1. TRACER STUDIES—Assessments and Evaluations
Let’s Work Initiative to evaluate the generation and quality of jobs from private investments

2. London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015
Roadmap
Definitions
Methods
Unit of intervention and analysis
Comparison across groups and time
Sampling
Survey implementation
Questionnaire design
Implementation of survey
Timing of data collection
Conclusions
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

3. London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015
Definitions
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

4. London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015
What is a tracer study?
A study that explores what changes occurred in beneficiaries, and if and how the intervention contributed to these changes.
A more comprehensive goal is for tracer studies to offer insight into which type of interventions, or which type of approaches within an intervention, may have had more impact.
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

5. Tracer studies goals for Let’s Work initiative…
To document changes in employment, wages or other dimensions related to the quality of the job that beneficiaries experience; and
To understand if and how the intervention contributed to these observed changes.
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

6. London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015
Tracing and tracking…
Not discussed here…; but
A significant activity that should not be underestimated in its consumption of time and resources; and
Planning for it is key because it can bring a study to a halt!
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

7. London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015
Limitations…
If done with limited time and resources, attribution can be difficult if not impossible;
If designed to be heavily qualitative, comparisons across studies can be difficult; and
If studies not anchored on a theory of change, they have an ‘anything goes’ quality to them.
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

8. Tracer studies—what are they?
Assessment
Evaluation
Tracks, records and monitors;
Baseline not required;
Interview treated/users;
Sampling not required; and
Obtain data at least once— ex post.
Designed ex ante;
Baseline required;
Cohorts required;
Sampling likely;
Interview treated/users and untreated/non-users;
Obtain data at least twice—ex ante and ex post.
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

9. London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015
Methods
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

10. Methods include the following….
Unit of intervention and analysis
Cohorts across groups and time
Who to compare
When to compare
Sampling
Who to sample
How to sample
Random
Stratified
Propensity score matching
Survey implementation
Questionnaire design
Implementation of survey
Timing of data collection
Frequency of data collection
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015

11. Evaluation vs. Assessment
Control group
No control group
Do not sample treated
Sample treated
Yes control group
Sample control
Data collection
How many times after intervention?
How long after intervention?
Evaluation
How many times in addition to before and after intervention?
At least before and after intervention. When else?
London Let’s Work Workshop – September 16-17, 2015