Evidence-Based Development

Who is Coopération Globale?

Coopération Globale is a non-profit think tank. In close dialogue with science, politics, practice, and civil society, we develop evidence-based and practical solutions to promote exceptionally effective global cooperation. We have a global focus, but our main activities are in Germany and Switzerland:

• Switzerland: www.cooperationglobale.ch

• Germany: www.kooperationglobal.de

Why Evidence-Based Development Matters

Development work operates in complex environments with limited information. Evidence-based approaches help institutions:

• Learn from what has worked in similar contexts and adapt successful approaches

• Avoid common implementation challenges identified through rigorous evaluations

• Strengthen program design with insights from research and peer experiences

• Build confidence in decision-making when facing uncertainty

• Demonstrate accountability through transparent use of evidence

Learn more:

• Webinar with the Center for Global Development, 3ie and Norad

• Article: The Imperative of Evidence-Based Development Cooperation

Three Practical Tools to Strengthen Your Evidence Base

1. Evidence Hotline 📄 Template & Guide

A rapid-response service that connects program staff with evidence experts to answer critical questions during project design and implementation.

How it works:

• Staff submit questions about intervention effectiveness, design approaches, or implementation challenges

• Evidence experts review research databases (3ie, J-PAL, Cochrane, etc.) and provide synthesized answers within 48-72 hours

• Responses include quality assessments and practical implementation recommendations

Example questions: "What does research say about cash transfers vs. in-kind support for food security?" or "Which approaches have worked for improving teacher attendance in rural settings?"

Value: Accelerates evidence uptake, builds internal capacity over time, supports staff with timely answers when they need them most.

2. AI Evidence Chatbot 📄 Implementation Guide

An AI-powered assistant that provides instant access to your institution's internal evidence base plus global rigorous research.

How it works:

• Custom-trained on your organization's evaluations, lessons learned, and sector-specific research

• Integrates global evidence databases (3ie, Campbell Collaboration, Cochrane, etc.)

• Available 24/7 for staff to query during project design, proposal writing, or troubleshooting

Example use cases:

• "Summarize our past nutrition projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and their outcomes"

• "What does rigorous research say about improving teacher attendance?"

• "Find evidence on TB interventions in urban contexts"

Value: Democratizes evidence access across teams, reduces time spent searching literature, ensures institutional knowledge is accessible to all staff.

3. Checklist for Evidence-Based Project Design 📄 Download Checklist

A practical step-by-step framework to integrate evidence into project planning from concept to implementation.

The checklist covers:

• Problem diagnosis: What does research tell us about this development challenge?

• Theory of change: Are our assumed causal pathways supported by evidence?

• Intervention selection: What has worked in similar contexts? What were the results?

• Contextual adaptation: How do we adjust proven approaches for local conditions?

• Learning & evaluation: What metrics will help us understand our impact?

Value: Provides a structured approach to evidence use, creates consistency across project teams, documents decision-making rationale.

Implementation Experience

We have successfully initiated Evidence Hotline and AI Chatbot projects with several development institutions in Germany, Switzerland, and beyond. Based on these experiences, we have developed implementation blueprints. 

As a nonprofit, philanthropically funded organization, we are not interested in getting contracts to implement such projects ourselves, but rather help institutions initiate them successfully. We are happy to share these blueprints and lessons learned with interested parties to help accelerate your implementation process.

Smart Buys: Proven High-Impact Interventions

Smart buys are development interventions that have demonstrated strong results through rigorous evaluation. These approaches offer valuable starting points for program design and can be adapted to local contexts. Examples include:

• Education: Structured pedagogy and teaching at the right level, Effective Reading Instruction

• Health: Immunization programs, Tuberculosis treatment, Malaria prevention, NCD Best Buys, NCD Quick Buys, Basic emergency obstetric care and family planning, NTD Research, Promising maternal health interventions, Family Planning

• Nutrition: Evidence synthesis and modelling, Simplified combined protocol for malnutrition, Food security & climate resilience reviews

• Agriculture: Weather forecasts for farmers, Women's agricultural income programs, Improved seed varieties, Agricultural R&D, Mobile-based extension services

• Gender: Preventing intimate partner violence

• Governance: Tax compliance interventions

• Social Protection: Ultra Poor Graduation Approach

AI Tools for Evidence Research

While we recommend implementing a custom AI chatbot tailored to your institution (see above), these general tools can support evidence gathering:

• Elicit – Research assistant for academic literature

• Consensus.app – AI-powered search for scientific consensus

• Claude.ai – Excellent for analyzing internal documents and synthesis (use Research mode)

Get Started: Implementation Support

We are happy to support institutions in initiating these evidence-based approaches—Evidence Hotlines, AI Chatbots, Evidence Checklists, and Evidence Requirements for project approval. We provide this support free of charge, though our time is limited.

Contact us: info@cooperationglobale.ch

Please indicate your questions and implementation goals so we can provide tailored guidance.