Call for evidence: global systematic review into outcomes-based contracting

Ecorys and the Government Outcomes Lab (GO Lab) at the University of Oxford have partnered to undertake a global systematic review to explore whether, when, and where (and if possible, how) outcomes-based contracting approaches deliver improved impact when compared to more conventional funding arrangements. 

Our ambition is that this review will go deeper and broader than any evidence review undertaken in this area to date. It will be broaderthan other studies because it will examine the effects associated with a wide array of different outcomes-based contracting approaches, including Payment by Results, Social Outcome Contracts, Social Impact Bonds, Development Impact Bonds, Pay for Success and Social Impact Contracts. The review will be deeper because it will be a comprehensive, systematic review: we will review and synthesise all research studies published in this area. It will be global in reach, encompassing studies from low, middle and high-income contexts. 

Ecorys and GO Lab invites interested individuals and organisations to submit research studies relating to social interventions that have been funded in total, or in part, by outcomes-based contracting approaches.

The types of evidence invited include, but are not limited to:

• Evaluations or case studies 
• Unpublished academic, individual or organisational research 
• Numerical or statistical information 
• Meta-analyses or reviews 

We welcome submissions in any language, but we do ask that the submissions are:

• Studies that use a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method design 
• Focussed on a social intervention or programme that has been funded using an outcomes-based contracting approach 
• Focussed on a social intervention that aims to achieve social and/or environmental outcomes 

Please do not send any commercially sensitive or confidential information. We will make our database of literature public; please let us know if you want any submitted information to remain confidential (to remain out the public domain). 

Responses to this call for evidence should be emailed to OBCReview@ecorys.com by 1 March 2021. 

Many thanks in advance for your help! Please feel free to email OBCReview@ecorys.com if you have any questions about this Call for Evidence.