Welcome to Powered by Evidence, the podcast from the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), hosted by Dugan Fraser. At GEI, we believe the best policies—the ones that truly improve lives—are grounded in evidence. That is why we support governments in building strong, country-led monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. Each episode features conversations with experts from around the world on the practical challenges and innovations in using evidence to inform decisions. Topics include gender and inclusion, climate change, fragility, and other priority areas in international development. Whether you are a policy maker, M&E professional, researcher, or simply interested in how evidence can lead to better outcomes, this podcast is for you. We welcome your feedback.
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ALL PODCASTS

Future-Proofing National Evaluation Systems through Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing
What does it mean to future-proof national evaluation systems, and what does it entail? Join Patrizia Cocca, Communications and Knowledge Management Lead at GEI, as she reflects on this question with Jos Vaessen, evaluation expert and former GEI adviser.

The Gender Lens: A Necessary Shift in Perspective for Development and Evaluation
Join Dugan Fraser, Program Manager of the Global Evaluation Initiative, and Elena Bardasi, Senior Economist at the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), as they discuss the progress, challenges, and way forward on integrating gender into development, evaluation practice, and national monitoring and evaluation systems.

Leveraging Evaluations for Sustainable Development: Opportunities, Challenges and a Way Forward
As the world grapples with pressing environmental challenges, the importance of integrating environmental considerations into evaluation practices and national evaluation systems has never been more crucial, presenting challenges and opportunities for evaluators and policymakers alike.

A Critical Look at Evaluation’s Value Proposition: Has Evaluation Become Just a “Check the Box” Exercise?
Join host, Dugan Fraser, as he chats with Estelle Raimondo, Head of Evaluation Methods at the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group about the current state of evaluation.

Transforming M&E for Uncertain and Complex Contexts: The UNDP’s Innovation Sandbox Approach
How can we transform monitoring and evaluation (M&E) into a more adaptive, emergent process to address uncertainty and complexity in todays’ world? How do we move from compliance and accountability to learning – to support better, more timely, decisions?

The Missing Piece: Reflections on How M&E Helps to Address the Gender Data Gap in Development Programs
What is the role of evidence and data in helping us address gender inequities? How can monitoring and evaluation (M&E) efforts help women and girls around the world?

Making National M&E Systems Effective
What makes national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems effective? What approaches should we use to support the development of M&E systems that provide short-term and long-term value?