Dato
19.06.2008

Klokka
23:55

Sted
Oslo (Hurdalsjøen)

How can we know if health systems interventions really make a difference?

Impact evaluation for evidence-based policymaking

Workshop in Oslo (Hurdalsjøen) 19-20th June 2008


- Why is impact evaluation relevant for both researchers and policymakers?

- Which methods should be applied to evaluating impact of large scale health initiatives in resource constrained settings?

- How can Norwegian academia contribute to capacity building and research for improving health and health care in low- and middle-income countries?

Norad’s Department for Global Health and Aids and the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services will organise a one and a half day workshop on impact evaluation. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together the academic community to discuss the role of impact evaluation in improving health outcomes and health systems in resource constrained settings, and the methods that can be used to carry out this work. The workshop is aimed at Norwegian researchers working in the field of global health and related social sciences and will be held at Hurdalssjøen (close to Gardermoen airport), 19-20th June 2008. Administrative details will follow.


Effective health care in resource constrained settings

Evidence-based practice is a familiar concept in the field of medicine. Evidence-based global health policymaking is a somewhat newer but equally dynamic field. In an age of large scale global health initiatives and with an increased focus on accountability, it is not enough for policies and programmes to be based on good intentions, but rather on high quality evidence of effect. There is relatively little knowledge available on the effect interventions and policies implemented in low and middle income country settings (even in high income countries): there is a need to generate new research on the effect of such policies and how they are best implemented. This information is relevant for countries and funding agencies to ensure quality improvement as well as appropriate prioritization and decision-making within healthcare.

The World Bank’s definition of impact evaluation is “an evaluation [that] assesses changes in the well-being of individuals, households, communities or firms that can be attributed to a particular project, program or policy.” Using appropriate methods for measuring impact is vital, in order to determine whether the programme or policy implemented “caused” the outcomes observed. One challenge is to identify research methodologies that can ascertain effect, but can also realistically be implemented at a country level, where resources are constrained.

Building capacity to carry out high quality impact evaluation must be a high priority both in the North and the South – with the ultimate aim of increasing ownership and empowerment of both governments and research institutions in low- and middle-income countries, and ultimately improving health outcomes.


The aims of the workshop are to:

• highlight the relevance of impact evaluation for researchers and policy-makers

• present real-life examples of impact evaluations of global health initiatives

• stimulate discussion on methodological issues around “the science of impact evaluation”, with an emphasis on resource constrained settings

• to determine a way forward and the role of Norwegian academia and other key stakeholders internationally and in the South

Kontaktperson
Meetali Kakad

E-post
meka@norad.no