Instructor: Melvin M. Mark, Ph.D. Multiple approaches exist for tracking or detecting a program’s outcomes, and multiple methods and designs exist for trying to estimate a program’s impact. This course will overview alternative approaches that may be more appropriate under different conditions. This includes monitoring approaches based on a small-t theory of the program’s chain of outcomes, as well as approaches to use when the complexity of the situation precludes placing one’s confidence in such a theory of the program. Considerable attention will be given to the experimental and quasi-experimental methods that are the foundation for much of contemporary impact evaluation. Related topics, including issues in the measurement of outcomes, ensuring detection of meaningful program effects, and interpreting the magnitude of effects, will be covered, some briefly. Emphasis will primarily be conceptual, focusing on the logic of outcome and impact evaluation, the appropriateness of different approaches under different circumstances, and the conceptual and methodological nature of the approaches. Nonetheless, we’ll cover key statistical analysis methods for impact evaluation. Recommended Audience: This course is best suited for mid-career evaluators. Some familiarity with program evaluation, research methods, and statistical analysis is necessary to effectively engage in the various topics that are covered. TEI Certificate: This course fulfills the following requirements: - Design & Analysis elective for the Certificate in Evaluation Practice (CEP) - Outcome and Performance Assessments course for the Certificate in Advanced Evaluation Practices (CAEP) - Qualitative-Quantitative Applications elective for the Certificate in Analytic Evaluation Methods (CAEM)