Center for Effective Global Action
September 2016 - Impact Note
IMPACT 
The Next Scientific Revolution
 
The New Atlantis examines the drivers of social transformation in the scientific community, recognizing the Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences (BITSS) for its role in the movement towards more open, replicable research. The Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines are also mentioned as a useful tool in what The New Atlantis calls "the next scientific revolution."      
IN THE NEWS  
 
RFID Reader with tagged products. Photo by: David Mckenzie & Suresh de Mel
USAID Blog Highlights Failed Proof of Concept Study on RFID Technology
 
Failures provide important lessons on what works (and what doesn't) in development. Sarah White , CEGA Project Manager, discusses the importance of sharing failures with the broader development community in a recent USAID blog featuring new research from the journal of Development Engineering .


 
 
Regulatory Compact in Sub-Saharan Africa
 
Photo by: Nick Fraser /
CC BY-SA 2.0 
Why are major electricity provider revenues not covering costs? CEGA affiliates Catherine Wolfram and Paul Gertler explore this question in a recent blog post on the regulatory compact in Sub-Saharan Africa. The post explores the case of TANESCO - Tanzania's local monopoly - inspired by recent travels to the country for a policy conference hosted by the new CEGA initiative on Energy and Economic Growth (EEG).  
 
SPOTLIGHT

Now Available: Second Edition of Impact Evaluation in Practice Handbook

The second edition of the  Impact Evaluation in Practice handbook, by CEGA Scientific Director Paul Gertler and co-authors, is now available. The handbook is a comprehensive introduction to impact evaluation for policymakers and development practitioners. The updated version covers the latest techniques for evaluating programs, with expanded case studies. It also includes materials on field methods and research ethics developed by CEGA, with links to complementary online instructional material. The book is accompanied by a new online course on Applied Impact Evaluation available at aie.cega.org.
 
 
 
 

EVENTS  
 
 
 
Third Annual Behavioral Economics and Global Health Conference  
 
How effective are commitment devices at influencing
Photo by: Brandie Nonnecke

 
women's reproductive outcomes? When do incentives actually improve health worker performance? These questions were explored at the third annual Behavioral Economics and Global Health Conference held at UC Berkeley on September 23. The one-day event convened leading academics and practitioners from economics, psychology, behavioral sciences, and public health to present ongoing research and discuss innovations in the field. Presentations are available online and videos will be posted in the coming weeks.



The Science of Scaling: Evidence to Advance Anti-Poverty Innovations

On September 26, the Development Impact Lab hosted its annual conference on the Science of Scaling at UC Berkeley. The event brought together technologists, academics, practitioner and industry experts to explore lessons from scaling evidence-based innovations in low-income settings. Read key highlights and lessons from the event here.



Photo by: Thomas Chupein 
Energy Policy Workshop in Nepal

On September 28, CEGA hosted an energy policy workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal to inform the research agenda for a multi-disciplinary research program on Energy and Economic Growth (EEG), funded by the UK government. The event, co-organized with  Oxford Policy Management , engaged senior policymakers, practitioners, and energy researchers from South Asia and beyond to discuss energy access and supply, regional cooperation for energy security, and enabling environments.

PEOPLE

CEGA Welcomes New Visiting Researchers to
UC Berkeley


Jayne Tusiime
Photo by: Emily Martin

Dagim Belay
Photo by: Emily Martin

This Fall, CEGA welcomes visiting researchers
Jayne Tusiime (Busitema University, Uganda) and Dagim Belay (Ethiopia via the University of Copenhagen), who will be in residence at UC Berkeley as part of the EASST Collaborative fellowship program. Visiting researchers will audit courses, present research, and design new impact evaluations in partnership with CEGA affiliates. In the past 3 years, CEGA has brought 24 low-income country researchers to the U.S. for semester-long sabbaticals, resulting in more than 16 new studies in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.  
 
RESEARCH    

Working Paper: Preschool Interventions and Early Childhood Development in Malawi
Photo by: Colin Carmichael /     
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 
 
Early childhood investments in education can yield positive short and long-term impacts on learning, skills attainment, and earnings by adults. But what is the most effective way to reach children in low and m iddle income countries? In a recent working paper, CEGA affiliate Lia Fernald and co-authors report on their evaluation of a teacher and parent training program offered through childcare facilities in Malawi. The results show that short-term child learning outcomes improved only when both parents and teachers received the training intervention, and not when teachers alone received training.

 
Photo by: Kenneth Lee 
Working Paper: Rural Electrification in Kenya

What are the welfare implications of mass rural electrification? In a recent  working paper, CEGA Faculty Director Ted Miguel, CEGA Scientific Director Catherine Wolfram, and Kenneth Lee analyze the economics of rural electrification through the findings of an experiment that randomized household connections to the electric grid for 150 communities in rural Kenya.
OPPORTUNITIES  

Photo by:
Karolina Maslanka
Submit to CEGA's Photo Drive!
 
The 3rd Annual CEGA Photo Drive closes October 14! We're looking for high-resolution, captivating images to use throughout the coming year on our digital and print materials.  Submit up to five of your photos for a chance to win a $50 or $100 Amazon gift card! Photos submitted last year can be viewed online.   
 
 
 
 
Third Annual Conference on Measurement Technology

On October 13 the World Bank and CEGA will co-host a workshop at UC Berkeley on the use of sensor networks (IoT), remote sensing, and other technologies to monitor the economic performance of infrastructure investments. Academics, practitioners, and tech partners will convene for a series of panels spanning transport systems, utilities, rural infrastructure, urbanization and civil infrastructure. Email gcastaldo@berkeley.edu for more information.