2012 Evidence Summit: Rajiv Shah opens the two-day conference

At the 2012 Evidence Summit, held December 12-13 in Washington, DC, Rajiv Shah, Administrator of USAID, begins the 2012 Evidence Summit by explaining the critical important of using qualitative analysis to make development decisions. Shah states practitioners must create more transparency and open data to allow others to evaluate and assess evidence needed to make decisions. Shaw's message throughout is clear as he states, "The opportunity for us to use existing resources to much greater effect, if we are driven by clear and consistent evidence, will be critical to our success."

Bio: Rajiv Shah, USAID

Dr. Rajiv Shah serves as the 16th Administrator of USAID and leads the efforts of more than 8,000 professionals in 80 missions around the world. Since being sworn in on Dec. 31, 2009, Shah managed the U.S. Government's response to the devastating 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; co-chaired the State Department's first review of American diplomacy and development operations; and now spearheads President Barack Obama's landmark Feed the Future food security initiative. He is also leading “USAID Forward,” an extensive set of reforms to USAID's business model focusing on seven key areas, including procurement, science & technology, and monitoring & evaluation. Before becoming USAID's Administrator, Shah served as undersecretary for research, education and economics, and as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At USDA, he launched the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which significantly elevated the status and funding of agricultural research.