Calls for rigorous impact evaluation have been accompanied by the quest not just to find out what works but why. It is widely accepted that a theory-based approach to impact evaluation, one that maps out the causal chain from inputs to outcomes and impact and tests the underlying assumptions,...

This paper evaluates the impact of an intervention oriented to reduce maternal mortality in Peru. The paper takes advantage of both spatial and temporal variation in the implementation of the programme to identify its effects. Results suggest a positive impact of the training provided by the...

The World Health Organization and UNAIDS advocate that healthcare providers worldwide consider provider-initiated HIV counselling and testing for clients attending healthcare facilities. However, there is a lack of evidence needed to support policy decisions, concerning the effectiveness of such...

Ethiopia has launched a pro-poor health services extension programme since 2003 to deliver preventive and basic curative health services to its inhabitants. Despite the massive support and recognition the programme has received, there has not been proper evaluation of its impact. This study has...

In an effort to increase access to effective anti-malaria drugs to the rural poor, the Kenyan government has partnered with a local non-governmental organisation to distribute the drugs free of charge using a microfranchise system in small privately-owned rural shops. This study uses...

The authors reviewed the evidence regarding the impact of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes on child nutrition outcomes, using a programme theory framework. They developed a programme impact model and synthesised evidence regarding the pathways through which CCTs may improve child...

Using survey data collected from 250 farmers, this paper evaluates the impact of the Soil Remediation Research Project (SRRP) undertaken by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Northeast Thailand during 2002-2005. SRRP has demonstrated and promoted the application of clay as a...

This report presents a retrospective evaluation of the school-based malaria treatment programme implemented in Mangochi district, Malawi. The teachers were trained to identify and treat children suffering from malaria. The evaluation was undertaken using the school administrative records. The...

Many public programmes include technical assistance to the direct beneficiaries of the programme in addition to pure financing. However, there is no body of studies that calculates the additional impact of technical assistance on the outcome of interest. The authors use multi-treatment...

The starting point for an evaluation is to ask why it is being conducted, who will benefit, and what impact the evaluation itself will have and how. Participatory approaches and methods fit in a paradigm that is pluralist, evolutionary, and iterative. They include stakeholder analysis,...