Publication

Independent impact evaluation is crucial to determine whether development interventions are effective; however, surprisingly few of these studies were conducted until recently. One organization that has taken the need for impact evaluation seriously is the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). In the next year the impact evaluations associated with the first MCC programs will begin to be published. This paper argues that the outcome of this process will affect more than the future of the MCC. The effectiveness of development programs will benefit most if Congress praises the MCC for being open and transparent about its results and views this as an opportunity to learn what works rather than an excuse to cut spending.