Designing quality impact evaluations under budget, time and data constraints

This presentation explores how methodologically defensible estimates of project effects and impacts can be identified when operating under real-world budget, time and data constraints. 

Two common evaluation scenarios are considered in this presentation.

  1. when the evaluation begins at the start of the project but where there are budget, time, data, logistical and political constraints on the type of evaluation design that can be used.
  2. when the evaluation does not start until late in the project cycle or when the project is already completed. Under this second scenario, which is probably the more frequent of the two scenarios, there is normally no baseline study and the evaluator will often also have time and budget constraints.

In this preseantation a set of design options is described for addressing the different constraints and a checklist is presented for assessing threats to validity and adequacy of the different design options. Guidelines, including the use of mixed-option approaches was also presented for strengthening all of the design options.

Sources

Bamberger M, (2005) Presentation: Designing quality impact evaluations under budget, time and data constraints. Poverty Reduction and Equity, World Bank, retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120916021709/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTISPMA/Resources/Training-Events-and-Materials/Designing_quality_IE_under_constraints.pdf (archived link)

'Designing quality impact evaluations under budget, time and data constraints' is referenced in: