An evidence review is the systematic gathering of evidence from academic reports to answer a particular question. For example, what is the expected impact of providing insecticide treated bed nets on child mortality? How well do different interventions improve the use of toilets in rural communities? What is the impact of conservation agriculture on yields and farmer incomes?

These reviews can be a powerful way to bring a rich body of evidence into programmatic decisions, ensuring that more effective approaches are prioritized. It can also give a sense of expected impacts where impact evaluations are unavailable or infeasible.

Evidence reviews are useful when combined with cost-effectiveness or cost-benefit analysis.