Impact evaluations have become routine elements of programmes implementation due to their ability to build accountability and learning for policymakers, non-governmental organizations, donors and affected populations. Conducting impact evaluations in the real world can be a difficult process and may require a blend of techniques to obtain impact estimates. This course builds upon the introductory course on impact evaluation and provides a hands-on approach to estimating and analyzing causal impacts using various techniques. These include randomized control trials and designs, regression discontinuity design, difference in differences, propensity score matching and instrumental variables method. Students will learn how to conduct an in-depth econometric estimation/analysis of causal impacts.

This course is designed and intended to lay emphasis on internal and external project evaluation and familiarise with tools that are used to measure and improve the performance of projects. The participants follow a step by step methodology for the understanding of the process of designing and performing an evaluation.

Impact Evaluation of Projects is keeping an eye on the developments, deviations and changes after the delivery of projects is very important for any organization. Evaluation and Assessment of the impact and benefits delivered can not only help in fine-tuning the processes but also in setting standards for future projects. This course is designed to assist with the evaluation of impact and other research-based needs among the development staff. It adopts different techniques and methods that can help with collecting and evaluating the right kind of data, which then helps in the acquisition of accurate statistics.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• Improve and develop the accountability of policy-making and public services
• Develop the planning, procurement and management of impact evaluations and assessments
• Use the methods of impact evaluation to identify the most effective, efficient and value-for-money initiatives
• Introduce and Present participatory measures in the development of the Evaluation Plans
• Facilitating and simplifying the plans to team members and other workers, involved in the process
• Identifying techniques and methods for improving current practices in the evaluation process
• Identify and engage relevant stakeholders throughout the impact evaluation process using technical and soft skills
• Select the most appropriate impact evaluation methodology to respond to the unique context of the intervention and to the prevailing constraints of data, time and money, and context
• Design a customised impact evaluation scheme for the unique context of a development intervention of your choice
• Build an operational plan to conduct the impact evaluation
• Collect, process, and analyse data to evaluate impact using quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Use impact evaluation results for informing decision-making and economic analyses

DURATION

10 Days

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Monitoring and evaluation specialists;
• Independent evaluators;
• Researchers;
• Project coordinators and programme managers;
• Donor staff appraising and evaluating projects and programmes;
• Policy-makers;
• Non-governmental organization officials involved in monitoring and evaluating. 

COURSE CONTENT

Impact Assessment vs. Evaluation

• The difference between Impact Assessment and Evaluation
• The need for Project/Program Evaluation
• The need for measuring results and impact
• Best practice examples and models of impact evaluations and assessments from around the world
• A quick glance into the PCM (Project Cycle Management)
• An overview to the Participatory Evaluation Frameworks (PEFs)
• Various Principles for the Evaluation process
• Key Indicators for Verification and Evaluation

Planning the Evaluation Process

• Defining the criteria, principles and queries for the evaluation process
• Identifying the Stakeholders
• Plan of action for the evaluation process
• Identifying, scheduling and planning the availability of the resources
• Budget planning for the evaluation process
• Recognising the applicable methods for the collection of relevant data

Data Collection and Analysis

• Various Techniques involving in the collection of data
• Defining techniques for interpreting and analyzing the collected data
• Drafting the conclusions from the evaluation process
• Understanding report writing for evaluation process reports
• Communicating intelligence and information obtained through the evaluation process
• Identifying the opportunities for correction/improvement
• Drawing a plan of action for integrating and incorporating the required improvements

Impact Evaluation Research Designs

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

Sampling in Impact Evaluation

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

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 in Impact Evaluation

• 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

GENERAL NOTES

• This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in the 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.
• Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.