Blogs
NIERA’s Week at the 5th Tanzania MEL Conference Every September, Tanzania’s monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) community gathers in Arusha for MEL Week. The 5th edition ran from 22 to 26 September 2026 at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, drawing practitioners from government, donor agencies, academia and civil society from across the country and beyond. The Network […]
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Blogs
The Biggest Risk Isn’t That AI Replaces Evaluators Reflections from Tanzania MEL Week 2026 By Jennifer Nyakinya, Director of Programs, NIERA · September 2026 On 24th September in Arusha, I had the privilege of joining a panel at the 5th Tanzania MEL Week on “Strengthening MEL Systems, AI, and Machine Learning.” I shared the […]
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Blogs
Recently, the 3rd Annual Africa Climate Finance Conference opened in Kampala with a clear and urgent message: Africa’s climate ambitions must now be translated into functioning institutions, accountable financing systems and investments that reach the people and communities confronting climate change every day. Convened under the theme, “From Commitments to Capital: Operationalizing Africa’s Climate Finance […]
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Blogs
By Bradley Achoki | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 23–24 July 2026 The Africa Evidence Summit is more than a conference on NIERA’s calendar. It is one of the network’s most visible expressions of its mission: strengthening African leadership in the generation, communication and use of evidence for public decision-making. In July 2026, that mission took […]
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Blogs
NIERA at Evidence to Action 2026 “Reimagining the Evidence-Informed Policy and Decision-Making Ecosystem in Africa” Accra, Ghana · 24–26 June 2026 · ISSER Hall, University of Ghana, Legon By Derick Oluoch, Program Officer, NIERA Above. NIERA in Accra — from left: Sani Saeed (Policy Fellow), Derick Oluoch (Program Officer) and Yahaya Musa (Policy Fellow). Evidence […]
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Blogs
Fewer doses, less waste: what three counties revealed about the 5-dose MR vaccine switch Over three days in Kiambu, Vihiga and Homa Bay, a NIERA monitoring team followed the endline phase of Kenya’s Measles–Rubella vaccine-vial study—and watched wastage fall at every intervention facility they visited. A three-day monitoring visit rarely makes headlines, but it is […]
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Blogs
Rapid Response Grant 2026 Introduction The Rapid Response Grant (RRG) is one arm of NIERA’s Demand-Driven Research Initiative (DDRI), built to fund short, decision-focused studies in partnership with government and policy makers in Africa. The goal is to turn around evidence for a specific policy or institutional program within shorter periods, rather than the multi-year timelines a randomized control trial runs on. Meet […]
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Blogs
The Impact of Community-Based Health Insurance on Health Service Utilization: Experimental Evidence from Ethiopia Dr. Alebel B. Weldesilassie, together with Dr. Jemal Adem and Dr. Shibiru Melesse, presented a study examining strategies to improve Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) enrollment and health service utilization among the urban poor in Ethiopia. The presentation was delivered during the […]
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Blogs
Imagine being a talented musician in Nairobi or a digital illustrator in Mombasa. You have the skills and the drive, but the path to a steady income feels like a maze designed to keep you out. In Kenya, where 75% of the population is under 35, this isn’t just a story, it’s the daily reality […]
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News
We’re pleased to share that NIERA is now available in French. As part of our continued effort to make evidence more accessible, inclusive, and relevant across Africa, we have officially launched the French version of our website. This is an important step in ensuring that our work, resources, and opportunities reach a broader community of […]
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Blogs
Author: Dr. Getachew Kassa Think back to a moment when you saw a major new public policy announced with great fanfare. Perhaps it was a nationwide program. Millions of dollars are committed, and the stakes for the community could not be higher. However, fast-forward a year or two and the headlines tell two completely different […]
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News
Call for Applications: Independent Board Members of NIERA About NIERA The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) is a professional network dedicated to advancing high quality impact evaluation and evidence-informed decision making in Africa. NIERA was founded in 2018 by alumni of the EASST Fellowship at UC Berkeley, bringing together leading African researchers committed to improving […]
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Blogs
From Theory to Transformation: Why Evidence Must Start with the People Think back to a moment when you saw a major new public policy announced with great fanfare. Perhaps it was a nationwide program. Millions of dollars are committed, and the stakes for the community could not be higher. However, fast-forward a year or two […]
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News
The 14th annual Africa Evidence Summit (AES) will be co-hosted by Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), in partnership with the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), on July 23 – 24, 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AES seeks to elevate the voices of African scholars […]
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Blogs
By Jennifer Nyakinya, Director of Programs – NIERA From Recognition to Redistribution: Reflections from the Localization Panel at the Global Impact Evaluation Forum 2025 In December 2025, the Global Impact Evaluation Forum convened evaluation practitioners, policymakers, UN agencies, and researchers in Rome at a moment of growing urgency for the global evidence community. Hosted by the World Food Programme in partnership with BMZ and Norad, […]
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News
NIERA Launches a New Digital Home for African Evidence and Collaboration The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) is proud to unveil its new website. A dynamic, user-friendly platform built to showcase our work, connect our community, and strengthen the bridge between research and policy across Africa. This launch marks a new chapter […]
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News
Ten-dose vaccine vials make a lot of sense – until they don’t. In one sub-district hospital, lower-dose measles-rubella vaccine vials are spurring hopes of fewer frustrations and improved coverage.
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News
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) is an independent, Pan-African network established in 2018 to strengthen the generation and use of rigorous, decision-focused evidence across the continent. NIERA brings together a community of African scholars committed to advancing impact evaluation, improving the quality of development research, and deepening evidence uptake in policy […]
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News
We are thrilled to see one of our Development and Decision-Relevant Research Initiative (DDRI) projects “Impact of the Switch from Ten- to Five-Dose Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccines in Kenya” featured in the Saturday Nation (August 30, 2025).
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News
The NIERA Policy Fellowship is a six-week professional development initiative designed to strengthen the capacity of mid-level policymakers across Africa to apply evidence in policy formulation.
It is a flagship initiative of the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), conceived to nurture a new generation of African evidence leaders capable of bridging the persistent divide between research and policy. The Fellowship serves as a learning and practice platform for emerging professionals in government, academia, and the research community who are passionate about advancing the use of evidence in policy and decision-making.
Blogs
The 81st Annual Congress of the International Institute of Public Finance was held at the United States International University–Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Blogs
The Evidence 2025 Conference, held in Cotonou, Benin from September 30 to October 2, brought together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and funders from across Africa and beyond.
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News
On behalf of the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa, we express our deepest sorrow upon learning of the passing of Dr. Werner Maokola (MD,MSc,PhD). Dr. Maokola served as a Program Officer with the NATIONAL AIDS CONTROL PROGRAMME (NACP) in the Ministry of Health of Tanzania. Prior to his role with the NACP, he worked with the Ifakara Health Institute in Dar es Salaam, conducting clinical trials and implementation science projects. Dr. Maokola held a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and a Master of Science (MSc) in Tropical Medicine from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, friends and the many research networks with whom he engaged. We also honour the many lives improved by his work and commit to upholding the spirit of research-to-action that he championed.
May Dr. Werner Maokola (MD,MSc,PhD) rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire the next generation of African public-health scholars and practitioners.
The Global Impact Evaluation Forum (2024), co-hosted by UNICEF and the World Food Program (WFP) at the UN Headquarters in New York provided a platform for discussing critical themes in the use of impact evaluation to inform decisions and policies.
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We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Collaboration for Inclusive Development Research (CIDR), a new initiative co-led by CEGA and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA).
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The training targeted policy makers and public policy practitioners with an aim of guiding them on how to develop policies and use impact evaluation to enforce the policies.
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In the last three years, we have learnt that policy makers need research partners they can trust, who understand them…
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Last month the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) and the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) co-hosted the 12th annual Africa Evidence Summit
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The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) hosted a webinar on the 8th of February..
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The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) recently held a dissemination workshop for the “Gamified Savings as a Problem Gambling Intervention”
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The summit promises greater equity as it expands the evidence-informed policy community
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NIERA’s Program Manager, Jennifer Nyakinya sat down with the founding Secretary-General of the network to reflect on the past, present and future..
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The coronavirus pandemic has emphasized the importance of collaboration between scientists, researchers, and policymakers..
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In June 2018, The Lancet published a piece on parachute research that sparked debate within the health and research fraternity..
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The East Africa Social Science Translation Collaborative (EASST) has brought 32 East African fellows to the University of California..
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Press Release
This online event showcased policy-relevant insights on poverty alleviation in East and West Africa from leading African and US-based researchers
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On April 6, 2021, the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) in partnership with IDinsight facilitated a Decision Focused Evaluation
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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every sphere of life across the world
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About the Africa Evidence Summit On July 23-24, 2026, the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), in partnership with the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), will co-host the 14th annual Africa Evidence Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This year’s Summit theme is “Powering Policy with Innovative, Inclusive, […]
This is a competitive call targeting 35-40 early career African researchers or students, policy makers and program practitioners attending the 11th Africa Evidence Summit. Background The field of impact evaluation is rapidly evolving and has become an essential tool for researchers and policymakers to assess the effectiveness of development programs and interventions. Early career researchers […]
This is a competitive call targeting 35-40 early career African researchers or students, policy makers and program practitioners attending the 11th Africa Evidence Summit. Background The field of impact evaluation is rapidly evolving and has become an essential tool for researchers and policymakers to assess the effectiveness of development programs and interventions. Early career researchers […]
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) in partnership with the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) will hold its 11th annual Africa Evidence Summit in Nairobi, Kenya from June 19-20, 2023. The summit is an annual in-person gathering that brings together East and West African scholars, U.S.-based faculty, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the latest research findings […]
The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) will hold its 12th annual Africa Evidence Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from July 10-11, 2024. The summit is an annual in-person gathering that brings together East and West African scholars (including CEGA fellows), U.S.-based faculty, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the latest research findings on economic […]
This year, the Africa Evidence Summit will kick off a week of exciting evidence events from June 23-27, 2025. Co-hosted by the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), and Busara. these events will advance knowledge about how to alleviate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and foster unique collaborations […]