Dr Kathrin Wolf
Dr Kathrin Wolf started working as an evaluator at DEval in October 2020 and led research and advisory projects on monitoring, evaluation and management in official bilateral development cooperation and on rigorous impact evaluation. As a PhD candidate in the field of economic psychology at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, her research sought to shed light on women entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa and its effective promotion through training. In the context of her doctoral work, she has collaborated with the World Bank’s Africa Gender Innovation Lab and run experimental and quasi-experimental impact studies in Ethiopia. Prior to joining DEval, she has worked for the German Commission for UNESCO and as an independent consultant for major donor agencies, such as the World Bank and the GIZ. From August 2017 to April 2020, she has lived and worked in Madagascar.
Key qualifications
- Thematic focus
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Processes and structures of German Development Cooperation,
Results-based management,
MSME promotion and entrepreneurship - Methodological focus
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Rigorous impact assessments (experimental and quasi-experimental methods),
quantitative data collection and analysis
- Regional focus
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Sub-Saharan Africa
Publications
- Policy Brief: Five Steps towards a Viable Evidence Architecture for Rigorous Impact Evaluations
- Policy Brief: Fünf Schritte zu einer tragfähigen Evidenzarchitektur rigoroser Wirkungsevaluierungen
- No Need to Wait for Reporting: Examining Learning from Results-based Management Practices in Development Cooperation
- Discussion Paper: Developing an Integrated System for Monitoring, Evaluation and Management
- Discussion Paper: Weiterentwicklung eines integrierten Systems für Monitoring, Evaluierung und Steuerung
- Policy Brief: Cash Transfers and Cash Plus Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
- The Effects of Cash Transfers and Cash Plus Programs on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: Rapid Evidence Review
- Half-Time for SDG Evidence Generation
- Cash Transfers and Cash Plus Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Evidence Gap Map
- Die Förderung nachhaltiger Lieferketten durch die deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit am Beispiel des Textilsektors
Selected Publications
Wolf, K. et al. (2026) Help or hindrance? Husbands’ influence on women entrepreneurs’ business success in Sub-Saharan Africa: A latent profile analysis. Journal of Business Venturing, 41(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2026.106606
Wolf, K. (2019), “Shifting Perspectives - Towards a Better Understanding and a More Effective Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Doctoral Thesis, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, https://pub-data.leuphana.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/915/file/Dissertation_Kathrin%20Wolf_final.pdf
Alibhai, S. et al. (2019), “Full esteem ahead? Mindset-oriented business training in Ethiopia”, Policy Research Working Paper, No. 8892, World Bank Group, Washington, D.C., http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/247671560784088055/Full-Esteem-Ahead-Mindset-Oriented-Business-Training-in-Ethiopia
Contact
