Properly evaluating an intervention or program is critical to quantify its effects, determine intended and unintended outcomes and make any necessary corrections. While an adequate monitoring of a program permits to assess if the objectives of a program are being met through a continuous monitoring of different indicators of interest, a proper impact evaluation permits to assess if the observed changes are due to the intervention while controlling for other potential factors. This is key when there are plans to expand the program or replicate it in other contexts.

The objective of this course is to explain thoroughly the different stages and aspects in implementing a project evaluation, from including a counterfactual or control group in the evaluation design to selecting the most appropriate method based on the nature of the program, the outcomes of interest and the data that can be collected.

The course is divided into 6 topics: Introduction, Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Methods, Randomized Controlled Trials, Difference in Difference Analysis, Propensity Score Matching and Regression Discontinuity Design. A case study of the evaluation of the National Program to reduce stunting in Guatemala (Pacto del Hambre Cero) is provided at the end.