Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research
PPL's Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research (PPL/LER) supports the Agency's transformation into a learning organization that captures and disseminates knowledge gained from experience, generates evidence through research and evaluation for what does and does not work in development, and uses evidence to guide program and policy decisions.
Tools for Better Evaluation
One of LER's most important priorities is the revitalization of evaluation at USAID. In January of 2011, USAID released a new Evaluation Policy. Part of USAID Forward, the policy lays out how USAID will move forward to generate the robust evaluation findings needed to make sound decisions and to assure the greatest value for U.S. taxpayers. The implementation of this policy represents a major opportunity for the Agency to demonstrate technical capacity and leadership. In addition to policy implementation, LER is actively working to ensure that evaluation is integrated into the new project design process as well as being addressed in USAID's Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCS). LER also offers formal classroom training in evaluation.
Evaluation Agenda
LER is responsible for leading the development of a USAID evaluation agenda to assure that questions of Agency-wide importance are addressed. While LER is not able to provide direct technical or financial support for all evaluations at USAID, the office will be working to identify high-impact opportunities for evaluation that can make a meaningful contribution to the evidence base on certain development questions, with a priority focus on impact evaluations and Presidential initiatives. Broad input from across the Agency and from external stakeholders, will be sought and incorporated throughout this process. In most cases, these evaluations will be conducted in cooperation with other offices in the Agency.
Evidence Summits
LER is also USAID's institutional home for evidence summits. You can learn more about evidence summits by clicking here. An Evidence Summit is a USAID-sponsored event that connects empirical research to important policy or operational decisions facing the Agency. The purpose of an Evidence Summit is to distill evidence produced from empirical research and evaluations and bring it to bear on important processes or decisions facing the Agency, including policy or strategy development or project design. The centerpiece of an Evidence Summit is a gathering that brings members of the research and academic community together with development practitioners to consider the available research findings and evaluation results ("the evidence") and identify how that evidence bears on front-burner questions facing USAID.
On September 7-8, 2010, USAID hosted its first evidence summit on "Development to Counter Insurgency." The summit marshaled evidence around what has and has not been effective in countering insurgency and violent extremism throughout the world. In attendance were not only members of the research community and USAID staff, but also a significant contingent of interagency colleagues.
On December 9-10, 2010, USAID hosted its second evidence summit on "Promoting Broad-Based Growth." Specifically emphasized in the Presidential Policy Directive on Development and in the President's speech to the UN General Assembly, broad-based growth is a topic of renewed interest and enthusiasm throughout the agency. Specifically, this summit focused on three key questions: (1) What patterns or trends have distinguished countries that have achieved broad-based growth from those that have not? (2) What policies and interventions have successfully contributed to broad-based growth? (3) How can USAID integrate these findings into its core business practices? The summit was attended by an extremely diverse group; including USAID field staff, implementing partners, prominent economists, and interagency colleagues.
During the first week of June 2011, LER, the Bureau for Food Security and UC Berkley's Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI) partnered to host an Evidence Summit on Agricultural Technology Adoption and Food Security in Africa. During the summit, evidence from research and evaluation were presented on profitable agricultural technologies for smallholder farmers, including drought resistance maize, bio-fortified sweet potato and rainfall index insurance. Presenters also discussed a wide range of strategies that can be applied towards accelerating the adoption of profitable agricultural technologies, focusing on the role of policies, institutions, social networks, extension, training and information innovations. Presentations can be viewed on the Agricultural Technology Adoption Summit Website.
Evaluation Partnerships
LER is partnering with the development world's most prominent leaders in evaluation. Direct and extended engagement with this community will strengthen institutional ties, as well as build the Agency's internal expertise and capacity. As a result of LER engagement, USAID recently joined the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), which serves as a locus for impact evaluation in the development community. LER will also partner with regional and local partners to build local capacity for mutual accountability. LER is currently developing a strategy for local capacity building.
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