'Development evaluations in Uganda 2000–2018: A Country Evaluation Map' is a CEDIL Synthesis Working Paper. It is a report on the first of its kind country evaluation map for a single country. The map identifies 617 evaluations in multiple sectors. Nearly 60 per cent of the studies contain process evaluation evidence and over 40 per cent are impact evaluations. The map helps make visible recent development evaluations from the country, identifies potential gaps in knowledge and opportunities for evidence synthesis. Users can submit studies for inclusion in the map, thus giving the map a repository function.

Where public supply has failed and made unsatisfactory progress in supplying drinking water, the private sector has readily stepped in to supply citizens with drinking water – most often to make big money. Much of the water bottling industry (i) provides a highly inelastic good, (ii) is immensely profitable and (iii) has significant negative externalities on public utilities, the natural environment and the quality of life in urban settings. The wide-spread introduction of a tax on the commercial water extraction and/or bottled or sachet water is ripe. The new mantra must not be “3Rs”, but “4Rs” – reduce, reuse, remunerate, recycle.

The amount of big data available has exploded with recent innovations in satellites, sensors, mobile devices, call detail records, social media applications, and digital business records. Big data offers great potential for examining whether programmes and policies work, particularly in contexts where traditional methods of data collection are challenging. During pandemics, conflicts, and humanitarian emergency situations, data collection can be challenging or even impossible. This CEDIL Methods Brief takes a step-by-step, practical approach to guide researchers designing impact evaluations based on big data. This brief is based on the CEDIL Methods Working Paper on ‘Using big data for evaluating development outcomes: a systematic map’.