A letter from IDinsight CEO, Becca Sharp

Dear friends and partners,

When I joined IDinsight back in 2016, our mission was bold: to transform how the social sector learns and improves. At the time, massive investments in research and evidence generation often failed to meet the needs of decision-makers on the frontlines, who were shaping programs and policies to better serve communities. Ministers of Education and school principals were left without access to proven pedagogical strategies. Health sector technocrats, already stretched thin, lacked the tools to implement data-backed solutions to reach mothers and children in remote areas, and more.

At IDinsight, we felt this disconnect acutely. So we set out to bridge it by making impact evaluations decision-focused, generating data not for journals but for real-world action. And today, it’s heartening to see a cosmic shift: social sector leaders are routinely turning to evidence to guide their decisions about life-improving programs.

The sector now stands at the precipice of extraordinary change. Nearly $70 billion in foreign aid has evaporated, reshaping how development is financed – but also creating new opportunities to strengthen the use of domestic public financial management flowing from low and middle-income countries to their own citizens. On the other hand, technological disruption – including the rise of generative AI – is transforming what is possible in service delivery and decision-making. These forces create both challenges and opportunities, and IDinsight is uniquely positioned to help partners navigate them: ensuring that scarce resources go further, and that new technologies are harnessed responsibly and for the greatest impact.

Right now, social sector leaders are confronting three fundamental challenges: figuring out what works, learning and improving, and reaching and effectively operating at scale. Our updated strategy is laser-focused on these barriers. From pilot to scale, we bring a unique blend of tools, insights, and on-the-ground experience that enables our partners to drive meaningful change. And they tell us this ability to support the full lifecycle of impact is indispensable.

We’re also doubling down on rapid innovation to amplify our own cost-effectiveness and impact. Internally, we’re leveraging AI to boost efficiency and launching a people strategy designed to build one of the most talented, high-performing, and mission-driven teams in the sector. Externally, we’ve identified three bold frontiers for innovation sprints: (1) supporting impact at scale via governments, NGOs, and markets; (2) deploying a cost-effectiveness approach to help the sector do more with fewer resources; and (3) enabling impact through technology by building generative AI products, advising partners on AI strategy, and evaluating AI interventions.

The road ahead demands ambition and urgency. We’re rolling up our sleeves and gearing up to shape the future of data-driven development. We invite our partners, funders, and peers to join us in this next chapter as we push the boundaries of what’s possible and deliver strategic, effective, and lasting impact for those who need it most.

Dive into our new strategy here.