J-PAL SEA Executive Education: Evaluating Social Programs 2024
Course overview
J-PAL SEA Executive Education: Evaluating Social Programs course is tailored to the needs of policymakers and practitioners from NGOs, governments, and foundations worldwide. This five-day in-person training provides an in-depth look at why and when randomized evaluations can be used to rigorously measure social impact, methods and considerations for their design and implementation, and how findings can inform evidence-based policies and programs.
This course comprises lectures, exercises, and discussions using real-world case studies from various countries with several themes—including social protection, labor, gender, MSMEs, finance, and environment—to prepare participants to apply learnings at their organizations. Lecturers will be led by J-PAL affiliated researchers and senior staff with experience in randomized evaluations and using evidence to inform decision-making.
Course objective
Participants can expect to:
- Gain a clear understanding of the basic concepts of monitoring, evaluation, and impact measurement with tools, such as needs assessments, logical frameworks, and theories of change to assess the effectiveness of a program.
- Understand different types of evaluating social programs and why we should randomize.
- Explore the different roles in evaluating social programs across various sectors.
- Learn how to conduct randomized evaluations, such as design factors, sample size, statistical power, and cost-effectiveness needed.
- Understand challenges and threats in measuring the impact of delivering social programs.
- Engage with different communities for expertise in designing and implementing evaluations, maximizing policy influence, and assessing research generalizability.
Who is a good candidate for this course?
The course is intended for a range of participants, including:
- Policymakers and decision-makers in government agencies
- Leaders in philanthropy
- Program implementers and practitioners
- Monitoring and evaluation personnel in NGOs, foundations, or international organizations
- Staff at academic and research institutions
- Students who are interested in learning about monitoring and evaluation
Training timeline and location
The training will be held on 30 September–4 October 2024 in Bali, Indonesia.
Language of Instruction
J-PAL's teaching method is highly interactive, and proficiency in both writing and speaking English is required for admission.
The training fees are listed on the following table. Course fees cover tuition and include lunch, beverages, and snacks for the duration of the course. Travel and accommodation are not covered by the course fees.
Upon confirmation of your application, detailed payment information will be provided. To secure your spot, please complete the payment within 5 business days. We encourage you to apply early to avoid a tight payment deadline.
| Fee structure | Organizations headquartered in high-income countries | Organizations headquartered in low and middle-income countries |
| For-profit/foundation | $ 2,000 | $ 750 |
| Academic/research institution | $ 2,000 | $ 750 |
| Multilateral, bilateral, and intergovernmental organizations | $ 2,000 | $ 750 |
| Government | $ 2,000 | $ 750 |
| NGO | $ 1,000 | $ 750 |
| Graduate students | $ 500 | $ 500 |
Other training programs offered by J-PAL SEA
J-PAL SEA also offers other types of training related to impact evaluation, measurement and data collection, data management and evidence to policy. For further information about the course, you can visit J-PAL web page or contact the training team at ulayya@povertyactionlab.org.
Key Information
- How can I apply? You can submit your application by filling out this form.
- What is the application deadline? Applications will close on 30 August. J-PAL SEA reviews applications on a rolling basis. This means applications are evaluated as they are received. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We will continue to make decisions on applications until early September.
- Where can I find more information on the course? For further information on J-PAL’s Evaluating Social Programs course, please refer to our website.
- Who can I contact with questions? Please contact Ulayya at ulayya@povertyactionlab.org if you have any questions about the course.