Impact Evaluation of Projects and Programmes Course

Course Level: Intermediate

Course Objectives

At the end of this IRES training course, you will learn how to:

• Improve and develop the accountability of policy-making and public services
• Develop the planning, procurement and management of impact evaluations and assessments
• Use the methods of impact evaluation to identify the most effective, efficient and value-for-money initiatives
• Introduce and Present participatory measures in the development of the Evaluation Plans
• Facilitating and simplifying the plans to team members and other workers, involved in the process
• Identifying techniques and methods for improving current practices in the evaluation process

Course Outline

Module 1: Impact Assessment vs. Evaluation

• The difference between Impact Assessment and Evaluation
• The need for Project/Program Evaluation
• The need for measuring results and impact
• Best practice examples and models of impact evaluations and assessments from around the world
• A quick glance into the PCM (Project Cycle Management)
• An overview to the Participatory Evaluation Frameworks (PEFs)
• Various Principles for the Evaluation process
• Key Indicators for Verification and Evaluation

Module 2: Planning the Evaluation Process

• Defining the criteria, principles and queries for the evaluation process
• Identifying the Stakeholders
• Plan of action for the evaluation process
• Identifying, scheduling and planning the availability of the resources
• Budget planning for the evaluation process
• Recognizing the applicable methods for the collection of relevant data

Module 3: Data Collection and Analysis

• Various Techniques involving in the collection of data
• Defining techniques for interpreting and analyzing the collected data
• Drafting the conclusions from the evaluation process
• Understanding report writing for evaluation process reports
• Communicating intelligence and information obtained through the evaluation process
• Identifying the opportunities for correction/improvement
• Drawing a plan of action for integrating and incorporating the required improvements

Module 4: Impact Assessments

• Goals of an impact assessment
• Selection of different units of assessment
• Impact Assessment Methods
• Before and after assessment
• The principles of cost-benefit analysis
• The strengths and limitations of Impact Assessment
• Using organized and systematic reviews of evidence to assess the impact
• Ethics of an impact assessment

Module 5: Visualizing project data

• Understand map layers in GIS
• Composing a GIS layout from GIS layers
• Difference between a map and a layout
• Navigate maps
• Bringing tabular/spreadsheet data into a GIS (Excel, SPSS, Access etc)
• Connecting visual map features and tabular data
• Selecting subsets of map features from geo processing
• Finding map features
• Use data sorting records and labeling features to produce information
• Key elements of a map
• Composing a map
• Case study

Module 6: GIS and GPS for M&E

• General Principles of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
• Integrating M&E and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Deciding if M&E-GIS is Appropriate for specific projects
• Developing an M&E-GIS System for projects
• Creating Maps Supporting Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
• Selecting GIS Software
• Defining the Data Requirements and Key Indicators
• Defining the Data Collection Process
• Designing and Creating the Data Input Table
• Map making
• Creating the Thematic Map