Governments, multinational organizations, NGOs, and funders need to make informed decisions about whether to establish, modify, or expand particular programs—and how to do so. This is often a complex process involving many interacting factors that are difficult to assess. And this, in turn, creates a demand for staff able to apply the tools of evaluation based program planning and implementation.

The course seeks to advance the knowledge and careers of participants by helping them understand and apply those tools in real-world settings. Students will learn how to:

• Formally assess the need to establish, modify, or expand a program (whether public or private);
• Prepare a detailed program design using a logic model (informed by theory, research, and evaluation);
• Estimate a program’s likely effectiveness, costs, and benefits;
• Consider various modes of financing and delivery, including public/private partnerships and Social Impact Bonds;
• Develop plans to assess the fidelity of implementation to the program’s original design, with the ability to make operational modifications, if needed, based on lessons learned after the program is initiated.

In addition to course instruction, the class will also visit relevant service programs and visit with senior officials of relevant Czech government offices, international organizations, and NGOs in Prague.