Selecting Impact/Outcome Evaluation Designs: A Decision-Making Table and Checklist Approach

This article from Paul Duignan is aimed at supporting evaluators decide which impact/outcome evaluation design is most appropriate to use. A decision-making table approach is provided to assist in the selection of one of the seven possible groups of impact/outcome evaluation.

Furthermore, the guide also supports evaluators to select the best technique for attempting to deal with non-equivalent comparison group issues in constructed matched comparison group designs.

Contents

• How to use this decision-making table approach
• The decision to use an impact/outcome evaluation design
• Impact/outcome evaluation design can be a complex technical decision
• Preliminary information
• Decision-making Table 1: Impact/outcome evaluation design selection
• Four techniques for improving constructed matched comparison impact/outcome designs
• Decision-making Table 2: Selection of techniques to improve constructed matched comparison group impact/outcome evaluation designs
• The decision-making tables
• Table 1: Impact/outcome evaluation design selection
• Table 2: Selecting techniques to improve constructed matched comparison group designs
• Checklists for the seven impact/outcome evaluation designs
• Checklist 1: True experiment design checklist
• Checklist 2: Regression discontinuity design checklist
• Checklist 3: Time series analysis design checklist
• Checklist 4: Constructed matched comparison group design checklist
• Checklist 5: Exhaustive causal identification and elimination design
• Checklist 6: Expert judgment design checklist
• Checklist 7: Key informant judgment design checklist