This research project is led by researchers from the University of Oxford in collaboration with NGOs in Africa that work with adolescents. The central part of this research project is conducted in partnership with Young 1ove, a youth-focused NGO in Botswana. Together, the researchers and NGO partners are conducting primary research to understand the most effective ways to use rigorous, rapid evidence to ensure programs remain highly impactful as they are scaled-up. The researchers are collaborating with the NGO partner to understand the impact of the NGO’s rapid, iterative A/B testing approach to evaluating and improving their youth-focused HIV prevention and education programs as they scale up to new partners and new regions. It will provide early evidence on the impact of rapid, rigorous monitoring systems, and provide actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers. As part of the research project, the team will conduct a randomized control trial to assess the best ways to use evidence as programs are brought to scale. Under this project, the team has already worked with the NGO to test, using a randomized trial, the impact of a phone-based HIV prevention peer-mentoring program that they developed in response to COVID lockdowns.
Moitshepi Matsheng (Country Coordinator and Co-founder, Young 1ove)
Professor Stefan Dercon (Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, United Kingdom)
Dr Noam Angrist (Executive Director, Young 1ove & Fellow, University of Oxford, United Kingdom)
Dr Claire Cullen (Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, United Kingdom)