The concepts of cause and effect are critical to the field of program evaluation. Experimental designed evaluations—those that randomly assign subjects to treatment or control groups—offer a convincing means for establishing a causal connection between a program and its effects. In her book Experimental Evaluation Design for Program Improvement, Abt’s Laura R. Peck shows how various design options can answer a variety of questions. Those questions include not only yes/no questions, but a wide range of impact evaluation questions—including how specific aspects of a program may enhance (or even suppress) impacts. Further, she suggests opportunities for experiments to be applied in more varied settings with a focus on program improvement efforts.

The book is available through the publisher and on Amazon.