Applying research insights

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Lessons from randomized evaluations have informed the design of programs.

Well-designed randomized evaluations can provide insights into not only whether or not a program works, but also why. In other words, in addition to learning about the impact of a particular program, researchers can often draw out the mechanisms behind that program’s success to help derive general lessons that can be applied in the same context, as well as more broadly across different contexts and different sectors.

Using a practical generalizability framework, policymakers can use these lessons to inform the design of a broader spectrum of programs and policies. For example, through a series of randomized evaluations in India, Ghana, and Kenya, researchers learned that when children are behind in school, there are a range of cost-effective strategies based on the insight of regrouping students by their current learning level rather than by their age. Governments and organizations in other contexts, such as Zambia, have been able to apply the general idea of “teaching at the right level” to inform the design of their own remedial programs.

TNP2K commercial about the social protection identification card.

Targeted information to improve social assistance

Government scale-up improves access to targeted social programs for 65.67 million people.
TaRL activities taking place in a classroom in Gujarat, India

Teaching at the Right Level to improve learning

Reorienting instruction has improved learning opportunities for over 60 million students in India and Africa.
Tutoring | Shutterstock.com

Tutoring to accelerate learning

Research has shown that high-dosage tutoring helps students catch up. Governments and agencies across the United States are implementing tutoring programs to accelerate learning in the wake of Covid-19.
French man working on his CV as part of a youth employment program

Using rigorous impact evaluation to help people find jobs

The French Public Employment Service has incorporated rigorous evidence from randomized evaluations into its decision-making processes to improve employment outcomes of job seekers throughout the country.