History
GIDE's PhD and Masters Program, 1994: Dr. Alfred Latigo, Executive Director & Chair of the Academic Panel (standing) introducing students to Prof. Paul Muller (Late), Chairman Board of Directors (Seated, second on the left).
The Global Institute for Development Evidence (GIDE), formerly the African Biodiversity Institute (ABI) founded in 1990, is an international impact evaluation initiative. Between 1990 - 2000, the Institute focused on both impact evaluation and capacity building through its short-term training as well as Masters and PhD program for African scholars in collaboration with a consortium of 14 world-wide universities; and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) among others. The Institute's capacity building core areas were Environment and Natural Resource Economics as well as Household (Gender) Economics.
From 1990 - 2012, in addition to capacity building, the Institute accomplished 50+ impact evaluation studies and developed long-term vision for its program including:
- Systematic Reviews (SRs) for Evidence of What Works
- Performance Evaluation of Projects, Programs and Policies
- Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Audit
- Physical and Monetary Accounting in Environment and Natural Resource Management.
- Quantitative analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from industry, agriculture, transportation, and other sectors related to model-based predictions of future greenhouse gas-induced climate change such as for multilateral environment and trading agreements e.g. the UNCCC and Kyoto protocol.
From 2010, GIDE expanded its focus on impact evaluation to improve lives in low income countries in Africa to Asia through supporting Evidence Based Practice (EBP) using systematic reviews - the production and use of evidence on what works, when, why and for how much; as well as related capacity building for policy makers, researchers and graduate students. Core areas of activities relate to inclusive green growth: poverty reduction (income and gender equalities, employment, entrepreneurship, regional integration and trade), agriculture, climate change, capacity building and policy advice.
The transformation of the African Biodiversity Institute to GIDE from 1990 - 2014 is presented below.
