The objective is to provide students with tools for conducting and assessing evidence-based policy. Considered as a second course on evaluation, this course will start with a refresher on standard evaluation methods (including randomized experiments, difference-in-difference). In a second stage, we provide more extensive treatment of other commonly used methods (IV, regression discontinuity). In the third and last section, we present the main requirements for transparent and reproducible research. We illustrate each topic with relevant applied articles from the existing literature in development, environmental, housing and health economics.
Course outline:
Part 1: Refresher on RCT and DiD
Part 2: Other evaluation methods (RD, IV, matching, synthetic methods…)
Part 3: Transparent and reproducible research