Impact evaluation is an important tool in research and policy making, as policymakers and donor agencies are under increasing pressure to justify public spending on social and economic interventions.


This book will guide the reader through both the basic and more advanced methods of impact evaluation, with a particular focus on impact evaluation within evidence-based policy making and in international development. It will address the design, commissioning, and management of impact evaluations, data management, statistical econometric analyses, and theory-based approaches to impact evaluation. It will also cover other components of evidence-based policy making such as systematic reviews, replication, and ethics in impact evaluation research and practice.


The book is organized in four parts, each part divided into stand-alone chapters. The chapters provide a theoretical discussion of the various topics related to impact evaluation, complemented with exercises, case studies and worked examples drawn from the international development literature. Iconic impact evaluation studies will be used to exemplify the challenges of development impact evaluations.


The authors have all successfully conducted impact evaluations in developing countries for many years, and the book builds on their experience in in teaching, research, and consulting on development issues. It will be of interest to students of development studies, development economics, political science, public health and other areas in the social sciences, as well as to development professionals and policymakers.