The Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) supports the Agency in improving the effectiveness of its programming and broader global engagement by bringing strong economic theory and evidence to bear on USAID’s work. The Office, led by the Agency Chief Economist (ACE): 

  1. Promotes the use of cost-effectiveness evidence in Agency decision making
  2. Promotes the generation of cost-effectiveness evidence that the Agency is uniquely placed to catalyze, and 
  3. Provides macroeconomic analysis and advice to Agency leadership.

Across these focus areas, OCE leverages the skills and expertise of, and elevates, the Agency’s economics and evidence communities, including coordination and cadre development of economists and evidence technical experts across the Agency.

Recognizing the wide range of economic matters that bear on USAID’s work and the relevance of economic theory and evidence to the Agency’s work broadly, the Office also provides counsel directly to Agency leadership on high-priority economic matters and economics-based advice and input on Agency strategies, policies, and initiatives.

Related Policy Documents:

  • Cost-Effectiveness Position Paper: This paper outlines guiding principles and best practices to help the Agency and its partners increase their impact per dollar.
  • Direct Monetary Transfers Position Paper: This paper summarizes guiding principles and best practices for how and why USAID can include direct monetary transfers—a form of market-based assistance—to individuals, households, and microenterprises as a core element of its development toolkit.

Evidence Syntheses:

  • Improved Activity Cost-Effectiveness Review – Women’s Agricultural Income: This ImpAct Review was conducted jointly by OCE, the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS), and the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Hub in the Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation, to inform missions seeking to integrate gender into Feed the Future (FTF) programs, and summarizes impact evidence on which interventions have the greatest impact on women’s agricultural income. 
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Dean Karlan official photo

Dean Karlan

Agency Chief Economist

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Dean Karlan serves as the Agency Chief Economist and leads USAID's Office of the Chief Economist.

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Anne Healy

Anne Healy

Deputy Chief Economist and Office Director

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Anne Healy is the Deputy Chief Economist and Office Director of the independent Office of the Chief Economist (OCE).

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Promoting Impact and Learning with Cost-Effectiveness Evidence (PILCEE)

The Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) has a Leader with Associates (LWA) cooperative agreement, known as Promoting Impact and Learning with Cost-Effectiveness Evidence (PILCEE), with the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) at the University of California, Berkeley as the prime implementer.

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