Course 2024-2025 a.y.

The course is organized as follows:
1. The logics of project and policy evaluation: ex-ante vs ex-post analysis
2. Ex-ante policy evaluation: basics of cost-benefit analysis

• Identification of costs and benefits
• Social Discounting
• Shadow pricing
• Decision rules

3. Quantitative methods for ex post policy evaluation

•  Introduction to causal policy evaluation
• Selection bias vs IV estimates
• Regression discontinuitY
•  Difference in differences

4. Examples

• Transport and regional development policies
• Environmental policies
• Health and healthcare policies

Policies are at the heart of local and national government actions. Ex ante and ex post evaluations are increasingly needed in order to both estimate the impact of public interventions and identify best practices for policy design. Qualitative and quantitative methods are currently adopted by public bodies and researchers to provide policy makers with consistent information on policy outcomes. Hence, the main aim of the course intends to provide the crucial knowledge needed in order to assess the impacts of public policies at various levels. 
 

With this framework in mind, the course aims to:
• Make students familiar with the main tools of evaluation of projects and policies, as well as with strengths and weaknesses of quantitative methods;
• Review and discuss several case studies of policy evaluation and project appraisal meant to provide a broad picture of current international practice;
• Enable students to carry out autonomous evaluation research and practice by discussing projects and using common software packages.

• Lectures
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

In addition to face-to-face lectures, students divided in groups and will be assigned a paper/study to present in class. The chosen paper will represent an application to different areas and topics of the methodological approaches presented in class. This approach enhances team work attitude and helps students understanding the application of theoretical concepts.

Two mid-term exams in lieu of the final exam have been scheduled. They count for 70% of the final grade. Group work counts for the remaining 30%.

• Readings will be distributed through Blackboard during the course

• For each lecture, slides and eventual lecture notes will be made available