Dr. Rebecca J. Wolfe is a Research Affiliate at ISDC. She is a lecturer at the Harris School for Public Policy at the University of Chicago, where she is an associate at the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts. She is a leading expert on political violence, conflict and violent extremism. […]
SEEDS: Long-term Impacts of a Complex Agricultural Intervention on Welfare, Behaviour and Stability in Syria
In this project, we study a complex agricultural intervention in a protracted crisis setting. We use innovative quantitative methods to analyse impact magnitudes, pathways and interactions of different intervention components across multiple local contexts and on multiple outcomes.
Agricultural Transformation in Syria: Impact Evaluation of FAO’s Smallholder Support Program
An impact evaluation to study the economic, behavioural and institutional impacts of FAO’s smallholder support programme in Syria.
Child Development in the Context of a School Feeding Programme in Kyrgyzstan
A Mercy Corps-funded study into the effects of nutrition on health and education among Kyrgyz children, and the causal impacts of the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program on these outcomes.
Can employment build peace? A pseudo-meta-analysis of employment programmes in Africa
We link employment to stability in five African countries to test if standard interventions influence complex outcomes. We show positive impacts on some indicators but negative externalities also arise. There are, thus, grounds for optimism but further work is required.
Assets for Alimentation? The Nutritional Impact of Assets-Based Programming in Niger
A recent strand of aid programming aims to develop household assets by removing the stresses associated with meeting basic nutritional needs. In this paper, we posit that such nutrition-sensitive programmes can reduce malnourishment by encouraging further investment in diet.
On the Legacies of Wartime Governance
This paper explores the long-term impact of individual exposure to ‘wartime governance’ on social and political behavior.
Strengthening Food Security in Acute Crisis Settings: First Insights from North-east Nigeria
Endline analysis of FAO Northeast Nigeria Resilience Programme show significant improvements in food security particularly to IDPs and households living under extreme violent conflict, underscoring the significant of developmental interventions in protracted crises.
Drivers of Resilience and Food Security in North-east Nigeria: Learning from Micro Data in an Emergency Setting
Endline analysis of FAO Northeast Nigeria Resilience Programme show significant improvements in food security particularly to IDPs and households living under extreme violent conflict, underscoring the significance of developmental interventions in protracted crises.
On the Return on Investment of Security Sector Assistance and Peacebuilding Assistance
Peacebuilding assistance and security sector assistance both aim at the same outcome – reductions in political violence. In this exploratory article, we show only the former has its desired impact, with security sector support apparently acting to increase violence.
An Impact Evaluation of WFP Malnutrition Interventions in Niger
Although much has been learned about the performance of food aid interventions, less is known about their impact in situations of chronic, rather than acute, food insecurity. In this article, we show little medium-term impact of direct food provision of nutritional outcomes but a strong, positive, impact of assets based programming in chronically food insecure Niger.
Money can’t buy love but can it buy peace? Evidence from the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE II)
While randomisation is often eschewed in bottom-up peacebuilding contexts in favour of more targeted programming, there is no guarantee that targeted spending gets to those who need it most. In this article, we discuss the apparent failure of one such targeted rollout – that of the PEACE II programmes in Ireland.
Impact Evaluation of UNHCR’s Engagement in Humanitarian-Development Cooperation
This project provides quantitative estimates of the impact of humanitarian-development cooperation on refugees and host communities in Ethiopia and Jordan.
Seeds of Resilience: A Quasi-experimental Impact Analysis of an FAO Emergency Intervention in Syria
A short- and medium-term impact evaluation of a food security and resilience intervention by FAO Syria that aims to address emergency needs, support early recovery, and build longer-term resilience in the agricultural sector.
Analyzing the Link Between Employment Programs and Social Stability – Phase II
A short- and medium-term impact evaluation of Mercy Corps’ DSH-ARC funded TVET programs for host and displaced communities in Lebanon and Syria, with the dual focus on boosting the employment prospects and improving intergroup perceptions of program beneficiaries.
Impact Analysis of Food Security Interventions in North-East Nigeria
This project provides new evidence and recommendations from North-east Nigeria for food security interventions in conflict-affected settings. The findings are based on a review of relevant linkages food security and conflict and an empirical impact analysis of an agricultural input intervention by FAO.
Does Opportunity Reduce Instability? A Meta-Analysis of Skills and Employment Interventions in LMICs
The idea that employment can build peace underpins over USD 10bn of development spending in fragile countries. By contrast, the evidence base that employment programming delivers on this promise is scant. In this project, we aim to close some of the knowledge gaps inherent within this delineation.
Sowing and Harvesting Peace for Food Security
This project analyzes the relationship between food security and violent conflict. We review the literature on the linkages between food security and conflict, develop a novel analytic framework, and create new empirical cross-country and within-country case studies.
Feasibility Study to Assess the Use of Existing Micro-data on Somalia for Impact Evaluations
A scoping study assessing the use of programmatic micro-data held by WFP Somalia to conduct future impact evaluations.
Maren M. Michaelsen
Dr. Maren M. Michaelsen is a Research Affiliate at ISDC. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion in the Faculty of Health at Witten/Herdecke University, where she works as a behavioural economist on a “Nudging for health” project in an interdisciplinary team. Her research interests are […]