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Fall 2009
Economics 198
2 Unit(s)

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About the Course:

Government institutions and non-governmental organizations often engage in health, education, economic, and social programs without being able to say whether or not their services have actually saved lives and improved development outcomes. In a world of limited resources, there is a lot to gain from developing research-tested and culturally appropriate programs that achieve their goals effectively. Impact evaluations are needed to identify programs with the biggest “bang for the buck”.

This course will cover impact evaluation theory and methods. The curriculum will be applied, with weekly case studies of field research drawn from the international development literature covering a variety of interventions including health, education, micro-finance, agriculture and governance programs. Students will learn how to apply the methods in class using statistical software with actual data.  Discussions will also include issues related to research ethics and the protection of human subjects. At the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to present their own impact evaluation research projects and get feedback from CEGA faculty members.

How to Enroll:

The course is ideally suited for graduate and advanced undergraduate students with an interested in impact evaluation.  Graduate students in Public Policy, Public Health,  Education,  Political Science, ERG,  and Sociology, and undergraduates who have taken statistics courses may benefit the most from this course.  The curriculum is very applied and will be useful for students engaged in international development field projects, social entrepreneurship, and policy analysis.  Please email one of the student facilitators if you have questions about whether this course is the right fit given your interests and background.

Email Erick (email down below) to request a CEC.