Imagine that you are planning an impact evaluation for a microfinance program for poor, rural farmers. The program provides microloans to farmers to enable them to buy fertilizer to increase their rice production. Your team is interested in examining the effects of the program on rice yield (as measured in pounds of rice per acre). When brainstorming possible designs, a member of your evaluation team suggests that you compare participating farmers’ rice yield a year before program launch to participating farmers’ rice yield a year after the program is launched. Question 5 Question text Which threats to internal validity are relevant in this proposed design? Describe at least two different threats to internal validity and discuss how they could bias program effect estimates. Be specific to the program described above.
Imagine that you are planning an impact evaluation for a microfinance program for poor, rural farmers. The program provides microloans to farmers to enable them to buy fertilizer to increase their rice production. Your team is interested in examining the effects of the program on rice yield (as measured in pounds of rice per acre). When brainstorming possible designs, a member of your evaluation team suggests that you compare participating farmers’ rice yield a year before program launch to participating farmers’ rice yield a year after the program is launched.
Question 5
Which threats to internal validity are relevant in this proposed design? Describe at least two different threats to internal validity and discuss how they could bias program effect estimates. Be specific to the program described above.
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