IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jdevef/v1y2009i3p271-284.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Theory-based impact evaluation: principles and practice

Author

Listed:
  • Howard White

Abstract

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, will shed light on the why question. But application of a theory-based approach remains weak. This paper identifies the following six principles to successful application of the approach: (1) map out the causal chain (programme theory); (2) understand context; (3) anticipate heterogeneity; (4) rigorous evaluation of impact using a credible counterfactual; (5) rigorous factual analysis; and (6) use mixed methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Howard White, 2009. "Theory-based impact evaluation: principles and practice," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(3), pages 271-284.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevef:v:1:y:2009:i:3:p:271-284
    DOI: 10.1080/19439340903114628
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19439340903114628
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/19439340903114628?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. World Bank, 2006. "Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development : A Strategy for Large Scale Action," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7409.
    2. White, Howard, 2009. "Some Reflections On Current Debates In Impact Evaluation," 3ie Publications 2009-1, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Azmat Gani, 2015. "Air Quality and Under-five Mortality Rates in the Low-income Countries," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(7), pages 851-864, July.
    2. Emily Levitt & Kees Kostermans & Luc Laviolette & Nkosinathi Mbuya, 2011. "Malnutrition in Afghanistan : Scale, Scope, Causes, and Potential Response," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2518.
    3. Guaracyane Lima Campelo & João Mário Santos De França & Emerson Luís Lemos Marinho, 2016. "Impacts Of Malnutrition On Labor Productivity: Empirical Evidences In Rural Brazil," Anais do XLII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 42nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 236, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    4. Marisa Coetzee, 2013. "Finding the Benefits: Estimating the Impact of The South African Child Support Grant," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 81(3), pages 427-450, September.
    5. Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2012. "Macroeconomic Fluctuations, Inequality, and Human Development," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 31-58, February.
    6. Katsushi Imai & Per A. Eklund, 2008. "Women's Organizations and Social Capital to Reduce Prevalence of Child Malnutrition in Papua New Guinea," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 209-233.
    7. Jane Dixon, 2009. "From the imperial to the empty calorie: how nutrition relations underpin food regime transitions," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 26(4), pages 321-333, December.
    8. Lovo, Stefania & Veronesi, Marcella, 2019. "Crop Diversification and Child Health: Empirical Evidence From Tanzania," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 168-179.
    9. Headey, Derek & Hoddinott, John & Ali, Disha & Tesfaye, Roman & Dereje, Mekdim, 2015. "The Other Asian Enigma: Explaining the Rapid Reduction of Undernutrition in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 749-761.
    10. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2022. "Gender Difference in Nutrition and Health in Agricultural Households in Nigeria: the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers 22/042, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    11. Ugo Gentilini & Patrick Webb, 2005. "How Are We Doing on Poverty and Hunger Reduction?: A New Measure of Country-Level Progress," Working Papers in Food Policy and Nutrition 31, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
    12. Headey, Derek D. & Hoddinott, John F., 2014. "Understanding the rapid reduction of undernutrition in Nepal, 2001-2011:," IFPRI discussion papers 1384, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Jean-Francois Trani & Jill Kuhlberg & Timothy Cannings & Dilbal Chakkal, 2016. "Multidimensional poverty in Afghanistan: who are the poorest of the poor?," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(2), pages 220-245, April.
    14. Nyangweso, P.M. & Odhiambo, M.O. & Odunga, P.O. & Korir, M.K. & Otieno, D.C., 2011. "Disentangling farmers’ preferences and cost allocation among inputs for food security in Vihiga District, Kenya," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 1(2), pages 1-6.
    15. World Bank Group, 2017. "Multisectoral Nutrition Assessment in Sri Lanka's Estate Sector," World Bank Publications - Reports 26328, The World Bank Group.
    16. World Bank, 2019. "Malawi Economic Monitor, December 2019," World Bank Publications - Reports 32890, The World Bank Group.
    17. Roger Grawe, 2013. "Innovation at the World Bank: Selective Perspectives Over Three Decades 1975-2005," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-129, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Krishna, Anirudh, 2007. "For Reducing Poverty Faster: Target Reasons Before People," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1947-1960, November.
    19. Gómez, Miguel I. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Raney, Terri & Pinstrup-Andersen, Per & Meerman, Janice & Croppenstedt, André & Carisma, Brian & Thompson, Brian, 2013. "Post-green revolution food systems and the triple burden of malnutrition," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 129-138.
    20. Hyuk KIM, 2015. "Global Public Private Partnership: An Analogical Reasoning Model," Management and Marketing Journal, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 0(1), pages 188-204, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jdevef:v:1:y:2009:i:3:p:271-284. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RJDE20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.