Training on Impact Evaluation for Evidence-Based Development

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 program 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

Online    7 Days

Classroom-based 5 Days

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 using Propensity Matching and Difference-in -Difference.
• Report and disseminate impact evaluation findings.

Course Outline

Overview of M&E Fundamentals

• Results Framework
• M&E Project Indicators
• Logical Framework
• Performance Evaluation

Introduction

• Defining impact evaluation
• Deciding whether to evaluate
• Attribution in impact evaluation
• Contribution vs attribution

Determining points

• Types of evaluation questions
• Theories of Change
• The results chain.
• Evaluation hypothesis
• Impact evaluation indicators

Counterfactuals in Impact Evaluation

• Causal reference
• Comparison groups and counterfactuals
• Estimating counterfactual in impact evaluation
• Impact Evaluation when a Comparison and Baseline Data are not available.

Impact Evaluation Research Designs

• Experimental Design
  • Randomized Control Trials
• Quasi experimental designs
  • Regression Discontinuity
  • Difference-in-Difference
  • Matching
• Non-experimental designs

Sampling 

• Sampling techniques in Impact Evaluation
• Sample size calculation,
• Sampling weight
• Statistical power
• Constructing valid comparison groups

Quantitative Data Analysis

Randomized Impact Evaluation

• Setting the counterfactual
• Statistical Design of Randomization
• Impacts of Program Placement
• Impacts of Program Participation
• Capturing Both Program Placement and Participation
• Measuring Spillover Effects

Propensity Score Matching Technique (PSM)

• Introduction to PSM
• Application of PSM in Impact Evaluation
• Constructing propensity scores
• Matching Analysis (Nearest-Neighbour, Stratification, Radius, Kernel)
• Common support
• Doubly Robust Estimation

Difference in Difference Method

• What is DID?
• Application of DID in Impact Evaluation
• Estimating DID estimator: Single DID, DID with covariates, Quantile DID
• DID for Cross-Sectional Data
• Balancing Tests
• Diff-in-Diff with Propensity Score Matching

Qualitative Approaches

• Most Significant Change
• Outcome Mapping
• Outcome Harvesting
• Appreciative Inquiry

Producing and Disseminating Impact Evaluation findings

• Impact Evaluation Plan
• Impact Evaluation Reports: Baseline report, Impact Evaluation Reports
• Case studies

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, theory, 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 with 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.