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​ Strengthening Markets to Support Food Security and Economic GrowthWe are helping to strengthen Cambodia’s horticulture market system and catalyze economic growth to benefit farmers and other entrepreneurs. Starting with the buyer as the key entry point in the system, we have connected 29 buyers (such as aggregators and wholesalers) with more than 700 producers and service providers, helping them come together in commercial partnerships to address production problems, better manage supply chains and increase sales. To date, we have helped partners increase sales by $11 million, expand investment by $4.1 million and contribute to wider system-level change.​ ​

​ Facilitating Self-Sufficiency through Workforce DevelopmentTo build the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of the career pathways approach, we conducted the first rigorous, multi-site evaluation of nine career pathways programs across the U.S. The career pathways approach aims to help low-skilled, low-income adults earn postsecondary credentials and increase earnings through a series of manageable steps leading to successively higher credentials and employment opportunities in local, in-demand jobs. In the study, eight programs sought to increase educational progress and the ninth focused on increasing earnings. Early results (18-24 months after enrollment) are shown on the right.​​ ​

​ Helping Families Build Assets and Financial CapabilityIncreasing earnings, building assets and financial capability are the goals of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Programs. FSS combines stable, affordable housing with coaching and an escrow savings account that grows with participants’ earnings.Between 2007 and 2016, more than 36,000 households nationwide graduated from FSS—their average annual income increased by 80 percent. Upon the program’s 25th anniversary, we partnered with HUD to document FSS’s role in helping vulnerable populations progress towards economic security. To strengthen local implementation and enable effective performance management, we helped HUD develop an FSS guidebook and web trainings as well as a performance measurement system.Our independent evaluation of an FSS program offered in Lynn and Cambridge, Mass. in partnership with the nonprofit Compass Working Capital, found many positive results, including higher earnings and a decrease in cash welfare payments received. Our subsequent cost-benefit analysis found that the program’s benefits greatly outweighed its costs, suggesting important implications for scaling.​​ ​

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​ Strengthening Capacity to Provide Quality Services for Vulnerable PopulationsIn Tanzania, we are strengthening systems at the national and local levels to improve access to quality services across the agriculture, education and health sectors, with a special focus on vulnerable populations. Working with the Government of Tanzania, we are overhauling and making interoperable all key public finance management systems, facilitating results-based health facility financing and using innovative, evidence-based approaches to guide allocation of the health workforce based on population needs. The result? Local governments can prioritize underserved populations in the planning and budgeting process and improve delivery of critical services.​ ​

​ ​ Informing Criminal Justice ReformImprisonment is both socially and economically expensive, and is often justified as an effective deterrent to reoffending. We studied the relationship between prison length of stay and re-incarceration by analyzing individual records across the U.S. federal justice system. We found that cutting the average federal prison time of 3.3 years by 7.5 months—19 percent—could save vast sums of money with little effect on public safety. This would enable a reduction of 33,203 prison beds without any significant increase in a return to federal prison by those released.​​

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​ Expanding Knowledge of Early Care and EducationEarly learning experiences for 3- and 4-year-olds have profound effects on cognitive, language and social-emotional development. Because young children in informal care settings can be difficult to locate, their experiences are rarely included in research. We are partnering with researchers from Harvard University to conduct a large-scale longitudinal study that will help answer unresolved questions about the relationship between young children’s early learning settings of all types and children's outcomes over time. A goal of this study is to bridge the gap between research on early childhood and the decisions and major investments of public policymakers.​​ ​

​ Estimating the Prevalence of Human TraffickingEstimating the true prevalence of human trafficking is notoriously challenging. We developed and tested methods of estimating county-level prevalence of human trafficking in the U.S. The resulting estimation tool will enable earlier intervention and coordination of survivor support services.We also created a new data platform to improve the ability to evaluate programs and policies and identify areas to improve systems for human trafficking investigations. The data platform examines all human trafficking cases that have been processed by U.S. federal justice systems, from investigation through prosecution, sentencing and incarceration.​ ​

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​ Deepening Understanding of Climate Change Related RisksAction comes with understanding of risks. The risks that climate change poses are multifaceted, from international security to public health.National Security RisksThis year we led the development of a new section within the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) titled “Climate Effects on U.S. International Interests”.The section details the impact of climate change on U.S. security, trade and economics, development assistance and border issues—the very first time these topics have been covered in the NCA.​​CLIENT: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)PROJECT: Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment and Resilience (CEADIR) ​

​​​ Public Health RisksOur review of the effects of fossil-fuel related air pollution on children's health presents compelling evidence that exposures to PM2.5, NO2, PAH and PM10 adversely affect birth outcomes and neurobehavioral development and contribute to risk of asthma development in childhood. This first comprehensive review will help guide expanded assessments of health benefits of policies aimed at reducing the multiple threats of fossil fuel pollution.​​