Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) Interview
How do we ensure that government and philanthropic funds directed towards the relief of poverty and prevention of climate change are used effectively and deliver the greatest possible social and economic “return on investment”?
The Center for Effective Global Action champions innovative and inclusive research on global development; improving people’s lives and inspiring positive social change.
Find out how you can stay up-to-date with an organization working to drive systematic change on a global scale.
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April 4, 2021
How Billions of Dollars are Wasted Every Year Due to Ineffective Policies
#172 Great.com Talks With... Center for Effective Global Action
The US government directs $150 billion every year towards the promotion of health, relief of poverty and prevention of climate change. Yet, not only is this amount meagre in the face of these critical and gigantic issues, the scarce resources for development are often wasted due to a lack of insight and proper research. In this episode, we spoke with Carson Christiano from the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) about their innovative research methods and the importance of evidence-based policy to improve people’s lives.
Getting to the Root of the Issues
If we want to drive long-term systematic change, we must work to improve the policies, programs, and products that touch the lives of millions of people living in poverty daily. To do this, we must concentrate on the root causes of poverty, and the factors that drive the outcomes we want to see over time, rather than simply trying to provide temporary relief which always expires. Christiano explains how CEGA forms partnerships with the governments in low- and middle-income countries like India, Peru, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, and offer fellowships and training programs for local scholars and researchers to ensure that the research is guided by real-world problems and the most promising solutions. This also ensures a collaborative relationship, where a dynamic of trust and true insight is generated; which in turn leads to policy transformation as the local governments are more likely to review the research data provided and rewrite the policies responsible for positive change.
Listen to the whole interview to find out how we can make better-informed decisions rather than gambling with people’s lives. You can also read through CEGA’s latest Digital Report, and their Stories of Impact to learn about the many diverse ways in which their work has positively impacted communities and individuals around the world.
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