Finding the effects of Swedish aid: How to do it?

16 may, Stockholm

In recent years, the Swedish government has increasingly pushed for results in Swedish development cooperation, arguing that more needs to be known about what works in development and that results should be a decisive factor for future aid priorities.

In this seminar, Associate Professor Anders Olofsgård presents the EBA report “Randomized Controlled Trials: Strengths, Weaknesses and Policy Relevance”. Alternative methods to assess impact are discussed, the current state of Sida’s impact evaluations is assessed, and an impact initiative in a UN agency is presented. The seminar concludes with a discussion and reflections by leading representatives from Sida and Swedish aid organisations.

Questions to discuss include:

What are the leading methods of impact evaluation? Is there a best practice?
How is the impact of Swedish aid evaluated? Which tools of assessment are used?
What are the implementing organizations’ capacities, priorities and strategies to evaluate and report on expected results?

Participants:

Anders Olofsgård, Associate professor SITE, Stockholm School of Economics
Kim Forss, Andante – Tools for thinking and EBA
Thomas Elhaut, Director for the Statistics and Studies for Development Division, IFAD, Rome
Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, Director General, Sida
Annica Sohlström, Secretary General, Forum Syd
Ulf Richardsson, Deputy International Programme Director, Save the Children Sweden

Moderator:

Jakob Svensson, Professor, IIES, Stockholm University and EBA