Data Driven Policy Impact Evaluation

In the light of better and more detailed administrative databases, this open access book provides statistical tools for evaluating the effects of public policies advocated by governments and public institutions. Experts from academia, national statistics offices and various research centers present modern econometric methods for an efficient data-driven policy evaluation and monitoring, assess the causal effects of policy measures and report on best practices of successful data management and usage. Topics include data confidentiality, data linkage, and national practices in policy areas such as public health, education and employment. It offers scholars as well as practitioners from public administrations, consultancy firms and nongovernmental organizations insights into counterfactual impact evaluation methods and the potential of data-based policy and program evaluation.

In the light of better and more detailed administrative databases, this open access book provides statistical tools for evaluating the effects of public policies advocated by governments and public institutions. Experts from academia, national statistics offices and various research centers present modern econometric methods for an efficient data-driven policy evaluation and monitoring, assess the causal effects of policy measures and report on best practices of successful data management and usage. Topics include data confidentiality, data linkage, and national practices in policy areas such as public health, education and employment. It offers scholars as well as practitioners from public administrations, consultancy firms and nongovernmental organizations insights into counterfactual impact evaluation methods and the potential of data-based policy and program evaluation.

In the light of better and more detailed administrative databases, this open access book provides statistical tools for evaluating the effects of public policies advocated by governments and public institutions. Experts from academia, national statistics offices and various research centers present modern econometric methods for an efficient data-driven policy evaluation and monitoring, assess the causal effects of policy measures and report on best practices of successful data management and usage. Topics include data confidentiality, data linkage, and national practices in policy areas such as public health, education and employment. It offers scholars as well as practitioners from public administrations, consultancy firms and nongovernmental organizations insights into counterfactual impact evaluation methods and the potential of data-based policy and program evaluation.; Open Access Demonstrates the potential of data-based policy evaluation Introduces counterfactual impact evaluation methods Includes case studies on policy areas such as public health, education and employment This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

The second edition of the Impact Evaluation in Practice handbook is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to impact evaluation for policy makers and development practitioners. First published in 2011, it has been used widely across the development and academic communities. The book incorporates real-world examples to present practical guidelines for designing and implementing impact evaluations. Readers will gain an understanding of impact evaluations and the best ways to use them to design evidence-based policies and programs. The updated version covers the newest techniques for evaluating programs and includes state-of-the-art implementation advice, as well as an expanded set of examples and case studies that draw on recent development challenges. It also includes new material on research ethics and partnerships to conduct impact evaluation. The handbook is divided into four sections: Part One discusses what to evaluate and why; Part Two presents the main impact evaluation methods; Part Three addresses how to manage impact evaluations; Part Four reviews impact evaluation sampling and data collection. Case studies illustrate different applications of impact evaluations. The book links to complementary instructional material available online, including an applied case as well as questions and answers. The updated second edition will be a valuable resource for the international development community, universities, and policy makers looking to build better evidence around what works in development.

Implementing Data-Driven Strategies in Smart Cities is a guidebook and roadmap for practitioners seeking to operationalize data-driven urban interventions. The book opens by exploring the revolution that big data, data science, and the Internet of Things are making feasible for the city. It explores alternate topologies, typologies, and approaches to operationalize data science in cities, drawn from global examples including top-down, bottom-up, greenfield, brownfield, issue-based, and data-driven. It channels and expands on the classic data science model for data-driven urban interventions – data capture, data quality, cleansing and curation, data analysis, visualization and modeling, and data governance, privacy, and confidentiality. Throughout, illustrative case studies demonstrate successes realized in such diverse cities as Barcelona, Cologne, Manila, Miami, New York, Nancy, Nice, São Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, and Zurich. Given the heavy emphasis on global case studies, this work is particularly suitable for any urban manager, policymaker, or practitioner responsible for delivering technological services for the public sector from sectors as diverse as energy, transportation, pollution, and waste management. Explores numerous specific urban interventions drawn from global case studies, helping readers understand real urban challenges and create data-driven solutions Provides a step-by-step and applied holistic guide and methodology for immediate application in the reader’s own business agenda Presents cutting edge technology presentation with coverage of innovations such as the Internet of Things, robotics, 5G, edge/fog computing, blockchain, intelligent transport systems, and connected-automated mobility

Bringing together leading European scholars, this thought-provoking Research Handbook provides a state-of-the-art overview of the scope of research and current thinking in the area of European data protection. Offering critical insights on prominent strands of research, it examines key challenges and potential solutions in the field. Chapters explore the fundamental right to personal data protection, government-to-business data sharing, data protection as performance-based regulation, privacy and marketing in data-driven business models, data protection and judicial automation, and the role of consent in an algorithmic society.

This open access handbook describes foundational issues, methodological approaches and examples on how to analyse and model data using Computational Social Science (CSS) for policy support. Up to now, CSS studies have mostly developed on a small, proof-of concept, scale that prevented from unleashing its potential to provide systematic impact to the policy cycle, as well as from improving the understanding of societal problems to the definition, assessment, evaluation, and monitoring of policies. The aim of this handbook is to fill this gap by exploring ways to analyse and model data for policy support, and to advocate the adoption of CSS solutions for policy by raising awareness of existing implementations of CSS in policy-relevant fields. To this end, the book explores applications of computational methods and approaches like big data, machine learning, statistical learning, sentiment analysis, text mining, systems modelling, and network analysis to different problems in the social sciences. The book is structured into three Parts: the first chapters on foundational issues open with an exposition and description of key policymaking areas where CSS can provide insights and information. In detail, the chapters cover public policy, governance, data justice and other ethical issues. Part two consists of chapters on methodological aspects dealing with issues such as the modelling of complexity, natural language processing, validity and lack of data, and innovation in official statistics. Finally, Part three describes the application of computational methods, challenges and opportunities in various social science areas, including economics, sociology, demography, migration, climate change, epidemiology, geography, and disaster management. The target audience of the book spans from the scientific community engaged in CSS research to policymakers interested in evidence-informed policy interventions, but also includes private companies holding data that can be used to study social sciences and are interested in achieving a policy impact.

This open access book includes a series of relevant policy research articles, elaborared in the framework of the "Quality in higher education: internationalisation and databases to enhance the Romanian education system" project, implemented by the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), together with the Ministry of Education. The project aims to develop and implement systemic measures at tertiary education level, leading to an increased quality of the overall higher education system and universities better prepared for labour market requirements and international standards. The book focuses on areas of interest for Romanian higher education, such as systemic measures to improve access, participation and completion for (vulnerable) students, better promotion of the Romanian higher education to attract students, as well as instruments for a more efficient use of data at higher education level. Each article includes evidence-based policy proposals that could support new strategic initiatives in higher education, including new legislation. Additionally, the collection of articles tells a comprehensive story about the audacity of a higher education system which went through significant challenges to align itself with both European and international trends, as well as respond to national imperatives. Over the last three decades, since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Romanian higher education has undergone significant transformations, aiming to align itself to the latest developments and trends at European and international level. The National Law on Education no. 1/2011 has set the stage for a full implementation of the Bologna Process action lines, taking into account that Romania was already a part of the largest European intergovernmental process -- currently the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) -- as a founding member. However, since the adoption of this normative framework, the law suffered numerous amendments, making it challenging to observe and achieve coherence in its implementation. Furthermore, Romania is also currently redesigning the strategy for the alocation of European structural funds 2021-2027, based on two strategic documents - the new Education and Employment Operational Programme and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan which highlight the reform and investment priorities at a national level. At the same time, 2021 is a good time to analyze the level of implementation for the objectives and measures included in the National Strategy for Tertiary Education 2015-2020, the Europe 2020 Strategy, and the Bologna Process action lines in the 2010 – 2020 timeframe. Therefore, the present moment may be an important time to assess the impact of strategic documents and actions in the last decade and, possibly, to draft a new National Education Law, better adapted to current realities, starting from the recent initiative by the President of Romania – the Educated Romania strategic vision which was also politically assumed by the Romanian Government.