Interested in the different meanings given to the notion of impact in international development? A new paper published by Methods Lab called What Is Impact? provides a fresh and synthesised view on the issue.

While the notion of impact has gained interest in the last 15 years, the authors show the ambiguity in how it is understood and used in evaluation. They illustrate this through 11 different definitions used by major international agencies, then suggest three ways to make sense out of this confusion and develop a shared understanding around specific projects.

The Methods Lab is an action-learning collaboration between the Overseas Development Institute, BetterEvaluation and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This publication is published in English only and can be accessed for free online.