Neha Paliwal is an Impact Evaluation Specialist at I4DI, where she designs and leads rigorous evaluations and assessments that help clients understand what’s working, what isn’t, and why it matters. Her work spans econometric analysis, survey design, and deep theory of change thinking — always oriented toward producing insights that are both analytically sound and actionable for decision-makers.
Prior to joining I4DI, Neha built her career around a central question: what actually works in international development? At USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures (DIV), she managed a $15 million multi-sector portfolio of high-impact startups and social enterprises across nine countries, providing technical guidance to strengthen the evidence behind promising innovations. Before that, she led the analytical and operational arms of large-scale impact evaluations in Brazil, Nigeria, Malawi, and Uganda — working with organizations like IFPRI, IFAD, and the World Bank to evaluate programs reaching some of the world’s most underserved communities.
Neha holds an M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in Economics and International Development from McGill University, with additional PhD-level coursework in impact evaluation methodologies from Wageningen University.
