The Impact Evaluation Network has a new website: www.impact-evaluation-network.org

With the transition to market-based systems, many countries are designing and implementing social policies targeted to specific populations, e.g. social protection for the poor, job training programs for youth and the unemployed, agricultural development programs for farmers. Decision-makers, donors and taxpayers are interested in knowing whether these programs are successfully providing expected benefits. Rigorous assessment of these initiatives may lead to improvements in their design and implementation, wich in turn, foster accountability.

Programs were first evaluated for effectiveness in the United States, where researches applied strategies to measure the effect of welfare and job training programs. Since then, similar strategies have been increasingly employed in developing countries. Scientifically sound evaluations are crucial for generating political support for the continuation or expansion of the programs. These evaluation findings may also inform policy makers in other nations about effective alternative policy solution. Evaluations offer a public good that justifies funding and with resources beyond those available domestically. There are several international institutions devoting resources to impact evaluation.

However,  the need for serious impact evaluation at the policy making level is not yet uniformly accepted. There are many programs that remain unevaluated or they are evaluated using techniques that do not reflect best practices in impact evaluation. Rigorous evaluation of these programs would be informative for similar and new activities.

Activities aimed at promoting impact evaluation methodology in terms of capacity building and bridging research and policy in more disadvantaged Latin American and Caribbean countries are important to closing the gap between state of the art evaluation techniques in developed countries and their application throughout the region.

The Impact Evaluation Network (IEN) at LACEA is an initiative that aims to advance expert knowledge and application of impact evaluations for better policy.

Meetings

TENTH MEETING

March 22nd to 24th, 2017

The IEN has been active since 2007, and given its 10th anniversary, we held a special meeting hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank, from March 22nd to 24th, 2017, in Washington, D.C., USA. The program included a keynote address by Prof. Miguel Urquiola (Columbia University), the presentation of invited and contributed academic papers, as well as two panel discussions with policy makers, researchers, practitioners and representatives of multilateral organizations about actual policies the implementations of programs, and their rigorous impact evaluation.

Call
Agenda

Inter-American Development Bank
Auditorium Andres Bello
1300 New York Ave NW
Washington, D.C., 20577

Keynote Speaker

Miguel Urquiola (Columbia University)
«Competition, Evaluation, And School Productivity»

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 10th meeting:

  • Balsa, Ana – Universidad de Montevideo
  • Martinez, Claudia – Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
  • Santiago, Ana – Inter-American Development Bank

Organizing Committee for the 10th meeting:

  • Alzua, María Laura  –  CEDLAS-UNLP & CONICET
  • Barrera-Osorio, Felipe – Harvard University
  • Martinez, Sebastian – Inter-American Development Bank
  • Mitnik, Oscar – Inter-American Development Bank
  • Santiago, Ana – Inter-American Development Bank

NINTH MEETING

March 10th and 11th, 2016

The ninth annual meeting was hosted by the Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS), took place on March 10th and 11th, 2016, La Plata, Argentina. The program included a keynote address by Dr. Francisco Gallego (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), and the presentation of eight papers selected on the basis of academic merit.

Call
Agenda

Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS)
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas – Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Calle 6 # 777. La Plata. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Argentina

Keynote Speaker

Francisco Gallego (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile)
«Constructing a Research Agenda using RCTs: Information and Educational Decisions»

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 9th meeting:

  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio, Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
  • Oscar Mitnik, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Catherine Rodriguez, Universidad de los Andes

EIGHTH MEETING

September 11th and 12th, 2014

The eighth annual meeting was hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank, and took place on September 11 and 12, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Nine papers, selected on the basis of academic merit, were presented at the meeting. Dr. Martin Ravallion (Georgetown University) gave the keynote address.

Call
Agenda

Inter-American Development Bank Headquarters

1330 New York Ave NW, room CR-201
Washington DC, USA

Keynote Speaker

Martin Ravallion (Georgetown University)
How can evaluations better inform public spending decisions? 

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 8th meeting:

  • Felipe Barrera, Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
  • Arturo Galindo, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Ximena Peña, Universidad de los Andes
  • Guillermo Cruces, Center for Distributional, Labor and Social Studies, CEDLAS

SEVENTH MEETING

October 25th and 26th, 2013

The seventh annual meeting was hosted by Group for the Analysis of Development – GRADE, in Lima, Peru. The program included a keynote address by Dr. Norbert Schady (Inter American Development Bank). Also, the meeting featured a panel on evaluation and policy making with the presence of Peru’s Viceminister of Social Inclusion. Presentation of eight papers selected on the basis of academic merit took place over the course of the meeting.

Call
Agenda

Group for the Analysis of Development – GRADE

Lima, Peru.

Keynote Speaker

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 7th meeting:

  • Barrera-Osorio, Felipe (Graduate School of Education, Harvard University)
  • Jaramillo, Miguel (Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo)
  • Soares, Yuri (Inter-American Development Bank)

SIXTH MEETING

September 19 and 20, 2012

The sixth annual meeting was hosted by the Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts, USA. The program included a short training course and keynote address by Prof. Jeffrey Smith (UMich) on recent methodological developments in program evaluation, as well as a keynote address by Prof. Richard Murnane (Harvard University). Eight papers, selected on the basis of academic merit, were presented over the course of the meeting.

Call
Agenda

Harvard Graduate School of Education
Gutman Convention Center
6 Appian Way in Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA

Keynote Speaker

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 6th meeting:

  • María Laura Alzua (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio (Graduate School of Education – Harvard University)
  • Guillermo Cruces (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Ana Santiago (Vice-Presidency of Sectors and Knowledge – Inter-American Development Bank)

FIFTH MEETING

August 22nd and 23rd, 2011

The fifth annual meeting was hosted by the Center of Distributional, Labor and Social Studies at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, taking place on August 22 and 23, 2011, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The program included a one-day training course by Prof. Joshua Angrist (MIT) on recent methodological developments in program evaluation, as wellas a keynote address by Marco Manacorda (Queen Mary University of London; CEP, London School of Economics; CEPR; IZA). Participants attended the course during the mornings; during the afternoon nine papers, selected on the basis of academic merit, were presented.

Call
Agenda

Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS)
Centro Cultural Borges
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Argentina

Keynote Speaker

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 5th meeting:

  • María Laura Alzua (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio (Graduate School of Education – Harvard University)
  • Guillermo Cruces (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Ana Santiago (Vice-Presidency of Sectors and Knowledge – Inter-American Development Bank)

FOURTH MEETING

October 8th and 9th, 2010

The fourth annual meeting was hosted by the Economics Department of the University of Miami, in Miami, Florida, US. The program included a oneday training course by Prof. Guido Imbens (Harvard University) on recent methodological developments in program evaluation. The course was divided in two mornings, followed each afternoon by the presentation of eight papers selected on the basis of academic merit.

Call
Agenda

Keynote Speaker

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 4th meeting:

  • Alzua, Maria Laura – CEDLAS, Departamento de Economía – Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina
  • Ibarraran, Pablo – Strategic Planning and Development Effectiveness – Inter-American Development Bank
  • Mitnik, Oscar – Economics Department, University of Miami
  • Soares, Yuri – Evaluation Office – Inter-American Development Bank

THIRD MEETING

December 2nd and 3rd, 2009

The Third Meeting of the IEN was held at Universidad de los Andes (Bogota, Colombia)

Call
Agenda - Day 1
Agenda - Day 2

Keynote Speaker

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 3rd meeting:

  • María Laura Alzua (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio (Human Development Network-The World Bank)
  • Ana María Ibañez (Universidad de los Andes)
  • Ana Santiago (Vice-Presidency of Sectors and Knowledge – Inter-American Development Bank)

IEN SESSION at LACEA 2009

October 3rd, 2009

The IEN Session was held at LACEA-LAMES 2009 on October 3, 2009 (11:00 – 12:30) at Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA), Convention Center, San José Building, 1650 Alicia Moreau de Justo, Buenos Aires; Room 126.

Session Chair

  • Carola Alvarez (Inter-American Development Bank)

Papers Selected

  • «How Do Training Programs Assign Participants to Training? Characterizing the Assignment Rules of Government Agencies for Welfare-to-Work Programs in California». Oscar Mitnik (University of Miami).
  • «Two-Sided Wealth Constraints and Innovation Adoption Under a Grassroots Market-Based Extension System». Jean-Philippe Platteau (University of Namur)
  • «Medicare, Hospital Utilization and Mortality: Evidence from the Origins of the Federal Program». Ken Chay (Brown University)

MEETING at CEA 2008

Vancouver, Canada

SECOND MEETING

November 19th, 2008

The Third Meeting of the IEN was held at Universidad de los Andes (Bogota, Colombia)

Call
Agenda

Keynote Speakers

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 2nd meeting:

  • María Laura Alzua (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio (Human Development Network-The World Bank)
  • Ana Santiago (Vice-Presidency of Sectors–Inter-American Development Bank)

FIRST MEETING

October 3rd, 2007

The First Meeting of the IEN was held at LACEA (Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association) at Universidad de los Andes (Bogota).

Call
Agenda

Keynote Speakers

  • Carolina Renteria (Directora Nacional de Planeación, Colombia) 
    Opening Remarks
  • Karlan, Dean (Yale University) 
    Microfinance: Building Better Products through Randomized Evaluations
  • Orazio Atanassio (University College, London)
    Evaluating and (Re)-Designing Conditional Cash Transfers
  • Levy, Santiago (Inter-American Development Bank)
  • Briceño, Bertha (Departamento Nacional de Planeación, Colombia)
  • Mauricio Cárdenas (Fedesarrollo-LACEA)​
    Closing Remarks

Papers Selected

Academic Committee for the 1st meeting:

  • María Laura Alzua (IERAL-Fundación Mediterránea)
  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio (Human Development Network-The World Bank)
  • Ana Santiago (OVE-Inter-American Development Bank)

Executive Committee

2007-2017

  • María Laura Alzúa (CEDLAS-Universidad Nacional de La Plata)
  • Felipe Barrera-Osorio (Graduate School of Education – Harvard University)
  • Ana Santiago (Inter-American Development Bank)

The Impact Evaluation Network has a new website: www.impact-evaluation-network.org

Watch Dragon ball super