This paper shares findings and insights from across IDIN's research program. The paper introduces and clarifies the concept of local innovation and shares two key pathways through which local innovation contributes to local development in the contexts that were included in the research.
This paper discusses the role of academic makerspaces in creating social impact, in light of the work done at Makeistan; DLab courses taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Information Technology University (ITU); and the program of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) at Atlas Institute, University of Colorado Boulder.
Funders need impact metrics. Grantees do, too. So who decides what gets measured?
Because funders’ and grantees’ measurement needs clash, they wind up with reporting systems that serve neither. This framework can help reconcile their needs, turning a tangle of metrics into genuine learning.
We explore four models:
The framework presents pros, cons, implications and recommendations for each model. Drawing on cases from Root Capital, Development Innovation Ventures at USAID, Mercy Corps’ Social Venture Fund, and the Autodesk Foundation, this framework can help funders decide what model is right for them.
This report was prepared by students in the Fall 2015 D-Lab: Field Research class to provide Zasaka with research design recommendations for their impact evaluation research.
