"This book addresses the topic of software design: how to decompose complex software systems into modules (such as classes and methods) that can be implemented relatively independently. The book first introduces the fundamental problem in software design, which is managing complexity. It then discusses philosophical issues about how to approach the software design process and it presents a collection of design principles to apply during software design. The book also introduces a set of red flags that identify design problems. You can apply the ideas in this book to minimize the complexity of large software systems, so that you can write software more quickly and cheaply."--Amazon.

This book offers an accessible introduction to the topic of impact evaluation and its practice in development. While the book is geared principally towards development practitioners and policymakers designing prospective impact evaluations, we trust that it will be a valuable resource for students and others interested in using impact evaluation. Prospective impact evaluations should be used selectively to assess whether or not a program has achieved its intended results, or to test alternatives for achieving those results. We consider that more and better impact evaluation will help strengthen the evidence base for development policies and programs around the world. If governments and development practitioners can make policy decisions based on evidence - including evidence generated through impact evaluation - our hope is that development resources will be spent more effectively, and ultimately have a greater impact on reducing poverty and improving people's lives. The three chapters in this handbook provide a non-technical introduction to impact evaluations, including “Why Evaluate” in Chapter 1, “How to Evaluate” in Chapter 2 and “How to Implement Impact Evaluations” in Chapter 3. These elements are the basic ‘tools' needed in order to successfully carry out an impact evaluation. From a methodological standpoint our approach to impact evaluation is largely pragmatic: we think that the most appropriate methods should be identified to fit the operational context, and not the other way around. This is best achieved at the outset of the program, through the design of prospective impact evaluation that can be built into the project's implementation. We argue that gaining consensus between key stakeholders and identifying an evaluation design that fits the political and operational context is as important as the method itself. We also believe strongly that impact evaluations should be upfront about their limitations and caveats. Finally, we strongly encourage policymakers and program managers to consider impact evaluations in a logical framework that clearly sets out the causal pathways by which the program works to produce outputs and influence final outcomes, and to combine impact evaluations with monitoring and selected complementary evaluation approach to gain a full picture of performance. This book builds on a core set of teaching materials developed for the “Turning Promises to Evidence” workshops organized by the office of the Chief Economist for Human Development (HDNCE) in partnership with regional units and the Development Economics Research Group (DECRG) at the World Bank.

La segunda edición del libro “Evaluación de impacto en la práctica†? es una introducción completa y accesible al mundo de las evaluaciones de impacto para los formuladores de políticas públicas y los profesionales del desarrollo. Publicado por primera vez en 2011, este libro ha sido utilizado ampliamente por las comunidades académicas y del desarrollo. El libro incorpora ejemplos de la vida real para introducir guías prácticas para el diseño y la implementación de evaluaciones de impacto. Los lectores podrán tener un conocimiento sólido sobre evaluaciones de impacto y las mejores formas de utilizarlas para diseñar políticas y programas basados en evidencia rigurosa. La versión actualizada cubre las técnicas más novedosas de evaluación de programas e incluye consejos prácticos, así como un conjunto ampliado de ejemplos y estudios de casos provenientes de problemáticas de desarrollo recientes. También incluye un nuevo material sobre la ética de la investigación y asociaciones para llevar a cabo evaluaciones de impacto. El libro está dividido en cuatro secciones: en la primera parte se analiza qué evaluar y por qué; en la segunda parte se presentan los principales métodos de evaluación de impacto; la parte tres aborda el tema de cómo administrar las evaluaciones de impacto; en la parte cuatro se revisa la etapa de muestreo de las evaluaciones de impacto y la recolección de datos. Además, los estudios de casos ilustran diferentes aplicaciones de las evaluaciones de impacto. El libro contiene enlaces a material instruccional complementario disponible en línea, incluyendo un caso aplicado, así como preguntas y respuestas. La segunda edición actualizada será un recurso valioso para la comunidad internacional del desarrollo, universidades, y aquellos formuladores de políticas públicas que buscan contar con una mejor evidencia en torno a lo que funciona en el mundo del desarrollo.

For sophomore courses on digital design in an Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science department. & Digital Design, fourth edition is a modern update of the classic authoritative text on digital design.& This book teaches the basic concepts of digital design in a clear, accessible manner. The book presents the basic tools for the design of digital circuits and provides procedures suitable for a variety of digital applications.