KAFP 6525 - Policy Analysis and Policy Evaluation - Beginner

This course offers an introduction to policy impact evaluation, with a focus on quantitative methods for beginners with no previous experience in these methods, and using early childhood education and care (ECEC) program evaluation as a substantive example. Formal programs for young children are increasingly present in many countries. Mounting evidence suggests that quality ECEC programs may promote lifelong child development and well-being, especially for children from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

The course will focus on quantitative methods, although other forms of evaluation methods will be introduced, focusing on their complementary. We will focus on the intuition behind the main impact evaluation tools, rather than the actual empirical application and/or their coding. Sessions will be interactive and will include a mix of lecturing, student presentations, and debate.

Lidia Panico is a professor at the Centre de recherche sur les inégalités sociales (CRIS), Sciences Po, Paris, and an associate researcher at the Institut Nationales d'Etudes Démographiques (INED). She received her undergraduate degree in Population Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, and her PhD in Sociology from University College London. Her interdisciplinary research, mostly using quantitative methods, focuses on describing and explaining socio-economic inequalities in children's health, development, and educational outcomes. She has worked on the evaluation of the French government’s Antipoverty strategy, and has produced studies evaluating Early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs. She has served as scientific advisor to the French government’s Council for children and adolescents, and is currently serving on the government’s Council for public health.

Césarine Boinet, economist and analyst at the Haut-commissariat au plan, will be the teaching assistant for this course.

Being able to follow and actively participate in a course in English, and to have a basic understanding of (or a desire to do so) simple equations and statistical concepts, although these will also be represented during the course.

• A midterm test ("galop") accounting for 40% of the final grade. -
• A group project to be submitted by early December accounting for 40% of the final grade (including 10% for oral presentation)

-MCQ with few short open answer questions after lecture 12 (20% of the final grade).