In collaboration with U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights (DRL) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), NDI’s PAIRS Research, Evaluation & Learning (REL) Initiative contributes to an emerging body of evidence on what works, for who, and why in the democracy, human rights and governance sector. NDI identified three key Focal Areas for evaluative research, and additional lines of inquiry for understanding the effects of COVID-19 on democratic systems. Together, these questions provide a roadmap for selecting and prioritizing PAIRS programs for evaluations, as well as pursuing new insights on democracy and governance, through collaborative research with academic partners.