The new USAID-funded Development Impact Lab (DIL) is tapping into and catalyzing international development’s data revolution. Innovative and rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategies are critical components in DIL’s overall mission to identify, re fine, and scale new sustainable technology solutions to enhance wellbeing in the developing world. Dr. Eric Brewer, a University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) Computer Science Professor and Vice President of Infrastructure at Google, is leading a streamlined group of DIL partners including UC Berkeley, Portland State University (PSU), the University of Michigan (UM), and the University of Washington (UW) to create a “one-stop-shop” suite of technologies, ranging from sensors to cellphone apps, to collect and manage massive amounts of data from development projects in the field. The exciting, wide-ranging platform, Mezuri (meaning “measure” in Esperanto), does more than embody DIL’s dedication to rigorous evaluation – its emphasis on accessibility also exempli fies DIL’s commitment to include new actors in the fight against global poverty.
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