Using Big data for Impact Evaluations
Panel Discussion
About the Event
As the buzz around using big data to measure development effectiveness and guide decision-making continues to build, a growing number of examples of real-world applications add nuance to our understanding of opportunities and limitations. Increasingly sophisticated and accessible tools and methods provide new options and new blind spots in data-informed decision-making. This webinar will be a panel discussion focusing on the use of big data in impact evaluation, program targeting and monitoring, and predictive analytics in international development. Each panelist brings a different perspective to this discussion, which will focus on several key themes: 1) Innovations in big data for development 2) Practical applications in the context of time urgency and resource scarcity; 3) Research uptake and use for policy, programming; 4) Future direction - forecasts and forewarnings.
In this webinar, the panelists will draw on real-world applications of big data in impact evaluations, associated challenges, costs, etc. The panelist will discuss, among other things, how to use big data in impact evaluation (focusing methods, team capacity, costs etc.), and why they chose to use big data over traditional data sources. We will also ask you to comment on lessons that you and your team learned from using geospatial/satellite data in your impact evaluation. In conclusion, the panelists will reflect on the future of big data use in Impact evaluations answering questions such as will the use of big data create a research divide? What are the biggest challenges to conduct such a study in L&MICs? Will low-touch measurement become the new normal?
Among other things, the participants will learn the following:
1. How impact of interventions on development outcomes can be evaluated using big data?
2. What are the potential biases, pros and cons, risks and ethical issues in using big data for measuring and evaluating development outcomes?
3. What are the costs associated with using big data in Impact evaluation?
4. What are the capacity constraints, if any? How to build capacity?
In this webinar, the panelists will draw on real-world applications of big data in impact evaluations, associated challenges, costs, etc. The panelist will discuss, among other things, how to use big data in impact evaluation (focusing methods, team capacity, costs etc.), and why they chose to use big data over traditional data sources. We will also ask you to comment on lessons that you and your team learned from using geospatial/satellite data in your impact evaluation. In conclusion, the panelists will reflect on the future of big data use in Impact evaluations answering questions such as will the use of big data create a research divide? What are the biggest challenges to conduct such a study in L&MICs? Will low-touch measurement become the new normal?
Among other things, the participants will learn the following:
1. How impact of interventions on development outcomes can be evaluated using big data?
2. What are the potential biases, pros and cons, risks and ethical issues in using big data for measuring and evaluating development outcomes?
3. What are the costs associated with using big data in Impact evaluation?
4. What are the capacity constraints, if any? How to build capacity?
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas Glandon | Lead Evaluation Specialist | At 3ie, Douglas provides technical input and quality assurance to impact evaluations, systematic reviews, evidence gap maps, and replication studies, and supports members in strengthening organizational research capacity and evidence-informed decision-making. |