Title: Evaluating anti-poverty programs
First published: 2005
Description: "The author critically reviews the methods available for the ex-post counterfactual analysis of programs that are assigned exclusively to individuals, households, or locations.  The discussion covers both experimental and non-experimental methods (including propensity-score matching, discontinuity designs, double and triple differences, and instrumental variables).  Two main lessons emerge.  First, despite the claims of advocates, no single method dominates; rigorous, policy-relevant evaluations should be open-minded about methodology.  Second, future efforts to draw more useful lessons from evaluations will call for more policy-relevant measures and deeper explanations of measured impacts than are possible from the classic ("black box") assessment of mean impact. "--World Bank web site.
Subjects: Case studies, Domestic Economic assistance, Economic assistance, Domestic, Poverty
LC classification: HG3881.5.W57