USAID defines Grand Challenges as a multi-year partnership platform that requires a minimum investment of $15 million for USAID and its partners. The challenges draw global attention and resources on well-defined international development problems and promote innovative approaches to solve them.
We undertook a meta-evaluation of 10 Grand Challenges implemented since 2011, to systematically reflect on the experience and generate an actionable evidence base to support future programming. The assignment included the development of practical strategies and frameworks to measure the impact and results of Grand Challenges; assessing the feasibility of measuring the cost-effectiveness of the Grand Challenge approach and comparing it to alternatives, and identifying the most effective ways of supporting scaling up of innovations.
Key Outcomes
- Three funds supporting improvements in the efficiency of agricultural production processes provided benefits to
over 7 million farmers in 28 countries and provided 1.2 million households with access to clean, off-grid energy - Two funds focused on the specific health challenges of Zika and Ebola surfaced new, leading technologies for
improved public health, some of which were later applied in the management of COVID-19, while another focused on
perinatal health reached 3 million mothers and babies, improved 155,000 lives, and saved over 11,500 lives - 2.2 million people in conflict-affected regions gained access to improved humanitarian services, and 600,000 marginalised
children benefitted from access to improved educational resources
