Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide

This book, written by Rachel Glennerster & Kudzai Takavarasha, provides step-by-step guidance on running randomised impact evaluations of social programmes. The guide draws on the experiences of programmes run by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab describing when and where to use randomised evaluations and how to design and use studies despite budget constraints.

This book is available for purchase from Princeton University Press

A free chapter is available to download here.

Excerpt

"Our goal is to enable more people and organizations to undertake and commission high-quality randomized impact evaluations and thus to build a wider and deeper evidence base on how best to combat poverty. Our hope is that we will see the generation and application of rigorous evidence grow even faster than in the past two decades. By innovating and testing and by feeding the evidence back into even more innovation, evaluators and practitioners can improve the effectiveness of policies and programs and make a real difference in people’s lives." (Glennerster & Takavarasha, 2013)

Contents

  • The Experimental Approach 1
  • Why Randomize? 24
  • Asking the Right Questions 66
  • Randomizing 98
  • Outcomes and Instruments 180
  • Statistical Power 241
  • Threats 298
  • Analysis 324
  • Drawing Policy Lessons 386

Sources

Glennerster, R., & Takavarasha, K., (2013). Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.