence on what really works. It’s TIME for rigorous impact evaluation

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Methodological Approach

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Our Mission –Resources are scarce and it’s important that development programmes are as effective as possible. –Aid and investments should be targeted towards areas where they can have the greatest impact. –We need to learn from our current actions in order to improve future programmes. –We need to know not just whether or not programmes work, but why and how they work. –By collaborating with development organisations from the beginning of the design of the project, TIME can help to uncover the mechanisms that are at work in order to inform the design of better programmes in the future. It’s TIME for evidence-based programmes

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Our Mission –Huge potential exists for development academics and practitioners to work together and learn from each other. –Academic methodologies can help to inform the design of development programmes and be used to rigorously test what works. –Practical field experience can aid the interpretation of academic results, increasing real-world relevance. –TIME will actively seek to engage with development practitioners in order to facilitate this knowledge exchange. It’s TIME for academia and practitioners to come together

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Current Projects: NOURISH –Impact evaluation of nutrition and empowerment related interventions for women living with HIV in Uganda –Experiment includes 3,000 women in 32 HIV clinics covering all of Uganda –Impact tested through RCT of 3 interventions: – Nutritional information campaign – Cookery demonstrations on how to produce locally sourced Home-made Nutritious Food – Inspiring Women –Simple, cost effective and scalable interventions –Focus on mechanisms underlying behavioural change –Funded by PSC between Irish Aid and Higher Education and Research Institutions. –Partners: Makerere University, Joint Clinical Research Centre Nutrition and empowerment: evidence from women living with HIV in Uganda

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Current Projects: Powering Education Energy access and education: evidence from rural Kenya –Impact evaluation of distributing solar lamps to 7 th grade pupils in off-grid areas –Lamps are randomly allocated to students in each school –Experiment shows postive spillovers between treatment and control – Both treatment and control group improve their grades in math – Students share the lamp in prep-classess in the afternoon – Schools with higher share of treated students show more improvements –Mothers of treated students work more during the day reducing chores which are postponed to the evening thanks to the lamp’s availability –Funded by ENEL Foundation and STICERD –Partners: Powering Impact, GiveWatts, Global Shapers-WEF.

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Current Projects: So Fresh and So Clean –Impact evaluation of community engagement mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of drainage infrastructure in two flood prone regions in Dakar, Senegal. –RCT examining the impact of alternative approaches to community engagement to improve and maintain the cleanliness of public spaces and drainage infrastructure –RCT involves 160 communities –Impact will be considered in relation to attitudes and behavior, loss and damage to property, health, household income and consumption, and education outcomes –Project will contribute generally to our understanding of community directed development interventions in urban settings. –Partners: DIME, World Bank, Dakar Municipal Development Agency (ADM), ENDA, MSA Urban community engagement to keep streets trash free and improve the sustainability of drainage infrastructures in Senegal

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Current Projects: Digitising Savings Groups –Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programme and partners developed an Android application, known as e-recording for savings groups to digitise their recording of financial records –Using an clustered RCT methodology, this study assesses the impact of the e-recording device on the performance of the savings group and changes in household financial management practices –It also addresses key policy questions: – Will the introduction of technology improve savings group performance? What mechanisms cause this change in performance (transparency, trust, efficiency, etc)? – To what extent do technological or other spillovers exist? –Partners: FSD, CARE, CRS Impact evaluation of savings group e-recording technology in Western Kenya

TIME are: Prof. Fadi Hassan Prof. Michael King Prof. Tara Mitchell Prof. Gaia Narciso Prof. Carol Newman Contact: