ILO and J-PAL Course on Evaluating Social Programs

Deadline: 10 October, 2014 (for applying for scholarships) / 17 October, 2014

Open to: academics, evaluators, implementers, researchers, managers and other interested individuals with relevant experience in statistical tools and impact evaluation

Venue: Sharjah, UAE, from 16 to 20 November, 2014

Description

The ILO and J-PAL Executive Education course is a five-day training on evaluating social programs which will provide participants with a thorough understanding of randomized evaluations and pragmatic, step-by-step guidance for conducting their own evaluations. Through a combination of lectures and case studies from real randomized evaluations, the course will focus on the benefits and methods of randomization, choosing an appropriate sample size, and common threats and pitfalls to the validity of the experiment.

While the course is centered around the why, how, and when of randomized evaluations, it will also discuss the importance of a needs assessment, measuring outcomes effectively, quality control, and monitoring methods that are useful for all kinds of evaluations. The course also provides the opportunity to learn from and interact with ILO and J-PAL affiliated researchers and practitioners in the region.

Youth unemployment rates are disproportionality high in many regions of the world, particularly in the Middle East. In the face of this challenge, policymakers and practitioners need more evidence on which social programs work and why, especially for youth labor market programs. This course is intended to equip academics, evaluators, implementers, and researchers with the skills necessary to produce and consume rigorous impact evaluations.

The course will take place at the American University of Sharjah. Information on visas can be found on the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Visa Information page. This page will be updated as more logistical details are to be confirmed.

Eligibility

The training is open to everyone. Managers and researchers from international development organizations, foundations, governments and non-governmental organizations, trained economists are all encouraged to apply. The course places special emphasis on evaluating labor market programs, although professionals from other sectors and backgrounds will find the course useful.

A necessary prerequisite for this course is relevant experience in statistical tools and impact evaluation. Interested applicants who have already participated in a ILO Evaluation Clinic are especially encouraged to apply, as this course will build upon the skills developed in that course.

Costs

All course fees will be covered by the ILO for applicants who are accepted to the course but course participants will need to pay for their travel, accommodation, and visa. There is a limited number of scholarships available to cover travel and accommodation for participants who demonstrate need. If you are interested in applying for one of these scholarships, please complete the application no later than October 10th, 2014. All admission and scholarship decisions will be made on a rolling basis, and participants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Application

You can apply for the trainingHEREby providing the required information and submitting your application. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate from J-PAL. Deadline for applying for a position with scholarship for travel and accommodation is 10 October, 2014.

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