Impact Evaluation Team

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A typical impact evaluation team includes: Principal Investigator(s), Field Coordinator(s), and Research Assistant(s). There also is generally an IE coordinator who helps liaise between the research team and the field team.

Guidelines

Principal Investigator

The Principal Investigator (PI) is the lead researcher for the impact evaluation, responsible for leading the Impact Evaluation Design, Data Analysis and the final academic paper. S/he is also responsible for the operation of the larger research team, and the designation of operational roles and responsibilities therein. There are often multiple PIs for a given project who work on a given project. They may or may not be from a single institution or working in a given sector. Given the complexity of most IEs, the multiple institutions and cross-sectoral approach of a team of PIs can often be a strength. DIME Economists almost always work with at least one co-PI from an external academic institution, and often with other members of the Bank's research group.

Field Coordinator

The Field Coordinator (FC) is the person responsible for managing the impact evaluation in the country where it is taking place. This individual is based in the field full-time or close to full-time. S/he works towards operationalizing research questions (crafted primarily by PIs) and research designs into operationally relevant implementation strategies. Field Coordinators are also known as Field Research Assistants or Project Coordinators, depending on the research institution.

The Field Coordinator (FC) is typically responsible for:

• Liaising with the project implementation team, and related government counterparts. This includes facilitating meetings, updating the team on all impact evaluation related activities and supporting the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) staff.
• Monitoring project implementation and updating the research team on any changes or threats to the research design.
• Supervising all data collection in the field and serving as focal point for communication with the survey firm. This includes supervising enumerator training, working with the survey firm on drafting enumerator manual(s), planning field mobilization, updating enumerators on backchecking incoming data and so on. For more information, look at Preparing for Data Collection, Monitoring Data Quality, Data Management, and so on.
• Ensuring that the implementation team is in the loop on all IE activities, and seeking out ways in which the IE can support implementation at-large

Research Assistant

Impact evaluation teams typically include a research assistant (RA), based in the same location as the PI. The RA is primarily responsible for Data Management, Data Cleaning, and Data Analysis. In some cases, the FC and RA roles are combined.

Impact Evaluation Coordinator

The IE Coordinator is primarily responsible for hiring, supervising, and providing technical support to the RA and FC, and administrative issues (such as grant reporting and procurement). IE Coordinators are also known as Research Managers or Research Coordinators, depending on the research institution.

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This article is part of the topic Impact Evaluation Team

Additional Resources

• Guidelines for building an impact evaluation team, including TORs for team members, see the [Impact Evaluation Toolkit] from the World Bank Results Based Financing Team