International Initiative for Impact Evaluation

www.impactevaluation2009.org

January 14-15: 3ie workshop "Evaluating Response to Shocks"
This hands-on clinic at the Global Development Network conference in Prague, Czech Republic, focused on rigorous impact evaluation design, using examples of three different interventions to cope with shocks - health insurance, emergency relief, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Participants first reviewed the fundamentals of impact evaluation, followed by practical case studies relating to the different interventions and group work where participants designed an impact evaluation.

Download key presentations:
Howard White "Shocks and impact evaluation"
Marie Gaarder "Experimental and Quasi Experimental designs"
Hugh Waddington "Impact evaluation on a health insurance programme"
Birte Snilstveit "Climate change mitigation and impact evaluation"

Delhi seminar series

March 5: Evaluating A Large Health Education Program by Dr. Arnab Acharya, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Impact evaluations of health programmes are key in terms of their policy relevance and impact. Dr. Acharya presented at the Delhi seminar series on the subject of "Evaluating A Large Health Education Program: The Sure Start Project in Uttar Pradesh". Read more.

November 12: Eight key steps to conduct a Synthetic Review on water and sanitation by Hugh Waddington, 3ie
Synthetic review enables us to assess the quality of evidence and summarise it to provide clear guidance to policy makers and practitioners. Hugh Waddington from 3ie presented at the Delhi seminar series the eight key steps used to conduct his review on ‘water sanitation and hygiene interventions to combat childhood diarrhoea in developing countries’.

October 21: How to institutionalize evaluation: India and Mexico learning from each other
Mexico was the first country to introduce mandatory impact evaluation for all its social programs. Also the lessons learned from the case of Mexico are particularly relevant for India at the time the country is setting up a new Independent Evaluation Office. Read more.

September 30: Systematic Reviews 01 - How to promote evidence based policy making
How can policy makers use evidence from academic studies? Evidence-based medicine has led the way in systematically reviewing available evidence to give rigorous information on what works and what doesn’t. Read more.

July 27: 'The impact of Water Supply and Sanitation interventions on child health: evidence from DHS surveys' conducted by Dr. Ron Bose
Evidence from DHS surveys in Nepal shows a 40 per cent reduction of diarrhoea cases attributable to sanitation coverage among children under 5 years. Dr. Bose presented the findings of a new 3ie case study on Nepal.

June 23: 'Theory-based impact evaluations: principles and practice' conducted by Dr. Howard White
Theory-based approach to impact evaluation maps out the causal chain from inputs to outcomes and impact. It tests the underlying assumptions as to why an intervention has worked or not. If theory based impact evaluation is widely accepted, its application remains weak. Read more.

May 21: 'Improving Reproductive Health of Married and Unmarried Youth in India' conducted by Ms. Sunayana Walia from the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
Many adolescents in India continue to suffer from poor reproductive health and limited access to appropriate health services. Six studies conducted by ICRW and partners examine interventions to improve adolescents’ health that involve parents, in-laws and their local communities. Read more.

2010 Campbell Collaboration Colloquium
May 18: Access to clean water and sanitation saves lives
3ie organized a session at the recent Campbell Collaboration Colloquium presenting new evidence on how better access to water and sanitation can save lives through better child health.

March 29 - April 2, 2009: Perspectives on Impact Evaluation
Approaches to assessing development effectiveness
Seven hundred evaluators, policy makers, donors, development practitioners and researchers were gathered in Cairo last March to share experiences and lessons learned, and guide political leaders in shaping and implementing development policies and programs that make a difference in poor people’s lives. For more information, click here.

December 15: Non-randomized methods of impact evaluation by Dr. Akhter Ahmed, IFPRI.
Non-randomized methods - such as reflexive evaluation, propensity score matching, difference-in-differences, instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity design -are often used to select appropriate counterfactuals in situations where randomization is not feasible for ethical, political or logistical reason. Read more.