Impact evaluation is a growing area of research strength and teaching capacity in the School of International Development.

We have been doing evaluation since our inception in the late 1960s, in our undergraduate, postgraduate, research and consultancy activities, including traditional cost-benefit studies, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and qualitative as well as quantitative research. However, the current wave of enthusiasm for impact evaluation in international development emphasises quasi-experimental and experimental research designs, micro-econometric analyses, qualitative and mixed methods, and systematic reviews, and new and renewed modes of M&E. Staff of this research group have been and are involved in all these areas. A dynamic multidisciplinary team in DEV is currently driving the growing field of impact evaluation, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and experimental games. Together these activities and capacities provide an exciting environment for teaching and study of impact evaluation and a wealth of experience for research and consultancy.

This group has also been very active in terms of teaching. It organizes a unique MSc Impact Evaluation for International Development to address the evident need for impact evaluation capacity. The MSc offers familiarisation with and skills in the basics of modern evidence-based policy-making and impact evaluation, including the contexts and practices of evaluation, research design and data production for evaluation, and basic and more advanced methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Graduates of the MSc have joined ODI, 3ie and other well-known institutions engaging in impact evaluation.

In addition, this team organizes a professional short course in Impact Evaluation for Evidence-Based Policy in Development. This offers practical impact evaluation training to individuals working in international agencies, governments in developing and developed countries, think-tanks, NGOs and other donor organisations which need to understand the methods used in evidence-based policy making in order to evaluate and justify continued public spending on particular projects and programmes. Moreover, the short course is being offered overseas to build evaluation capacity in particular in developing countries conducts and has been tailored to meet the demands of e.g. Uganda civil servants, NGO officials in Ghana etc.

We are also now offering a second short course on impact evaluation: Beyond Surveys and Experiments - Other Approaches to Impact Evaluation.

Researchers from the UEA have joined the Centre for Development Impact (CDI), an exciting initiative that contributes to learning and innovation in the field of impact evaluation.