When asked to quantify their impact, many charities find it hard to identify what would have happened anyway.

Impact evaluation asks "what impact did an intervention have?" To answer that we need to understand or estimate the counterfactual: what would have happened had their been no intervention?

Many third sector organisations that are making good progress in measuring their own outcomes still find it hard to identify an appropriate counterfactual.

This FREE, half day workshop is an accessible introduction to measuring the counterfactual, featuring case studies presented by volunteers from Pro Bono Economics.

An opening session by Professor Mike Brewer, PEPA, will explain the impact evaluation problem, the importance and difficulty of producing a counterfactual, and the main techniques for estimating the counterfactual.

Volunteer economists from PBE will present practical case study sessions based on PBE’s existing work for charities (Barnardo’s, Making Every Adult Matter and Foundation Training Company).

DATE: 5th November 2012, 09.30-13.00
VENUE: NVCO, Regent’s Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL

Book a place here or email [email protected]

This event is jointly organised by PEPA and Pro Bono Economics as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science , 3-10 November 2012. PEPA’s aim is  improve the design of evaluations, and the way that such evaluations add to the knowledge base. It is achieving this through research into evaluation methods, substantive applications, and training and capacity-building activities.

The Festival of Social Science is run by the Economic and Social Research Council and takes place from 3-10 November 2012. With events from some of the country's leading social scientists, the Festival celebrates the very best of British social science research and how it influences our social, economic and political lives - both now and in the future. This year’s Festival of Social Science has over 180 creative and exciting events across the UK to encourage businesses, charities, government agencies, schools and college students to discuss, discover and debate topical social science issues. The ESRC Festival of Social Science has helped over 500 researchers to engage with a new audience, including individuals from business, charities, policy, teenagers, pensioners, parents and the general public. Press releases detailing some of the varied events and a full list of the programme are available at the Festival website. You can now follow updates from the Festival on twitter using #esrcfestival.

23rd August 2010