A comprehensive guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs in developing countries This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs. Drawing on the experience of researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which has run hundreds of such evaluations in dozens of countries throughout the world, it offers practical insights on how to use this powerful technique, especially in resource-poor environments. This step-by-step guide explains why and when randomized evaluations are useful, in what situations they should be used, and how to prioritize different evaluation opportunities. It shows how to design and analyze studies that answer important questions while respecting the constraints of those working on and benefiting from the program being evaluated. The book gives concrete tips on issues such as improving the quality of a study despite tight budget constraints, and demonstrates how the results of randomized impact evaluations can inform policy. With its self-contained modules, this one-of-a-kind guide is easy to navigate. It also includes invaluable references and a checklist of the common pitfalls to avoid. Provides the most up-to-date guide to running randomized evaluations of social programs, especially in developing countries Offers practical tips on how to complete high-quality studies in even the most challenging environments Self-contained modules allow for easy reference and flexible teaching and learning Comprehensive yet nontechnical

This title analyses 30 cases from 16 countries considered to be pioneers in developing innovative e-governance applications. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Bhatnagar provides key insights and practical guidelines.

How to take advantage of technology, data, and the collective wisdom in our communities to design powerful solutions to contemporary problems The challenges societies face today, from inequality to climate change to systemic racism, cannot be solved with yesterday's toolkit. Solving Public Problems shows how readers can take advantage of digital technology, data, and the collective wisdom of our communities to design and deliver powerful solutions to contemporary problems. Offering a radical rethinking of the role of the public servant and the skills of the public workforce, this book is about the vast gap between failing public institutions and the huge number of public entrepreneurs doing extraordinary things--and how to close that gap. Drawing on lessons learned from decades of advising global leaders and from original interviews and surveys of thousands of public problem solvers, Beth Simone Noveck provides a practical guide for public servants, community leaders, students, and activists to become more effective, equitable, and inclusive leaders and repair our troubled, twenty-first-century world.

The new context and character of public service - shifting values, entrepreneurship, information technology, multi-sector careers - require enhanced technical, ethical, and leadership skills. This concise and readable work describes what it means to be a consummate professional public servant. It sets standards for everyone who conducts the public's business and links them with performance management, human resource administration, and information technology skills. The authors identify the ethical foundations of public service and how to integrate them in practice. They also address individual leadership, what it means, and how it is based on a foundation of technical and ethical skills. Filled with original illustrative examples and case studies from government, the non-profit sector, and business, The Professional Edge is an ideal supplement for any introductory course in Public Administration or Ethics in the Public Service.

E-governance affects every citizen. New information and communication technologies (ICTs) have made public services easier to access and information easier to obtain; fines and taxes can be processed more rapidly and votes can be counted faster. Channeling the potential of ICTs in the public sector has affected how states, and governments at all levels, do business. It will inevitably shape how they will continue to change in the future. This book has grown out of an executive training program, leading to an Executive Master’s degree in e-governance, from Switzerland's École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Participants in this Master’s program came from all over the world; from government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. They were all interested in electronic governance and motivated by the desire to learn from the numerous and varied e-governance experiences worldwide. The 12 chapters have been written by 10 participants, one manager and one professor involved in the program. The book is divided into four sections: e-governance visions; local e-governance; transversal e-governance issues and the future of e-governance. E-governance has already led to many significant changes in the way society operates, and this book provides some insight into how this has been achieved, as well as taking a look at the further developments which may happen in the future.