Learning Days 2: Evaluation and Learning that Adds Up

Topic: EVALUATION AND LEARNING THAT ADDS UP

DfID & EGAP
Date: 6 November 2014
Venue: Surrey, UK

Agenda

08:30	Arrival
09:00	Opening remarks
	DFID Learning: 3 biggest challenges to policy learning from research and evaluation (Stefan Dercon, DfiD, Oxford). The problem of external validity (Macartan Humphreys, EGAP, Columbia)
9:15	Session 1: Cumulation. Chair: Peter Evans
	Topics: Introduction to the challenges associated with learning within and across research and evaluations, and highlighting why identifying and testing mechanisms matters. Panel: Dercon, Kurtz, Khan, Humphreys, Sandefur 9:15 – 9:30: Stefan Dercon, learning on hows and whys of successful interventions 9:30 – 9:45: Jon Kurtz (Mercy Corps): Micromotives and policy effects, evidence from Afghanistan 9:45-10:00: Justin Sandefur (CGD): How context matters (See also paper) 10:00 – 10:15: Macartan Humphreys (Columbia): Metanalysis, mechanisms, and mediation 10:15- 10:40: General Discussion
10:45	Break
11:15	Session 2: Experimental and observational approaches to learning. Chair: Paul Atherton
	Topics: When are experiments appropriate and when not? Is there too much emphasis placed on them? Panel: Blattman, Humphreys, Sandefur, Torgerson 11:15 – 11:30 DfID group presentation of one case where a lot has been learned from an experiment and one case where a lot has been learned from a traditional approach. 11:30-11:45: David Torgerson: Misunderstandings regarding the strengths and weaknesses of RCTs 11:45-12:00: Justin Sandefur: Limits of learning from RCTs 12:00-12:15: Chris Blattman: Learning in an uncertain world (see also text) 12:15-12:45: General discussion Resource: 10 strategies for figuring out if X causes Y
12:45	Lunch
13:45	Session 3: Mixing Methods. Chair: Kirsty Newman
	Topics: There is a lot of agreement that mixed methods research is important but much less clarity about what it means in practice. When is mixing methods important and what parts get mixed? Panel: Blattman, Brown, Humphreys 13:45-14:00 DfID group presentation of one case in which mixing methods was critical to learning and a case where it did not. 14:00-14:15: Annette Brown: Value added from mixing methods 14:15 -14:30: Chris Blattman: Mixed methods and measure validation (see also paper) 14:30-14:45: Macartan Humphreys: Integrated inferences ( paper) 14:45-15:15: General Discussion
15:15	Break
15:35	Session 4: Practical steps for learning from research, data and evaluation. Chair: David Rider Smith
	Topics: How are research and evaluation agendas determined in DFID and other organizations? What are the institutional constraints? Roundtable: Introductory remarks (10 mins each) Panel: Brown, Hawkins, Khan, Kurtz, Torgerson 15:35-15:45 Penny Hawkins: DfiD strategic vision for cumulative research 15:45-15:55: Annette Brown: 3ie’s thematic windows and policy impact 15:55-16:05: David Torgerson: Cumulation in Health Sciences 16:05-16:15: Adnan Khan: IGC research policy maker partnerships 16:15-16:45 General Discussions
16:45	Closing words for the PDC: Anna Henttinen & Emily Poskett
17:00	Close