Training course “Impact evaluation in Public Administrations: qualitative and quantitative statistical tools”

Context and Objectives

In recent decades, European and international citizens, businesses and institutions have become increasingly attentive and demanding with regard to the impact of administrative action, shifting their focus from procedural regularity to the quality, diligence and effectiveness of public intervention.

In this context, new skills, up-to-date tools and adequate resources are needed. One of the main tools in this regard is impact evaluation, which makes it possible to identify, determine and measure the changes that have occurred and can be attributed to a specific intervention, based on a cause-related relationship.

Impact evaluation allows us to determine the effect of an action on specific contexts and to verify development hypotheses by comparing changes in one or more specific outcomes with what would have happened in the absence of the intervention, using a counterfactual approach. In this sense, impact evaluation allows us to verify and determine whether and to what extent a programme, project, intervention or investment has actually created value. Furthermore, it can be used in the design phase to determine which of the various possible alternatives is the most effective intervention.

The course illustrates the main impact evaluation techniques in a simple and accessible way. It has a practical approach with the aim of enabling participants to quickly use the techniques learned, including through active participant interaction.

In this context, the course objectives can be summarised as follows:

1. Understanding the principles of public policy evaluation
2. Learning the methodological basics of impact evaluation
3. Mastering the main impact assessment techniques
4. Knowing how to set up an impact evaluation
5. Share work ideas and experiences

Programme

• Why evaluate: the results chain;

• Monitoring and evaluation: similarities and differences;

• Impact evaluation: basic concepts;

• The counterfactual approach;

• Experimental and quasi-experimental methods;

• Impact evaluation in project cycle management.