IPA, BIGD sign MoU for improvement of development research in Bangladesh

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) and Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University, have signed an MoU, creating a collaboration to use high-quality research to support evidence-informed development solutions in Bangladesh. 

IPA is a global research and policy organisation with a presence in 20 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Over the past 20 years, IPA has conducted over 900 studies in 50 countries, reads a press release.

BIGD, a Bangladesh-based social science academic and research institute of Brac University, is involved in a range of research work – from large-scale impact evaluation to deep qualitative inquiry to formative research – on important issues around development and governance.

Through this collaboration, IPA and BIGD will jointly design research initiatives, raise resources, and pursue an institutional strengthening program for BIGD. 

BIGD is planning to provide advisory services and capacity exchange on monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) with technical support from IPA's Right Fit Evidence unit, dedicated to developing resources and offering services to help funders and implementers make learning-oriented MEL a reality. 

The two organisations will also explore fundraising opportunities for new research initiatives in areas of common interest to better attract researchers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Dr Imran Matin, executive director of BIGD, said: "BIGD and IPA share the basic belief that good evidence matters to developing effective and scalable solutions. We hope to join forces to empower social innovators with high-quality evidence to create global public goods."

IPA Executive Director Annie Duflo stated, "Our partnership with BIGD will further our mission by strengthening the capacity of, and partnering with, a strong local organisation to conduct high-quality research and cultivate deep, long-lasting relationships needed to effectively engage with decision-makers to support evidence uptake and ultimately to improve the lives of people living in poverty."