By the end of the course students should be able to understand and implement basic methods used in impact evaluation, and think critically about the issues involved with evaluating public policies. Students should be able to select an appropriate method for evaluating a public policy, given the context of the policy and the data available.
How do we know whether an intervention is achieving its objectives or not? Evaluating the impact of policies and programs is key to inform policy makers and promote sustainable development. This course will review the primary methods used to analyze the impact of public policy in an array of settings. It will focus on the role of causality and how the features of a policy, as well as the environment in which it is implemented, hinder (or help) the accuracy of an evaluation. Case studies from a variety of countries and contexts will be used to emphasize the methods presented.
The class involves in-class lectures, meetings with practitioners and practical exercises in the form of homework.
The evaluation is based on homeworks and a final exam.