About

As societal development is a multi-faceted problem, and finding impactful solutions requires an interdisciplinary team of researchers from around the globe. Thus, conceiving, designing, implementing, and testing several interventions to determine what works and what doesn’t for development is necessary. In the words of FDR (1932), we need “bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” Moreover, making a direct impact on development requires “out-of-box” thinking, which includes using an interdisciplinary approach; rigorous tools to find scalable solutions; and forging strong and long-term collaborations.

The GAP (Global Action for Policy) approach differs in two major ways. First, complex challenges require innovative solutions, and such solutions require an interdisciplinary approach. Northeastern University’s multidisciplinary approach, global network, and excellent researchers create a unique setting to make a direct impact.

Second, successful impact evaluations require strong and long-term collaborations between researchers, government partners, and non-governmental organizations. GAP (Global Action for Policy) will engage and build long-term relationships with partner organizations. Therefore, collaborations will be guided by our partners’ needs and provide demand-driven evidence-based solutions to multi-faceted policy challenges faced by policymakers.