BIGD, IPA sign collaboration deal for greater development research impact

The BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) of BRAC University and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) signed a memorandum of understanding in December to collaborate on using high-quality research to support evidence-informed development solutions in Bangladesh.

A research and policy non-profit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems, the IPA has strong technical capabilities around evaluation and its global network of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and funders. The BIGD, as a social science research institute that focuses on global issues of development, poverty, climate, gender, governance, and policy, has intimate knowledge of research in Bangladesh, a unique relationship with BRAC and the ability to attract talented Bangladeshi researchers.

“We believe our complementary strengths…will make our collaboration strong and effective,” Dr Imran Matin, Executive Director of the BIGD, and Annie Duflo, Executive Director of the IPA, stated in a joint statement. The BIGD and IPA will jointly design research initiatives, raise resources, and pursue an institutional strengthening program for the BIGD through exchanges with the IPA staff globally and partner universities. The BIGD will offer the IPA and its researcher network meaningful partnership opportunities for rigorous and more context-driven development research in Bangladesh.

“We will promote high-quality research and cultivate deep, long-lasting relationships to effectively engage with decision-makers to support evidence generation and uptake, ultimately improving the lives of people living in poverty. We will explore fundraising opportunities for new research initiatives in areas of common interest to better attract researchers from low- and middle-income countries. We are already considering setting up a team within the BIGD to provide advisory services and capacity exchange on monitoring, evaluation, and learning in collaboration with IPA’s Right Fit Evidence unit,” reads the statement.

Bangladesh is a fertile ground for social innovation. With millions of dollars invested in poverty reduction in Bangladesh, the stakes for funding what works to improve lives are significant. Here good research can play an instrumental role in identifying effective and scalable solutions. International research organisations have made some progress in ensuring that high-quality evidence is moving beyond mere publication and into the hands of policymakers. “We believe our collaboration will further this process, generating evidence, disseminating learnings, and ultimately benefiting Bangladesh,” added the statement.