Impact Evaluation Certification Programme
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Impact Evaluation Certification Programme
9 June–25 July 2025
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course
Are you ready to become an impact evaluation expert? This certification programme combines practical experience and collaborative learning to help you design, implement, and interpret effective impact evaluations. With a focus on rigour and practical skills, this course is perfect for anyone looking to upgrade their skills as development practitioners. In a global context of financial scarcity, misinformation and growing need for evidence-based decision-making, learning to evaluate impact has never been more important. This comprehensive course brings together evaluation experts and researchers, and development practitioners, in a collaborative and instructive learning space. Participants will gain valuable experience in impact evaluations and cost-benefit analysis, enabling smarter decision-making for organizations and policy makers. This programme is highly recommended for anyone interested in advancing their skills in impact evaluations and becoming a certified expert in the field.
Who attends this course?
Monitoring and evaluation specialists; independent evaluators; researchers; project coordinators and programme managers; donor staff appraising and evaluating projects and programmes; policy-makers; non-governmental organization officials involved in monitoring and evaluating.
What will I learn?
- A body of knowledge on theories and approaches used to conduct impact evaluations of public policies, development programmes, and projects
- Methodologies and approaches to design impact evaluation using both: qualitative and quantitative data based design
- Criteria to decide which is the most appropriate impact evaluation design
- How to develop a process to plan, operationalize, budget, and manage an impact evaluation.
What topics does this course cover?
- General concepts and considerations for impact evaluation: the recurring dilemma of attribution versus contribution
- Quantitative and qualitative methods for impact evaluation
- Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for impact evaluation
- Methods of data collection, processing and analysis for impact evaluation
- Managing and using the impact evaluation for decision-making and developing new knowledge
What will I be able to do?
Work with your peers and expand your international network to access new resources, hone your skills and apply them immediately:
- Identify and engage relevant stakeholders throughout the impact evaluation process using technical and soft skills
- Select the most appropriate impact evaluation design to respond to the unique context of the intervention and to the prevailing constraints of data, time, money, and context.
- Design a customized impact evaluation scheme for the unique context of a development intervention of your choice.
- Build an operational plan to conduct the impact evaluation
- Collect, process, and analyses data to evaluate impact using quantitative and qualitative approaches
- Use impact evaluation results for informing decision-making and economic analyses.
Why should I join?
The certification programme is organised in a blended modality. It includes a distance-learning phase followed by a one-week workshop in Turin on the United Nations Campus under the umbrella of the 2023 Development Cooperation Academy (see below). Once participants have completed the workshop, they will then work remotely with the assistance of an expert on a final project and receive their certification. The entire programme consists of approximately 60 hours of learning.
- Monitoring and evaluation skills are essential to professionals working in development.
- Data analysis and evaluation skills are essential to professionals working in the public and development sectors.
- Employers that sponsor participants obtain the possibility to create an impact evaluation scheme for one of their development interventions.
- Successful participants receive a professional certification attesting their capacity to effectively design and conduct impact evaluation.
- The programme was developed and is implemented by evaluation experts and practitioners, researchers and development cooperation managers.
- Participatory activities include self-guided modules, webinars, online forum, practical assignments, individualized feedback and tutoring.
- Participants keep access to the e-Campus course on impact evaluation, training material, and references.
The 2025 Development Cooperation Academy
Join us this year at the Development Cooperation Academy, featuring the theme: Mobilizing Financing and Partnerships for Sustainable Development. Our workshop in Turin is a pivotal part of this Academy's blended certification programme, bringing together participants and leading experts in the field.
During the Academy, participants will engage in an enriching workshop experience and have the chance to join a global forum each day. These forums focus on various aspects related to our theme, providing a platform for in-depth discussion and exchange of ideas.
Attending the Development Cooperation Academy is an exceptional opportunity for networking, gaining advanced knowledge, and embracing innovation in the realm of development cooperation. It's a chance for personal growth and for expanding your professional and technical understanding in line with the latest trends in the field.
Our primary goal is to equip development practitioners with the competencies needed to effectively mobilize financing and forge meaningful partnerships. This experience is not just about learning; it’s about contributing to a broader, more inclusive conversation on development and playing a part in shaping a just global future.
