Overview of economic and data analysis techniques for project design and evaluation

This segment of the course gives the participant data and measurement techniques as they relate to Mandate oriented AID projects. The context of the discussion is generally economic and financial. The focus of the first week is measurement. The second segment deals with the data required to measure the Mandate related objectives and the data gathering techniques which may be used to obtain the data. The final segment focuses on techniques for interpreting or analyzing data. The context of the discussion is the AID project cycle. The focus is on projects directed at the rural poor. Measurement and analysis enter the project cycle at all stages, at the pre-project sector assessment stage, in project selection and design, and in project monitoring and evaluation. Certain measurement techniques are more suited to the purposes, timing, and budget constraints of these different AID project stages. The manual presents ideas about the appropriate stage at which each discussed technique fits into the AID project cycle.