CAMBRIDGE COURSE, May 27-31, 2008

Evaluating Social Programs: Executive Training at J-PAL
This five-day program on evaluaton of social programs will provide a thorough understanding of randomized evaluations and pragmatic step-by-step training for conducting a program evaluation. While the course focuses on randomized evaluations, many of the topics, such as measuring outcomes and dealing with threats to the validity of an evaluation, are relevant for other methodologies.

Dates and Location
The course will take place in Cambridge (USA) from May 27st to May 31st.

Tuition
$3,950 (Includes working breakfasts, lunches, and all program materials). Participants are responsible for travel-related expenses (including airfare and lodging).

Scholarships
Thanks to support from the Hewlett Foundation, a limited number of scholarships are available to help cover the program fee. Scholarship recipients will be chosen based on merit and need. Scholarship applicants should submit a scholarship application.

Intended Audience
The program is designed for people from a variety of backgrounds: managers and researchers from international development organizations, managers in non-governmental organizations from around the world, as well as trained economists looking to retool.

Course Coverage
Specifically, the following key questions and concepts will be covered:
• Why and when is a rigorous evaluation of social impact needed?
• What are the common pitfalls of evaluations, and why does randomization help?
• What are the key components of a good randomized evaluation design?
• Alternative techniques for incorporating randomization into project design
• How do you determine the appropriate sample size, measure outcomes, and manage data?
• How to guard against threats that may undermine the integrity of the results
• Techniques for the analysis and interpretation of results
• How to maximize policy impact and test external validity

Teaching Methods
We will present material through a combination of interactive lectures, case studies, and relevant exercises. Participants will have group time to discuss cases with one another prior to lectures, as well as work jointly through a set of preparatory exercises designed to focus attention on key points. Additionally, participants will form 4-5 person groups which will work through the design process for a randomized evaluation of a development project. Groups will be aided in this project by both the faculty and teaching assistants with the work culminating in presentations at the end of the week.
By examining both successful and problematic evaluations, participants will better understand the significance of various specific details of randomized evaluations. Furthermore, the program will offer extensive opportunities to apply these ideas, ensuring that participants will leave with the knowledge, experience, and confidence necessary to conduct their own randomized evaluations.

Teaching Faculty
Teaching Faculty change from year to year. Those who have taught the course in past years are listed below.