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Nikola Balvin

Former Specialist (Former title)

Nikola Balvin has a background in psychology and peace-building. She has held the position of Knowledge Management Specialist at UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti since 2013. In this role she develops methodological tools, research procedures and guidelines to facilitate quality research in UNICEF. Prior to that she was a Research Officer on UNICEF’s flagship publication 'The State of the World's Children' at the New York headquarters. Before joining UNICEF Nikola was an Associate Lecturer at the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (ACPACS) at the University of Queensland and managed the International Conflict Resolution Centre at the University of Melbourne. Nikola completed her Doctor of Psychology at the University of Melbourne in 2007, examining prejudice and stereotyping towards Australia’s Indigenous peoples.

Publications

Impact Evaluation in Settings of Fragility and Humanitarian Emergency
Publication

Impact Evaluation in Settings of Fragility and Humanitarian Emergency

Despite the challenges involved in fragile and humanitarian settings, effective interventions demand rigorous impact evaluation and research. Such work in these settings is increasing, both in quality and quantity, and being used for programme implementation and decision-making. This paper seeks to contribute to and catalyse efforts to implement rigorous impact evaluations and other rigorous empirical research in fragile and humanitarian settings. It describes what sets apart this type of research; identifies common challenges, opportunities, best practices, innovations and priorities; and shares some lessons that can improve practice, research implementation and uptake. Finally, it provides some reflections and recommendations on areas of agreement (and disagreement) between researchers and their commissioners and funding counterparts.
The Adolescent Brain: A second window of opportunity - A compendium
Publication

The Adolescent Brain: A second window of opportunity - A compendium

In 2016, UNICEF hosted The Adolescent Brain: A second window of opportunity, a symposium that brought together experts in adolescent neuroscience to discuss this emerging science and how we can apply it to support all adolescents – but especially those already facing risks to their well-being, including poverty, deprivation, conflict and crisis. The articles in this compendium elaborate on some of the ideas shared at the symposium. Together, they provide a broad view of the dynamic interactions among physical, sexual and brain development that take place during adolescence. They highlight some of the risks to optimal development – including toxic stress, which can interfere with the formation of brain connections, and other vulnerabilities unique to the onset of puberty and independence. They also point to the opportunities for developing interventions that can build on earlier investments in child development – consolidating gains and even offsetting the effects of deficits and traumas experienced earlier in childhood.
Bridging the Gap to Understand Effective Interventions for Adolescent Well-being: An evidence gap map on protection, participation, and financial and material well-being in low- and middle-income countries
Publication

Bridging the Gap to Understand Effective Interventions for Adolescent Well-being: An evidence gap map on protection, participation, and financial and material well-being in low- and middle-income countries

This evidence gap map (EGM) collates the evidence base for adolescent interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a focus on the outcome domains of protection, participation and financial and material well-being. Outcomes relating to the enabling environment for adolescents are also included to capture the contextual influences that might affect the well-being of adolescents. The EGM contains 74 studies (71 impact evaluations and 3 systematic reviews) of evaluated interventions targeting adolescents in LMICs. Most of the evidence is on financial support to individuals and households, where interventions predominantly include conditional cash transfers, and studies frequently evaluate their impacts on child labour and child marriage outcomes. The second largest evidence cluster relates to the impacts of socio-emotional learning and life skills on adolescent protection, particularly protection-related attitudes, skills and knowledge, while psychosocial support is the third most frequently appearing intervention. At the group and community level, the largest bodies of evidence are on financial literacy and savings schemes, and norm change interventions. The largest evidence gaps are at the policy and institutional level, the enabling environment for adolescent well-being, and the use of and access to information and communication technology (ICT) by adolescents. While coverage of gender is prominent in the literature, only one intervention specifically targets boys and men to promote attitudes towards gender equity. Recommendations for future primary research and synthesis are made. The interactive EGM is available online at www.unicef-irc.org/evidence-gap-map.
Gender Socialization during Adolescence in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Conceptualization, influences and outcomes
Publication

Gender Socialization during Adolescence in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Conceptualization, influences and outcomes

This brief summarizes the key insights and conclusions from a discussion paper on gender socialization during adolescence, with a focus on low- and middle-income settings. By reviewing theories from psychology, sociology and biology, significant societal changes and effective programme interventions, the paper sets out to provide a more holistic picture of the influences and outcomes of gender socialization for adolescent programming and policy.

Blogs

Positive and negative spirals and the plasticity of the adolescent brain
Blog

Positive and negative spirals and the plasticity of the adolescent brain

Contrary to what my parents remember about it, my own recollections of adolescence are quite positive. I remember it as a period of discovery and energy, spending endless hours with friends, hungrily soaking up new knowledge, experiences and skills. But I also took risks, acted on the spur of the moment without thinking the consequences through, and sometimes got in trouble. It was the period when I smoked my first cigarette, had a drink and stayed out all night dancing while my parents thought I was at a slumber party. The concept of positive and negative “spirals” unfolding during adolescence was coined by neuroscientists Ron Dahl and Ahna Suleiman and is explained in a recently launched UNICEF compendium of expert commentaries titled The Adolescent Brain: A Second Window of Opportunity. With the objective of bringing neuroscience, programming and policy closer together to better fulfill the potential of adolescents, the compendium uses everyday language to summarize what we know about the adolescent brain, the impact of different environments on its development, and the type of interventions that are particularly fruitful during different phases of adolescence. I was lucky to live in a supportive environment, surrounded by a caring family, friends, school teachers and other role models, and thanks to this the brain development and learning that took place during my adolescence spiraled into positive outcomes, both in the short- and long-term. Unfortunately, the “spirals” took a less positive direction for some of my classmates, turning into more difficult and unhealthy life trajectories, and in some instances ending tragically in drug overdose and car accidents. Defined by UNICEF and WHO as the period between 10-19 years, adolescence is a time of rapid social, emotional, physical and neurological change that has lasting impacts well into adulthood. The negative spirals that Dahl and Suleiman refer to (see pages 21 – 25 here) are behavioral and emotional patterns that lead to short- or long-term negative outcomes, such as road injuries, drowning, suicides, mental ill-health, substance use, eating disorders, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, violence, etc.  Adolescents are extremely sensitive to their social environment and experiences such as bullying, inter-personal violence and exclusion often leave a lasting mark on the individual. Those who grow up in environments of chronic stress, such as armed conflict and extreme poverty are particularly vulnerable to long-term negative consequences. In fact, epidemiological research suggests that population stressors such as war and famine have their most negative impacts on an individual’s life span when experienced during early adolescence (10-14 years). The discourse around adolescents is often negative, focusing on the onset of risky and negative behaviors, but as the compendium title suggests, adolescence is also a window of opportunity –  a time when positive behaviors, a supportive environment, and constructive social and emotional experiences can spiral into long-term positive outcomes. Many of the commentaries discuss the plasticity – or flexibility – of the adolescent brain and its ability to adapt to changes and challenges, learn new knowledge and skills, and even counteract some of the disadvantages and shortcomings that may have taken place during early childhood. As young people mature, they seek a sense of belonging and purpose, and as was the case in my own adolescence, this talent and energy needs to be supported by parents, schools and communities to facilitate healthy patterns of behavior, knowledge and skill acquisition, and responsibilities that serve adolescents well in adulthood. For organizations like UNICEF, a great value of the compendium is the advice it provides around programming interventions and policy. It is clear that the promotion of safe and secure environments, socio-emotional learning, caring and supportive relationships (especially with parents and peers), healthy nutrition and sexual maturation and approaches that counteract the effects of stress (e.g. meditation and mindfulness training) are crucial to seizing the window of opportunity for positive spirals. Although complex and still relatively new, adolescent neuroscience offers a deeper understanding of modifiable development processes and through scientist-practitioner efforts such as this compendium can be included in everyday responses to adolescent needs worldwide. At 1.2 billion, adolescents are the future and adults need to support them to prevent and overcome the vulnerabilities that are a natural part of this period, while also enhancing the unique opportunities that it brings. Acknowledgements: The author wishes to thank the nine specialists who collaborated with UNICEF to write a commentary for The Adolescent Brain: A Second Window of Opportunity compendium. She also wishes to thank Prerna Banati, her compendium co-editor. Nikola Balvin is a the knowledge management specialist at UNICEF Innocenti. Explore the UNICEF Innocenti research catalogue for new publications. Follow UNICEF Innocenti on Twitter and sign up for e-newsletters on any page of the UNICEF Innocenti website.
What is gender socialization and why does it matter?
Blog

What is gender socialization and why does it matter?

Even if you are not familiar with the concept of “gender socialization”, it is most likely that you have been influenced by it and in turn passed on your own beliefs about what constitutes gender-appropriate attitudes and behaviour to others. Gender socialization begins at birth, intensifies during adolescence and contributes to gender inequalities in education, employment, income, empowerment, and other significant outcomes of well-being during adolescence and later in life, argues a recently published discussion paper by the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti and the International Centre for Research on Women. The paper enriches our understanding of gender socialization by bringing together theories from psychology, sociology and biology and reviewing significant historical and population shifts to provide a more holistic picture of how gender socialization happens and who the major “agents” (e.g. family members, peers, community leaders) and structures (e.g. political structures, cultural and social norms, global media) of influence are – during adolescence and beyond. [A new research brief summarizes the key insights and conclusions from the discussion paper on gender socialization during adolescence]Before exploring the framework developed in the paper and its application to programming and policy-making, let us reflect on what gender socialization is and how it manifests in everyday life. The paper defines gender socialization as a “process by which individuals develop, refine and learn to ‘do’ gender through internalizing gender norms and roles as they interact with key agents of socialization, such as their family, social networks and other social institutions.” (p. 6) Adolescence is a critical period in which gender attitudes and behaviours intensify and new gender roles emerge. It is also a period during which the negative outcomes of some gender norms begin to manifestA key component of this process is the internalization and acting out of gender norms. To illustrate how this happens, we asked friends from around the world (via social media) for examples of how boys and girls are socialized differently in their culture, if at all. In early childhood, parents and caregivers may dress male and female children in different colours (e.g. pink for girls and blue for boys in Italy) or give them different toys to play with (e.g. cars for boys, dolls for girls in the Czech Republic). A friend from Bulgaria shared that people there often comment on the appearance of little girls (“You are so pretty; “What a nice dress you have”), while they are more likely to point out the activities and abilities of boys (“You run so fast”; “You are so strong”). Siblings taking refuge in classroom where they take refuge after fleeing armed conflict in North Waziristan tribal agency, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.These examples are quite gender stereotypical, but friends from the Netherlands and United Kingdom pointed out that a change is taking place in their countries with many parents showing a preference for gender-neutral clothing (e.g. black and white with prints), and activities (e.g. encouraging daughters to ride bikes and sons to go to dance lessons). Such approaches provide their children with less traditional concepts and less divisions between what it means to be a boy and a girl. A friend from the Solomon Islands commented that where she lives people do not have strong expectations that girls will wear a certain colour and look feminine during early childhood, but as they approach adolescence, expectations such as being "useful around the house" emerge. Boys on the other hand are expected to be more "wild", climbing trees and being active. This toughness expected from boys is not uncommon. A friend from China shared that a strong masculine norm in her culture is that “boys don’t cry”, while it is acceptable for girls to do so. Similarly to Bulgaria and the Solomon Islands, in Somalia and its neighbouring countries people are more likely to focus on a girl’s appearance and make known the expectations they have for her as a daughter and later on a wife ("She looks like her mother, she has good hair, a light colour and good nose… when she grows up, she will help her mother and take care of her siblings"). Boys also attract comments about their appearance, but typically these focus on their ability to defend the clan and provide for the family ("He looks stronger! He will defend his family and kinship"). The examples show how gender socialization is reinforced in different cultures by the “agents of socialization”, who in turn are influenced by factors such as the socio-economic conditions of a country, gendered and political structures, social and cultural norms, the global media, and their own local communities and networks. [CLICK TO ENLARGE]Adolescence is a critical period in which gender attitudes and behaviours intensify and new gender roles emerge. It is also a period during which the negative outcomes of some gender norms begin to manifest. For example, adolescent girls may be forced to drop out of school in order to help out at home, they may be married off before their 18th birthday, experience unwanted pregnancy or intimate partner violence for the first time, or be exposed to HIV (UNICEF, 2014; WHO, 2016; UNESCO, 2015; UNAIDS, 2014). Adolescent boys and young men are more likely to die in violent conflict and automobile accidents, and engage in substance abuse (Kato-Wallace et al., 2016). In some settings they are subjected to proving their manhood in aggressive initiation practises or are forced to join armed groups, urban gangs, crime syndicates, or rebel and government forces (Barker and Ricardo, 2005; UNICEF 2012). Norms around what constitutes gender appropriate behaviour play a major role in shaping these outcomes. While the intensification of gender attitudes and roles during adolescence is linked to many negative outcomes, this period also presents a great opportunity for adolescents to develop more equitable gender attitudes and behaviours in order to decrease the negative outcomes described above. To assist the development of more comprehensive programmes and policies, the discussion paper presents a framework (see Figure 1 below) which captures the dynamic process of gender socialization and the many factors that shape it at different levels of influence: structural, social-interactional and individual levels (John et al., 2017, pp. 19). It acknowledges that as well as receiving messages about his or her gender identity, the adolescent has agency and self-enforces gendered attitudes and behaviours and in turn influences the gender socialization of others. When developing policies and programmes aimed at increasing gender equality, decision-makers can use this framework to position their efforts, understand the key areas and actors they may be able to influence and the outcomes to which they can contribute, and construct a more comprehensive Theory of Change. For example, an effort to improve the social status and employment prospects of migrant girls and women in urban areas may need to consider gaps in the local market (structural level) and offer training in skills that are highly sought after. The gender roles and responsibilities of these girls and women in the home, school, and community (socio-interactional level) also need to be considered to ensure that the training does not increase the risk of interpersonal violence or burden them with an unmanageable work load. Mitigation strategies may consist of the provision of social services that assist with looking after children and sensitize key agents in their network (including male partners) to the benefits of women’s employment. At the individual level, a comprehensive approach may include different opportunities for girls and women with different cognitive and physical abilities, interests, etc. A key recommendation made in the paper is to take advantage of openings at the structural level and develop programmes and policies that complement these shifts to achieve greater gender equity. Looking for these openings to influence gender socialization during adolescence is particularly important as today’s adolescents are pivotal to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and their gender attitudes and outcomes will influence future generations. [For more recommendations for policy and programming on gender socialization see pp. 36-39 of the discussion paper.] Nikola Balvin is a Knowledge Management Specialist at the Office of Research – Innocenti. The Office of Research – Innocenti is UNICEF’s dedicated research centre investigating emerging and current priorities to shape policy and practice for children. Access the UNICEF Innocenti research catalogue at:unicef-irc.org/publications. Follow UNICEF Innocenti on Twitter @UNICEFInnocenti Subscribe to UNICEF Innocenti emails here. The author wishes to thank Sarah Cook, Director of the Office of Research-Innocenti, for helping to conceptualize this blog and providing feedback on earlier drafts, and co-authors Neetu John, Kirsten Stoebenau, Samantha Ritter, and Jeffrey Edmeades from the International Centre for Research on Women for their collaboration on this discussion paper.  UNICEF Office of Research- Innocenti · Nikola Balvin on Gender Socialization During Adolescence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Youth engagement as a pathway to peace
Blog

Youth engagement as a pathway to peace

Despite broad agreement that youth engagement is important to forging sustainable peace and development, young people are often not given the opportunity to participate in public discourse and decision-making.[1] Absence of a youth voice makes it difficult to design policies and programmes that adequately respond to their needs, particularly in conflict-affected contexts.The 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace – hosted in 2017 by UNICEF Innocenti and Sapienza University of Rome – focused on pressing issues related to young people and conflict, including: violence, memories of war and terrorism, environmental change, multicultural societies, and youth resilience and empowerment. The last theme – young people’s resilience and empowerment – showed up in many of the presentations at the symposium. Similarly to achievement of the SDGs, symposium participants acknowledged that peace cannot be accomplished without the meaningful participation of young people, and without adult decision-makers “walking the talk” of truly engaging with them.Children play at the Kamesa Child-Friendly Space in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Kamesa Child-Friendly Space provides a safe space where children can be with other children, play games that focus on peacebuilding and receive psychological support.UNICEF defines adolescent and youth engagement as “the rights-based inclusion of adolescents and youth in areas that affect their lives and their communities, including dialogue, decisions, mechanisms, processes, events, campaigns, actions and programmes – across all stages, from identification, analysis and design to implementation, mentoring and evaluation”.[2]The symposium provided several arguments from psychology and related disciplines on why the engagement of young people is important to peace and social cohesion. Preventing young people from active engagement is not only a violation of their rights, but a potential driver of conflict,[3] with exclusion and lack of recognition shown to lead to frustration, disenchantment and acts of violence and conflict.[4] They also prevent the leaders of tomorrow and the “torchbearers” (as Ban Ki-Moon called them) of the SDGs from taking action against violence and injustice to set the path they wish to walk on in their future.However, adults often struggle with the meaningful engagement of children and young people in decision-making. Even in schools young people may be implicitly or explicitly discouraged from active participation.[5] As such, schools can act as both a contributor and preventer of conflict (for details see Affolter’s blog). In childhood and early adolescence, schools provide the main – and sometimes the only – platform for engagement with civic issues. Sharing research from Italy, Camilla Pagani spoke about the potential of schools to improve young people’s understanding of multi-cultural and other forms of diversity and to foster peacebuilding. As the place where students from different backgrounds are most likely to have their early, significant encounters with “otherness”, schools can contribute to peacebuilding by helping young people “unpack” their realities and question constructs and emotions around racism and other prejudices that they bring into the classroom.[6] Their realities need to be unpacked both in the formal curriculum and through more informal channels such as youth clubs, theatre, sport, etc.The ability of schools to act as effective peacebuilding platforms depends on whether they are equitably accessible to all. Analyses conducted as part of the Learning for Peace programme found that the likelihood of violent conflict doubles in countries with high levels of education inequality between ethnic and religious groups. In turn, conflict widens inequalities in education, particularly between richer and poorer groups and between boys and girls.in comparison to their parents, the 16-35 age group is less likely to participate in non-conventional political activities – such as joining new social movements, participating in protests or humanitarian and human-rights organizations – and believes it has less chance to affect public policy through active participationAs they get older, the platforms through which young people can engage with decision-makers diversify. Despite increased options, Winnifred Louis from the University of Queensland presented evidence suggesting that young people in Western Europe and North America are more disengaged from formal decision-making processes than previous generations. Data from Wave 5 (2005–2009) and Wave 6 (2010–2014) of the World Values Survey suggest that in comparison to their parents, the 16-35 age group is less likely to participate in nonconventional political activities – such as joining new social movements, participating in protests or humanitarian and human-rights organizations – and believes it has less chance to affect public policy through active participation. Emerging analyses from Louis et al.’s work[7] cast light on why American and Australian young people may be engaging less with public issues.The research is showing that the level of engagement from state leaders and decision-makers with young people’s political action affect young people’s moral conviction about the importance of civic issues, their personal and perceived support for democracy, and also their support for or against law-breaking in the affected causes. These trends are suggesting that engaging young people in decision-making is not only the “right” thing to do from a human rights perspective, but a crucial approach to reducing violence and promoting peace.The Symposium made an effort to engage with young people as discussants, presenters, and volunteers. A highlight was the visit to Association Rondine – The Citadel of Peace. Dedicated to building future peace leaders, the association brings together students from conflict affected countries in the Balkans, Caucasus region, Middle East, and Africa. The students often come from opposing sides of a conflict and live and study together in the medieval village of Rondine, where they learn skills for constructive dialogue – with each other and with older leaders – toward a peaceful coexistence.When asked what we – the older adults in the room who study peace and conflict in various contexts – can do to help young people like the Rondine group, they responded that finding more opportunities for young people to “speak to the enemy” was crucial. They also wanted more youth involvement in peace processes at the political level.Click here  to read the abstracts from the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace.Additional resources on young people’s participation and engagement:Ozer, E.J. and Piatt, A.A. (2017). ‘Adolescent Participation in Research: Innovation, rationale and next steps’, Innocenti Research Briefs 2017-07, Methods: Conducting Research with Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, no. 5, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence, 2017.United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Child and Youth Participation Resource Guide. 2012.United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Youth Report: Youth Civic Engagement, 2016.United Nations Population Fund. Youth Participation & LeadershipYouth Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Hub, University of California Berkeley, http://yparhub.berkeley.edu Nikola Balvin is a Knowledge Management Specialist at the Office of Research – Innocenti. Prior to that she was a Research Officer on UNICEF’s flagship publication ‘The State of the World’s Children’ at the New York headquarters. The Office of Research – Innocenti is UNICEF’s dedicated research centre investigating emerging and current priorities to shape policy and practice for children. Access the UNICEF Innocenti research catalogue at:unicef-irc.org/publications. Follow UNICEF Inocenti on Twitter @UNICEFInnocenti Subscribe to UNICEF Innocenti emails here. The author wishes to thank Winnifred Louis for her comments on an earlier draft of this blog and the young people from Rondine who volunteered at the Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace and provided many important insights into what meaningful participation looks like.[1] Değirmencioğlu, S. (2017). Reconsidering the role of young people in public life and in building peace: Action, democracy and sustainability. Presentation at the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, Rome and Florence, Italy, 21-26 May 2017.[2] UNICEF (2017). Adolescent and Youth Engagement Strategic Framework (AYESF). Internal document. p. 1.[3] Louis, W. et al. (2017). Promoting civic engagement and participation in multicultural society without increasing extremism: Lessons learned. Presentation at the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, Rome and Florence, Italy, 21-26 May 2017.[4] Ben Alaya, D. (2017). Cleavage lines and consensus in social order and experienced situation representations among young Tunisians. Presentation at the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, Rome and Florence, Italy, 21-26 May 2017.[5] Affolter, F. (2017). Education for peacebuilding: Lessons learned from UNICEF’s Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy Programme in conflict-affected contexts. Presentation at the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, Rome and Florence, Italy, 21-26 May 2017; Değirmencioğlu, S. (2017) - see footnote 1.[6] Pagani, C. (2017). Experiencing diversity: Complexity, education, and peace construction. Presentation at the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, Rome and Florence, Italy, 21-26 May 2017[7] Louis, W. et al. (2017) – see footnote 3 above.
UNICEF/Ivan Grifi
Blog

Making research count: Lessons on turning evidence into action from the Transfer Project

In international development, research is never purely an academic exercise. Its purpose, ultimately, is to provide knowledge that can be used to improve the lives of poor and vulnerable populations. Yet, despite increased focus on understanding the influence that research has on development policy and practice, methodology for measurement is still in its infancy.The process of evaluating research impact is challenging. True attribution is rarely possible and even assumptions around contribution need to be scrutinized to avoid bias and enhanced perceptions of influence. Some of the methods used for assessing research impact - for example, bibliometrics or "most significant change" - have been around for some time, while new innovations continue to emerge, including Research Contribution Framework, SenseMaker ®, AltMetrics and Social Network Analysis.Applying a case study approach, UNICEF, FAO and partners recently published From Evidence to Action: The Story of Social Cash Transfers and Impact Evaluations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The book focuses on 8 evaluations of government-run social protection programs in African countries, conducted under the Transfer Project (Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe). The special focus of the edition is on how evidence from evaluations were used to catalyze policy and programme change in the social protection arena. Co-authored by researchers, policymakers (including government officials), donors and implementers, each country chapter offers an honest and convincing account of how changed happened.While recognizing variation across countries, the book concludes that 10 years of evidence from the Transfer Project (Chapter 2) contributed to :Building the overall credibility of an emerging social protection sector;Strengthening the case for social protection as an investment tool, and addressing public perceptions and misconceptions;Supporting learning around program design and implementation to inform program improvements; andShaping policy discussions and informing regional social protection agendas.For those of you who have less time to dig into the 350 page volume, here are six key lessons from the editors.Lesson 1: Make sure evaluations are linked to national policy priorities: One of the simplest ways we can ensure results are relevant for policy is to evaluate 'real' programs, which are of interest to stakeholders. In the Transfer Project, this was accomplished by focusing on government-led programming which had gained enough momentum to be squarely on the political agenda. Further, evaluations were commissioned at key moments, when research findings could feed into policy decisions regarding the design, expansion and funding of programs. Because government stakeholders were involved from the outset, key questions of national interest could be included in the evaluation, avoiding the pitfall of answering questions solely driven by academic novelty. Beneficiaries of a Cash Transfer scheme, to which UNICEF is offering technical support, pose for photgraphs at their homes in Bagamoya, Tanzania.Lesson 2: Stronger relationships lead to improved policy linkages: Research teams including both national and international professionals, with quantitative and qualitative expertise, able to interact with and respond to diverse sets of stakeholders, increased national ownership and involvement in the research process. Ultimately this led to trust in, and credibility of, the research teams as well as the evaluation results. Consequentially, when adverse or unexpected findings were uncovered, they were more likely to be accepted, critically discussed, and acted upon, rather than "swept under the rug." For example, in Ghana when irregular payments led to decreased program effectiveness (Chapter 7), or in Zimbabwe when lack of harmonization across targeted transfers led to decreased benefits for households (Chapter 10)-there was commitment to find solutions, instead of finger pointing.Lesson 3: Diversify research products over the evaluation timeline: A common critique of impact evaluations is that once results are delivered-it is too late to make 'course corrections' or inform program scale-up due to the lengthy time between evaluation and publication of results. This was addressed by conducting targeting and baseline analyses, rapid assessments, qualitative work, simulation of local economy impacts, and other products to inform decisions in a timely manner. These analyses complemented the end-of-program impact results to feed into quick 'policy wins' and program change along the evaluation timeline. In Kenya, targeting analysis led to a revision of the targeting formula, better accounting for regional and livelihood differences (Chapter 6) and rapid assessments in Lesotho led to responsive adjustment from a flat transfer to one that varied by household size (Chapter 11). Each country has numerous examples.Lesson 4: Don't overlook the importance of packaging evidence: Another important component of translating evidence into policy change is the framing and presentation of actionable messages through diverse media platforms at key policy junctures. Use of easily accessible products to a non-research audience, such as policy briefs, oral presentations, fact sheets, and advocacy videos (among others) improves links to diverse stakeholders. For example, the Government of Ghana released a series of branded policy briefs utilizing evaluation evidence, which were heavily used in national and regional fora (Chapter 7). Crafting messages to mitigate myths and perceptions which were not backed by evidence also contributed to creating an enabling policy environment. Messaging helped position transfers as investments that create economic multiplier effects as opposed to costs that promote dependency.   Lesson 5: Create regional learning communities: Although evaluations were nationally focused, the combination of evaluations undertaken by the consortium of actors under the Transfer Project contributed to a regional learning culture with its own formal and informal information exchange mechanisms. Annual Transfer Project workshops assisted with cross-country learning and awareness raising among non-evaluation country stakeholders in the region and beyond. Combining evaluation findings from countries at different stages of evaluation and program maturity, to examine both commonalities and divergences, led to a rich regional learning agenda and facilitated an enabling policy environment around social protection.Lesson 6: Build local capacity: Many evaluations work with national research firms and institutes, and build local capacity by training local enumerators or publishing with local academics. The Transfer Project takes this a step further by establishing ongoing research partnerships (e.g. with the African Economic Research Consortium), conducing evaluation training for networks of Ph.D. students, and running a fellowship program, which encourages promising early career African researchers to collaborate with Transfer Project researchers on joint publications, among other activities. Building capacity is not only good practice, but also contributes greatly to ownership and lasting influence of findings at a national level.The authors and editors of From Evidence to Action acknowledge that many decisions come down to politics, or are taken based on influences which are outside the control of research or stakeholder teams. In these instances, and in cases where research findings point out implementation or other challenges, the book still offers important learning that we can glean for future programming (Chapter 14).UNICEF and others who conduct research in international development should strive to use the evidence in a meaningful way. The challenges associated with this outlook are numerous, and include developing and refining sound methods for assessing research impact, as well as using the acquired lessons to maximize the influence of research in the future. Congratulations to the Transfer Project book team, and for raising the bar on research uptake for meaningful change in the lives of poor and vulnerable children and households around the globe!Amber Peterman is a social policy specialist and Nikola Balvin is a knowledge management specialist at the UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti The Transfer Project book "From Evidence to Action" was published by Oxford University Press and edited by Benjamin Davis (FAO), Sudhanshu Handa (UNC, former UNICEF Innocenti), Nicola Hypher (Save the Children UK), Natalia Winder Rossi (FAO), Paul Winters (IFAD) and Jennifer Yablonski (UNICEF), and includes contributions from over 80 authors. For more information on regional book launches and to download the book for free, see the Transfer Project webpage.Explore the UNICEF Innocenti research catalogue for recent publications from the Transfer Project. Follow UNICEF Innocenti on Twitter and sign up for e-newsletters on any page of the UNICEF Innocenti website.

Podcasts

Impact evaluations reap long term benefits for children
Podcast

Developing the Evidence Gap Map for Adolescent Well-Being