IZA/FCDO G²LM|LIC, J-PAL MENA and UNICEF Egypt - Advanced Course on Evaluating Social Programmes
Program
Sunday, November 10
12:45 - 13:45
Preparations for the Course / Installing Stata
19:45 - 21:00
Dinner
Monday, November 11
10:30 - 11:00
Registration, Coffee and Pre-Assessment
11:00 - 11:30
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Ahmed Elsayed (Executive Director of J-PAL MENA at AUC and Associate Professor at AUC’s School of Business)
Annabelle Krause-Pilatus (Deputy Programme Director G²LM|LIC, IZA)
Laura MacLean (Social Development Adviser, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO))
Denise Ulwor (Acting Deputy Representative, UNICEF Egypt)
11:30 - 13:00
Research Skills Session
Chair: Ahmed Elsayed (Executive Director of J-PAL MENA at AUC and Associate Professor at AUC’s School of Business)
This session particularly aims at helping researchers, postgraduate students, faculty members, and early career researchers learn the skills required for finding research questions, grant writing, presenting in workshops and conferences, and publishing at international levels.
Oriana Bandiera (Programme Director G²LM|LIC and Sir Anthony Atkinson Professor of Economics at London School of Economics)
13:00 - 13:30
Coffee Break
13:30 - 15:00
Primer on Impact Evaluations
Chair: Annabelle Krause-Pilatus (Deputy Programme Director G²LM|LIC, IZA)
This session sets the stage for days 2 and 3. It covers theory of change, what evaluations are, why we evaluate, and the various methods that we can use to evaluate the impact of social programs.
Emily Beam (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont and IZA)
Benjamin Elsner (Professor of Economics at University College Dublin and IZA)
15:00 - 16:00
Lunch Break
16:00 - 17:00
Unleashing the Untapped Potential of Qualitative Methods in Impact Evaluations (ONLINE SESSION)
This session will provide participants with a better understanding of how to better combine methods in evaluation (including impact evaluations) in order to capture more effectively “why” and “how” policies and programmes perform well or not. In this vein, the session will focus on child-focused evaluation methods and processes, borrowed from the presenter’s direct practice on the ground.
Michele Tarsilla (Senior Evaluation Specialist, Evaluation Office, UNICEF HQ)
Tuesday, November 12
Non-Experimental Evaluation Methods
On day two, we will focus on two major quasi-experimental methods: Regression discontinuity and difference-in-differences. While we often seek to answer causal questions, running experiments is not always feasible due to practical or ethical constraints. Quasi-experimental techniques allow us to estimate causal effects using observational data, provided we have a deep understanding of the context and access to quality data. In this session, we will explore the theory behind both methods, examine case studies, and learn how to implement them using Stata.
Participants should have a basic understanding of econometrics (including linear regression, estimation, and testing) and experience with Stata.
09:00 - 09:30
Registration and Coffee
09:30 - 11:00
Difference-in-Differences
Benjamin Elsner (Professor of Economics at University College Dublin and IZA)
11:00 - 11:30
Coffee Break
11:30 - 13:00
Regression-Discontinuity Design
Benjamin Elsner (Professor of Economics at University College Dublin and IZA)
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch
14:00 - 15:00
Poster Session
15:00 - 17:00
Stata Session/Exercises
17:30 - 21:00
Networking Dinner
Wednesday, November 13
Experimental Evaluation Methods
On day three, during the sessions on experimental evaluation methods, we will study the design and implementation of randomized experiments from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Topics include determining when and how to randomize, calculating statistical power for sample size decisions, and analyzing results using intention-to-treat and local average treatment effects estimators. The workshop will combine real-world examples with hands-on practice in Stata.
09:00 - 09:15
Registration and Coffee
09:15 - 10:45
How to/ Why Randomize
Emily Beam (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont and IZA)
10:45 - 11:15
Coffee Break
11:15 - 11:45
How to/ Why Randomize II
Emily Beam (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont and IZA)
11:45 - 12:45
Sample Size and Power
Emily Beam (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont and IZA)
12:45 - 13:45
Lunch
13:45 - 15:10
Sample Size and Power II
Emily Beam (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont and IZA)
15:10 - 15:30
Coffee Break
15:30 - 17:30
Analyzing Data from an Experiment
Emily Beam (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Vermont and IZA)
17:30 - 17:45
Post-Assessment
17:45 - 18:30
Closing Remarks and Certificate Handout
For live updates and social interaction during the conference follow @iza_event on X
