About the Course

Development programs and policies are typically designed to create change to the target beneficiaries. Whether or not these changes are actually achieved is a crucial public policy question but one that is not often examined. Impact evaluation assesses the changes that can be attributed to a particular intervention, such as a project, program or policy, both the intended ones, as well as ideally the unintended ones.

This course is designed to equip the participants with adequate skills to conduct rigorous impact evaluations for their interventions. The course covers all aspects of planning, designing and implementing an impact evaluation. By the end of the course the participants will be experts who can carry out impact assessment assignments for their organizations or as consultants.

Target Participants

This course is targeted at researchers, project staff, managers, development practitioners, policy makers in government, NGOs and development organizations who want to determine the impact of their interventions.

Course Duration

One week

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course the participants will be able to:

• Learn about theories and practices of impact evaluation
• Learn about evaluation problem: Attribution, selection and placement biases
• Understand IE designs: randomized, quasi and non-experimental
• Conduct a rigorous impact evaluation of a project
• Conduct sampling and power calculation
• Learn and practice econometric techniques for impact evaluation
• Carry out impact data analysis
• Report and disseminate impact evaluation findings

Course Outline

Overview of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Fundamentals

• Overview of M&E Fundamentals for Impact Evaluation
• Results Framework
• Results Chain
• Logical Framework (LogFrame)
• M&E Project Indicators
• Performance Evaluation

Introduction to Impact Evaluation

• Introduction to Impact Evaluation
• Defining Impact Evaluation
• Deciding Whether to Evaluate
• Determining Points of Impact Evaluation
• Types of Evaluation Questions

Theory-Based Evaluation

• Theories of Change
• Evaluation Hypothesis
• Attribution in Impact Evaluation
• Contribution vs Attribution

Impact Evaluation Concepts and Measurement

• Impact Evaluation Indicators
• Counterfactuals in Impact Evaluation
• Causal Reference
• Comparison Groups and Counterfactuals
• Estimating Counterfactuals in Impact Evaluation
• Impact Evaluation When Comparison Groups or Baseline Data Are Not Available

Impact Evaluation Designs

• Impact Evaluation Designs (Overview)
• Experimental Design
  • Randomized Control Trials (RCTs)
• Quasi-Experimental Designs
  • Regression Discontinuity
  • Difference-in-Differences (DID)
  • Propensity Score Matching (PSM)

Sampling in Impact Evaluation

• Sampling in Impact Evaluation
• Sampling Techniques
• Sample Size Calculation
• Sampling Weights
• Statistical Power
• Constructing Valid Comparison Groups

Data Collection for Impact Evaluation

• Determining What Data Are Needed
• Data Sources
• Designing a Survey
• Managing the Data Collection Process

Data Management and Quantitative Analysis

• Data Management
• Introduction to Statistical Data Analysis in Impact Evaluation
• Foundations of Data Analysis in Impact Evaluation
• Descriptive Analysis
• Inferential Analysis

Randomized Impact Evaluation

• Randomized Impact Evaluation
• Statistical Design of Randomization
• Impacts of Program Placement
• Impacts of Program Participation
• Capturing Both Program Placement and Participation
• Measuring Spillover Effects

Propensity Score Matching (PSM)

• Introduction to PSM
• Application of PSM in Impact Evaluation
• Constructing Propensity Scores
• Matching Analysis
• Common Support

Difference-in-Differences (DID)

• What Is DID?
• Application of DID in Impact Evaluation
• Estimating the DID Estimator
• DID for Cross-Sectional Data
• Balancing Tests

Qualitative Approaches in Impact Evaluation

• Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis
• Qualitative Data Analysis Techniques
• Triangulation with Quantitative Data

Reporting, Dissemination, and Use of Findings

• Impact Evaluation Plan
• Impact Evaluation Reports
• Impact Evaluation Findings Dissemination Plan

Using Impact Evaluation for Policy and Decision-Making

• Using Impact Evaluation in Policy Formulation
• Policy Evaluation Frameworks
• Policy Recommendations from Impact Evaluations
• Influencing Policy Decisions

Case Studies

• Applied Case Studies in Impact Evaluation

Training Approach

This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in their respective fields of practice. The course is taught through a mix of practical activities, presentations, group works and case studies.

Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.

Certification

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued a certificate.

Tailor-Made Course 

We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide training needs. A training needs assessment will be done on the training participants to collect data on the existing skills, knowledge gaps, training expectations and tailor-made needs.