Communicating
Synthesised
Evidence
Michelle Burns – Evidence Broker (DFID)
Melanie Punton – Graduate Placement (DFID)
Aim of Session
Insight into Research and Evidence Division – Who are RED and
what does it mean for me?
Insight into how we as Evidence Brokers have managed
communicating synthesised evidence – Who are Evidence
Brokers?
Exercise on what to do with Evidence
Who are RED and what does it mean for me?
Research and Evidence Division Structure
Chris Whitty
Director and Chief
Scientific Adviser
DCSA Tim Wheeler
Head of Research office
Alan Winters
Office of Chief Economist
Professional Cadres
RED Research Teams
and SRFs
Agriculture
Climate & Env
Human Dev
Growth
Governance, Conflict
& Social
Development
Evidence & Evaluation
Evidence Into Action
Evidence Brokers
Outreach Analysts
Uptake Managers
Evaluation
Global Stats partnership
2 Chief Professional
2 Chief Professional
Officers (human Dev and Officers, (Growth and
Climate and Env),
private sector,
Chief Statistician,
Governance and society)
Head of Evaluation and
and
5 HoPs
4 HoPs
Health
Education
Livelihoods,
Climate & Env and
infrastructure
Economists
Private Sector
Governance and
Social Development
RED: Mission statement
RED mission is to support DFID to become world class in using
evidence for development impact while ensuring VFM, to
influence other donors to be the same and provide better
evidence to all decision makers in development.
Evidence Brokers- who and what?
Aim:
Assist advisers and programme managers make better informed
decisions by:
1. Providing Evidence Products on a variety of strategically
positioned subjects
2. Building capacity within the organisation to search, appraise
and apply different types of evidence in programme and
policy development settings
What do we mean by Evidence Products
Rapid Review
Literature
Review
What is it
Quick review of key
easily accessible
evidence
Inform Policy?
Evidence Paper
Systematic Review
Review of main
literature in the field
including all major
research studies
Extensive overview
and synthesis of
most evidence in
the field
Comprehensive search
for all evidence related
to the question and a
synthesis of high
quality studies
No but may inform
specific decision
Yes but limited to
one or two
questions
Yes
Yes
Peer Reviewed
Optional
Internal
Internal and Peer
Internal and Peer at
both protocol and final
report stage
Systematic and
replicable
approach to
sourcing evidence
No
Partial
Partial
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Quality of evidence Limited
appraised and or
documented
What do Evidence Brokers do in Practice
Aim of the Evidence
Brokers
Production of evidence
products
Capacity Building
SEARCH
APPRAISE
APPLY/SYNTHESIS
Overseeing ToR that are
commissioned by
colleagues in research
and policy
Appraising different
variety of evidence and
research
Evidence Papers
Literature Reviews
Rapid Reviews
Systematic Reviews
CAS training: How to
ensure that you develop
an appropriate search
strategy to ensure you
get all the evidence you
need
CAS training: Appraising
Peer Reviewed Evidence
Appraising Bodies of
Evidence
Appraising robustness
Appraising the Value of
Methods
CAS training:
Appraising evidence for
Business Cases
Appraising Evidence in
Policy Development
Examples of Evidence Synthesis Products:
Robustness of Evidence Maternal Health Care
Service Approach
Strengthening
supportive
supervision
Improving
system
readiness
Reasons for approach
Enhanced social
interaction with clients
increases client
satisfaction with service
Improve Client-provider
interactions and quality
of care that influences
uptake and return rates
Evidence tells us
Reference
(Promising) Small service
provider training studies
from Ghana, Mexico and
Guatemala have
highlighted the
importance of service
provide in improving
client satisfaction with
service provision
Combray P, Newman C, Glover
K et al. Study of the effects of
technical supervision training
on cbd supervisors,
performance in 7 regions of
Ghana. Technical Report 7.
Chapel Hill: PRIME II; 1999.
(Promising) Small
country focused studies
from Bangladesh and
Tanzania report
community perceptions
of quality of care are
important determinants
on contraceptive use
Koenig M, Hossain M,
Whittaker M. The influence of
quality of care upon
contraceptive use in rural
Bangladesh. Stud Fam Plann.
1997: 28 (4): 278-289
Vernon R, Stauton A, Garcia M
et al. A test of alternative
supervision strategies for
family planning services in
Guatemala. Stud Fam Plann.
1994: 25 (4): 232-238
Mroz T, Bollen K, Speuzer I,
Mancini D. Quality,
accessibility and contraceptive
use in rural Tanzania
Demography. 1999: 36 (1): 2340
Examples of Evidence Synthesis Products:
Narrative Analysis Empowerment and Accountability
Increase
capabilities
and assets
A number
of isolated
studies, or
one or
In a study of 52 aid
more
review Projects, participation
Improve
access to
market
place
Improve
confidence
and social
involvement
Improve
service
delivery
Transform
political
dynamics
Systematic case study review
of 121 water supply project
evaluations in 49 countries
provides statistical
evidence that participation
Improves performance
Micro credit increases
(Narayan 1995)
built community capacity women's empowerment in
and project effectiveness.
market place
Isolated evidence of
Simpler technologies
Education, employment and
positive effects of
were more
changes in legal status of
successful
Citizen Score Cards.
women positive
(Finsterbusch et al 1989)
influences female
Two studies
empowerment and
One study shows
or more
access to services
significant PETS
Community based
impact, others more
better than local
mixed on PETS and
government
(eg Mansuri & Rao 2003)
QSDS
One
study
Improve
governance
outcomes
Isolated evidence of
positive effects of
electoral
Interventions
Mixed and contingent evidence
on community interventions
for social cohesion
and participation
Training and education
can increase
Impact of
Information dissemination
self confidence and skills
education
Interventions have
interventions on
variable impact
jobs for
deoending on
men as well as
context and type
women
Small group action
unknown
was more successful
than large group action
interventions
(Banjeree et al 2010)
Many studies note the
key impact of political
dynamics on
success or failure
of interventions.
(eg Moehler 2010)
Some evidence of long-term
change in perceptions of women
leaders due to female quotas
(Beamann et al 2010)
Examples of Evidence Synthesis Products:
Anti-Corruption Interventions – Summary of the Evidence
PFM
Impact of Interventions
effective
Judicial
reform
Media
Judicial
indepen
dence
Parliament
contested
procurement
NACS
Police
reform
FIUs
Tax
reform
Private
sector
AC
Laws
Donor
systems
Budget
support
Int.
agree
ments
ineffective
weak
Corruption
conditionalities
Civil
service
reform
fair
Strength of the Evidence
- Jesper Johnsøn, Nils Taxell, and Dominik Zaum 2012
SAIS
decentralisation
ACAs
Ombudsperson
NGOs/
community
monitoring
strong
Examples of Evidence Synthesis Products:
Map of evidence on media and conflict
Key to evidence
themes
Methodology
Exercise
• Review small amount of evidence in front of you
• Develop a different approach to telling key messages/findings
Area
Geographical
Key Theme
Distance to source of
contraception
services influences
ability to use/access
General
Direction
Mixed
Details/Worth Knowing
Improved access can have an effect on
contraceptive prevalence – Bangladesh (6a)
and Ghana (6b)
Inadequate access to services not most
predominant cause in addressing unmet need
– Cross National Review