1. Rapid Evidence Assessments and Evidence Gap Maps
BCURE Evidence-Informed Decision-Making Capacity Building Workshop
1st and 2nd June 2015
Pretoria, South Africa
Rapid Evidence Assessments and Evidence Gap Maps
Philip Davies
International Initiative for Impact Evaluation [3ie]

2. Rapid Evidence Assessments –
What Are They?
Scaled down systematic reviews of existing evidence
Timed to meet the needs of policy makers/practitioners (1-3 months)
Strategically using the ‘three arms’ of systematic searching, but less exhaustively
Photo © Panos East Africa
Critical appraisal of identified studies is included
Summary of findings, with caveats and qualifications

3. Rapid Evidence Assessments –
How Scaled Down?

4. When to use a Rapid Evidence Assessment
When a policy decision is required within months, based on the best available evidence within that time.
When there is uncertainty about the amount and relevance of the available evidence
When a map of evidence is required to establish the existing evidence, and to direct future research needs.
When evidence of the likely effects of an intervention is required.
When evidence of implementation barriers and facilitating factors/mechanisms is required
When evidence on the cost and cost-benefits is required

5. Rapid Evidence Assessments - Advantages
Timed to meet the needs of decision makers, not academics/researchers
A sounder evidence than selective literature reviews
Better basis for making policy than being evidence-free
Provides a challenge function to received wisdoms
Challenges and strengthens a policy’s theory of change
Provides more precise estimates of likely outcomes/effects
Provides valid and reliable evidence on implementation
Transparent strengths/weaknesses of evidence-base

6. Rapid Evidence Assessments - Limitations
Not as comprehensive as systematic reviews
Not as data-detailed as a full systematic review
May involve some selection bias and publication bias
Can misrepresent the totality of evidence
Can lead to Type I and Type II errors
Need to be continued to produce full systematic reviews
Need to use with caution

7. 3ie Evidence Gap Maps
Maps of the existing evidence base on a policy issue, topic or sector such as maternal health, HIV/AIDS, agriculture, extreme poverty
Structured around a framework of interventions and outcomes (intermediate and final)
A ways of identifying where there is evidence, and where there is not
An indication of the quality of this evidence
Links to user-friendly summaries in the 3ie database of systematic reviews.
The evidence gapmaps identifies high-quality evidence, provides a quick overview of the quality of this evidence and links to user-friendly summaries in the 3ie database of systematic reviews.
The first gapmap focused on HIV/Aids (Vojtkova et al., 2011), followed by a gapmap on maternal health (Bhavsar et al., 2012). Gapmaps on climate change, agriculture and female economic empowerment and health are currently in progress (Guise, forthcoming).
If very few or no primary studies are available on a particular intervention, the gap needs to be filled with primary studies. Areas with primary studies can provide a guide to where future systematic reviews should be targeted

8. Objectives of 3ie evidence gap maps
To provide user-friendly tools for accessing and exploring existing evidence quickly and efficiently
To facilitate informed judgement and evidence-based decision making
To identify key “gaps” in the available evidence
To indicate where future research should be focused
To facilitate strategic use of scarce research funding
Facilitate informed judgement and evidence-based decision making in international development policy and practice by providing user-friendly tools for accessing evidence and thereby enable policy-makers and practitioners to explore the findings and quality of the existing evidence on a topic quickly and efficiently.
To facilitate strategic use of scarce research funding and enhance the potential for future evidence synthesis by identifying key “gaps” in the available evidence and indicating where future research should be focused.

9. Evidence gap map of interventions
HIV/AIDS (Early Days)
Outcomes
Interventions
Systematic reviews included in the gap map were identified through an extensive search of relevant databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the 3ie Database of Systematic Reviews, Health Systems Evidence, International Child health Review Collaboration and the International Child health Review Collaboration. The search covered the period from 1993 up to November We identified 43 systematic reviews and 11 protocols which met our inclusion criteria across 16 broad intervention categories and 13 broad outcome categories.
We produced summaries of each included review and protocol, and assessed the quality of completed reviews using the 3ie checklist adapted from the Supporting the Use of Research Evidence checklist (2011). Evidence on different outcomes (in columns) was then mapped onto different categories of interventions (in rows).

10. Evidence gap map of interventions
HIV/AIDS

11. Each cell in the online version of the gap map is linked to a user-friendly summary of the systematic review on the 3ie Systematic review database to allow the user to explore the main findings and quality appraisal information in more detail

12. Interactive Evidence Gap Maps (Latest Hi-Tech Interactive Platform)

16. Evidence Gap Maps Agricultural Innovation Climate Change Adaptation
Climate Change Mitigation
Conservation
Education (Primary And Secondary)
Evidence For Peace Prograsms
HIV/AIDS
Integration Of HIV Services
Maternal Health
Productive Safety Net Programs
REDD+ Initiatives
Social Protection
Water, Sanitation And Hygiene
EGMs continue to be in high demand
As a stand-alone product
And as an integral part of SRs
A new high-tech, interactive platform for presenting EGMs

17. Thank you Philip Davies (0) Visit