2nd Annual EASST Summit

The EASST Collaborative is a multi-institution research network with a mission to promote rigorous evaluation of social and economic development programs in East Africa. EASST’s annual regional conference represents a rare opportunity to bring together local and international researchers to exchange ideas and share new evidence. Drawing up to 50 junior faculty members, lecturers, and students from throughout East Africa – and an equal number of local NGO, Ministry, and media staff – the annual conference will feature presentations from US and African researchers on impact evaluations being conducted in the region. Studies presented by the speakers will cover a range of sectors and methods (including both experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation designs).  This one-day conference will be held on October 5, 2013 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

At the meeting, the audience will hear presentations from Hassan Mshinda, the Director General of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), who will discuss his work in building capacity for impact evaluation in Tanzania; from Dan Posner, of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Evan Lieberman, of Princeton University and Lily Tsai, of MIT,  who will present evidence on how information can engender more active citizenship;  from Jeanine Condo, Deputy Director of Research, Consultancy and Grants at the National University of Rwanda (NUR), who will discuss her research on how households with individuals living with HIV or AIDS are affected by pay-for-performance schemes; from Stuti Khemani, a Senior Economist at the Development Research Group of the World Bank, who will present her work on incentivizing citizens to move government towards improved service delivery; and from Munshi Sulaiman, the head of BRAC’s Research and Evaluation Unit (RED), who will present how microfinance can be coupled with other services to improve development outcomes for the poor.

The aim of this conference is to allow social scientists to exchange ideas and share their latest research results. It also allows researchers to build linkages with development organizations, including local NGOs, civil society organizations, government offices, and advocacy groups. In addition to disseminating research results and networking, the annual impact evaluation conference is an important vehicle for building capacity on conducting rigorous impact evaluations.

Agenda