Using Evidence to Inform Policy: Report of Impact and Policy Conference: Evidence in Governance, Financial Inclusion, and Entrepreneurship

By Asian Development Bank

To promote evidence-based policy making, the Asian Development Bank partnered with Innovations for Poverty Action and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab in 2012 to deliver a 3-day conference on impact evaluation and public policy in Bangkok. Over 200 scholars, practitioners and policy makers from 34 countries attended the conference. Each day of the conference focused on one of three areas that have high relevance to the region and have received the most proactive development efforts: governance, financial inclusion, and small and medium enterprise development. This report summarizes innovative evaluation studies presented at the conference and researchers' insights into the topics.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Release date: Feb 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9789292543907

Book preview

Using Evidence to Inform Policy

Report of Impact and Policy Conference: Evidence in Governance, Financial Inclusion, and Entrepreneurship

February 2014

© 2014 Asian Development Bank

All rights reserved. Published in 2014.

Printed in the Philippines.

ISBN 978-92-9254-389-1 (Print), 978-92-9254-390-7 (PDF)

Publication Stock No. RPT136179

Cataloging-In-Publication Data

Asian Development Bank.

Using evidence to inform policy—report of impact and policy conference: evidence in governance, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship.

Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2014.

1. Poverty reduction.    2. Microfinance.    3. Savings.    I. Asian Development Bank.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent.

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In this publication, $ refers to US dollars.

Cover photo of women members’ meeting of the Digree Saikumari Savings and Credit Cooperative in Musikot, Rukum courtesy of Rural Microfinance Development Centre in Nepal.

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Contents

Foreword

There have been discussions for many years about the disconnect between academia and policy makers regarding suitable approaches to poverty eradication. Academia focused on theoretical models, failing to provide sufficiently practical advice to decision makers. Policy makers are working in a bureaucratic system that defaults to the status quo, and have often been unable to reach informed policy decisions. To fill this gap and facilitate communication between the two groups, the Asian Development Bank and Innovations for Poverty Action cohosted in 2012 the Impact and Policy Conference: Evidence in Governance, Financial Inclusion, and Entrepreneurship. Researchers were joined by leading practitioners and policy makers from Asia and beyond to discuss innovative strategies and their impact in helping small businesses grow, increasing government responsiveness, protecting marginalized communities, and providing better financial services to the poor. World-renowned researchers shared the latest evidence from rigorous evaluations of programs and policies aimed at poverty reduction. The range of topics covered during the 3-day conference reflected the energy and