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The Development Impact Fund (DIF) is a World Bank-executed multi-donor trust fund dedicated to integrating scientific knowledge into policymaking and fostering the generation and adoption of evidence across sectors and countries. As global challenges intensify, the need for innovative and evidence-based solutions in development becomes increasingly urgent. DIF was founded to address this critical need by bridging the gap between research and practice, pushing policy interventions toward their efficient frontier based on rigorous scientific research.

Our approach involves fostering evidence-informed adaptive policy change, redefining the production function of research, and leveraging data and AI analytics for just-in-time policy advice. We develop customized data and impact evaluation evidence ecosystems to produce actionable information and recommend specific policy pathways to maximize impact. This work is based on a co-production model aimed at transferring capacity and know-how to partners, enabling mid-course corrections and scaling successful policy instruments to achieve policy outcomes, unlocking pathways to prosperity and equity.

Guiding Principles

DIF operates based on the following guiding principles:

• Enabling countries to adopt analytically advanced digital management tools and conduct policy trials to help prioritize investments and inform programmatic choices. 

• Embracing co-production between the government and its partners to expand local capacities and generate contextually relevant solutions. 

• Expanding knowledge financing and promote knowledge diffusion through country, sector, and global collaborations.  

Learn. Adapt. Scale. 

DIF responds to the complex challenges of international development through its "Learn. Adapt. Scale." approach. This framework enables development projects to:

• Learn: Facilitate learning across projects from impact evaluation research.

• Adapt: Wire in the ability for projects to adapt based on evidence.

• Scale: Replicate the most effective approaches across sectors and regions.

Governance 

As a World Bank multi-donor umbrella facility trust fund, DIF is governed by the Development Impact Global Partnership Council, comprising representatives from donor partners and the World Bank. The Council meets annually to oversee progress and set strategic long-term objectives. DIF collaborates with various bilateral and multilateral agencies, private sector entities, and non-profit foundations to enhance development practices worldwide. Partnering with DIF offers unique opportunities to contribute to sustainable development goals.

Global Team 

At the heart of DIF is a dynamic and diverse team from the Development Impact group of the World Bank Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC). This team includes over 300 members, comprising economists, data scientists, behavioral experts, AI and machine learning specialists, research assistants and consultants, field coordinators, and operations and knowledge management experts. This skilled and multifaceted team drives DIF¡¯s mission globally, working collaboratively to tackle complex development challenges with innovative solutions. Meet our experts.