Delia Welsh

Delia Welsh

Principal Researcher
Expertise
  • Designing and conducting rigorous impact evaluations
  • Creating research agendas within key sectors in international development
  • Integrating monitoring and evaluation systems into strategic planning 
Focus Areas
  • International Research
  • Food and Agriculture
  • Transportation
About Delia

Delia Welsh is an expert in monitoring and evaluation of international development programs.

Welsh recently served as the senior director for the Goldilocks Initiative at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), developing guidance and resources for funders, nonprofits and social enterprises to ensure their data collection systems balance the need for evidence of impact with operational data to inform management decisions. She also served as IPA’s deputy executive director for research and policy, supporting the organization’s project development, policy, and communications functions, in addition to overseeing research initiatives in financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and post-conflict recovery. 

Welsh previously was part of the small team tasked with defining and setting up the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and held several positions within the organization. She served as director for impact evaluation, managing development of impact evaluation plans and hiring of independent evaluators to conduct program evaluations, and training staff and partners. She also was responsible for developing the monitoring and evaluation plans for several MCC Compacts, including Benin, Cape Verde, Morocco, Madagascar, and Senegal. 

Welsh was also a program examiner at the Office of Management and Budget, supporting the creation of the MCC and providing budgetary oversight of several U.S. foreign assistance programs. Welsh holds a master’s of public administration from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and was a Fulbright Fellow in Morocco.

Key Projects
  • Ghana Photo Collage
    Ghana Power Compact Evaluation

    Mathematica is conducting a long-term evaluation of the Ghana Power Compact, a partnership between the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Ghanaian government to strengthen the power sector by improving the reliability of distribution systems and increasing energy efficiency.

  • Books and a globe on a desk in a classroom.
    Teach for All Research & Evaluation Guide

    Mathematica collaborated with Teach For All to develop a research and evaluation (R&E) guide with the goal of helping its partner organizations develop, implement, and promote their R&E systems. The guide provides concrete assistance on “right-fit” monitoring and evaluation systems for partners.