The Reflections series synthesizes lessons from past evaluations to support organizational learning about what works and what doesn't. This paper examines past evaluations to provide eight lessons on digitalization in crisis contexts:

1. Noteworthy digital initiatives in crisis countries remain undocumented and unassessed.
2. Supporting connectivity and open access is good. Supporting ‘meaningful connectivity’ is better.
3. Collaborating with the private sector is a ‘must’, provided ethical dilemmas can be resolved.
4. Digital transformation is about sourcing, connecting and developing talent – more than it is about technology.
5. Successful digitalization takes time and must carefully consider local readiness and culture.
6. Digitalization benefits from risk taking and collaborating with local digital disrupters.
7. Mind the gap. The ‘digital divide’ is real and growing.
8. Acting on data insights is key, especially for decisions around scale-up and replication.