Impact Evaluation of Social Programs : A Policy Perspective

Abstract

Governments and donor organizations increasingly recognize that rigorous evaluations of public interventions should be part of the social policy decision-making process. Yet there is frequently a gap between the desire for information on the effectiveness of programs and an understanding of the potential and the limitations of evaluation tools. This note reviews the basic elements of good impact evaluations, identifies some of the political economy aspects that influence whether they are conducted, and explores ways to encourage use of evaluation.