Evidence Mapping for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance

These areas include rule of law, human rights, civil society, independent media, good governance, and political competition. To achieve this goal, 3ie and NORC created six maps, one for each area, and reports summarizing the findings. The maps and reports provide an overview of the evidence and aim to inform policymakers and practitioners on where resources are most needed. The evidence gap maps collate the best-available evidence from high-quality impact evaluations and systematic reviews. These maps can guide development practitioners who seek to commission research, implement interventions, or improve the effectiveness of programs. The framework for each map is developed through consultations with sector experts and key stakeholders. The study protocol outlines the process followed and the interventions and outcomes that will be visible. The maps and reports focus on various themes, including digital technology and women's political empowerment. Each map highlights significant evidence on interventions that aim to prevent and reduce crime, as well as notable gaps on programs focusing on youth in low- and middle-income countries and women and girls. The maps also provide insights into the effectiveness of interventions aimed at strengthening independent media and free flow of information. In addition to the maps on rule of law, human rights, civil society, and independent media, 3ie is also working to map the evidence on good governance and political competition and consensus building. The purpose of these maps is to determine the distribution of the evidence regarding interventions to strengthen government effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries and provide easy access to this literature. The maps and reports are complemented by practitioner briefs, which aim to inform investments in research. These briefs provide a summary of the evidence and highlight areas where further research is needed. The briefs also provide recommendations for policymakers and practitioners on how to improve the effectiveness of programs. To help users get an overview of the studies included in the maps, the differences between maps, and what the current evidence base says, 3ie developed complementary products. These products include a comparative analysis of evidence across maps and a summarizing of the evidence across maps. The comparative analysis helps identify areas for collaboration in program design or investment in future research, while the summarizing of the evidence provides an effective starting point for those seeking to understand the existing evidence base for democracy, human rights, and governance programmatic areas. The DRG Center identified a few priority themes, where understanding the evidence and gaps could inform ongoing policy and program discussions. These themes include understanding digital technology for democracy and lessons on women's political empowerment. The brief on digital technology for democracy draws on 111 studies from across all six maps that focused on key technology issues and studies that can inform the framework.