Research technical assistance center midterm performance evaluation (RTAC-MPE)

NORC at the University of Chicago has succeeded in building an institutionally and individually diverse network of academics with interests and skills relevant to USAID programming, exceeding its life of project target by 100 percent. However, despite having over 900 members, the Network does not always contain the specific academic or technical expertise that is requested for new USAID M/B/IO buy-ins, which then requires RTAC to recruit outside of the network to fulfill newly identified requirements. The network has also not met the expectations of many of its members to date. RTAC engages its consortium members and research network members to offer research translation and communication products, convenings, trainings, and additional research services. Amongst RTAC services and products offered, stakeholder satisfaction was highest with research translation and communications products plans and lowest with training activities. RTAC convenings generally had good outcomes, though utility of the information shared was not rated as highly as hoped for in two of the three convenings held to date. Several of the research buy-ins have been successful, but a few have been unsuccessful in meeting USAID’s needs.