Foundations of Impact
Overview
The Foundations of Impact course equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to define and value the impact of their projects, policies or investments. We build a practical toolbox that applies fundamental economics concepts to conduct feasibility studies and cost-benefit analysis, measure the social return on investments and policies, and help their organizations make better-informed decisions. The course provides an in-depth look at impact methods, measures, and tools and how to utilize research or project findings to help design better policies and programs.
Participants will learn to define the social impact of their initiatives and assess their feasibility, in order to improve decisions around design, financing, implementation and evaluation.
Participants will engage in practical case studies to increase and test their understanding of evaluation tools, economic concepts and methodologies. The course is designed by Queen’s University professors Bahman Kashi and Christopher Cotton to help individuals and organizations to design, implement, manage, and evaluate projects.
Why You Should Join
With the increase in demand for evidence-based decisions, combined with limited funding and managing multi-stakeholder collaboration in innovative financing models, this program will prepare you to understand real-world problems and guide you to work towards better design, implementation, and evaluation of policies and programs.
If you are a manager, analyst, financier, or researcher responsible for designing or analyzing investments or policies with an interest in the broader impacts on the society, this program is a right fit. The program will provide you with tools to help you navigate the challenges in designing and assessing the feasibility of programs and policies.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Participants will be able to engage in a digital learning environment along with self-paced modules during the period from Sep-Dec. The combined delivery method benefits from pre-recorded content and weekly live sessions. The self-paced pre-recorded weekly activities include a re-cap quiz. The weekly live sessions will focus on course questions and answers, as well as practical discussion activities. Weekly live sessions provide a great opportunity to discuss questions and concerns with the professors. The course is structured to give participants an inclusive and interactive environment to learn, question, engage and apply impact analysis.
The content of the course is equivalent to the content of a regular graduate course at a North American University.
Course Material and Evaluation
All the course material will be available online in English. In addition, we use the Zoom platform for the weekly live sessions. The live sessions are also recorded and remain accessible to those who cannot attend them.
You will be evaluated based on participation, weekly quizzes, performance in discussion activities, and the submission of the final assignment at the end of the program. You will be awarded a certificate at the end of the course.
After finishing this course, you are qualified to take the Evaluating Impact course and, later, the Impact Analysis Capstone course. Upon completion of these three courses, you qualify to take the CPIA-I Exam to get your CPIA-I certification.
The Foundations of Impact course equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to define and value the impact of their projects, policies or investments. We build a practical toolbox that applies fundamental economics concepts to conduct feasibility studies and cost-benefit analysis, measure the social return on investments and policies, and help their organizations make better-informed decisions. The course provides an in-depth look at impact methods, measures, and tools and how to utilize research or project findings to help design better policies and programs.
Participants will learn to define the social impact of their initiatives and assess their feasibility, in order to improve decisions around design, financing, implementation and evaluation.
Participants will engage in practical case studies to increase and test their understanding of evaluation tools, economic concepts and methodologies. The course is designed by Queen’s University professors Bahman Kashi and Christopher Cotton to help individuals and organizations to design, implement, manage, and evaluate projects.
Why You Should Join
With the increase in demand for evidence-based decisions, combined with limited funding and managing multi-stakeholder collaboration in innovative financing models, this program will prepare you to understand real-world problems and guide you to work towards better design, implementation, and evaluation of policies and programs.
If you are a manager, analyst, financier, or researcher responsible for designing or analyzing investments or policies with an interest in the broader impacts on the society, this program is a right fit. The program will provide you with tools to help you navigate the challenges in designing and assessing the feasibility of programs and policies.
What You Will Learn
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
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Justify the need for social projects and public policy
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Analyze theory of change and measure impact
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Conduct cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis
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Integrate gender and environment into impact analysis
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Integrate financial and social analysis
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Conduct cost analysis and outcome pricing
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Define Impact in the context of economic growth and fiscal & monetary (macroeconomic) policy
Participants will be able to engage in a digital learning environment along with self-paced modules during the period from Sep-Dec. The combined delivery method benefits from pre-recorded content and weekly live sessions. The self-paced pre-recorded weekly activities include a re-cap quiz. The weekly live sessions will focus on course questions and answers, as well as practical discussion activities. Weekly live sessions provide a great opportunity to discuss questions and concerns with the professors. The course is structured to give participants an inclusive and interactive environment to learn, question, engage and apply impact analysis.
The content of the course is equivalent to the content of a regular graduate course at a North American University.
Course Material and Evaluation
All the course material will be available online in English. In addition, we use the Zoom platform for the weekly live sessions. The live sessions are also recorded and remain accessible to those who cannot attend them.
You will be evaluated based on participation, weekly quizzes, performance in discussion activities, and the submission of the final assignment at the end of the program. You will be awarded a certificate at the end of the course.
After finishing this course, you are qualified to take the Evaluating Impact course and, later, the Impact Analysis Capstone course. Upon completion of these three courses, you qualify to take the CPIA-I Exam to get your CPIA-I certification.