Overlooked Links in the Results Chain

This paper focuses on evaluations with findings that challenge important assumptions of the development field. Its objective is to pinpoint the areas to watch for in operations or policies that are decisive for results. By drawing the attention of development practitioners, policy makers, and evaluators to these seemingly obvious but often neglected areas, it aims to improve development effectiveness by better connecting interventions to desired results. The lessons follow a logical path from which results should be the focus of attention, to how those results are measured, to how to use evaluation for better results. The examples are mainly drawn from the work of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank Group.