Invitation: Impact Assessment Workshop 2025

Norad, in cooperation with the Development Learning Lab, is pleased to invite civil society organisations to an intensive Impact Assessment Workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to strengthen organisations’ ability to make credible claims about impact when it is not possible to use randomized evaluations or other quasi-experimental methods.

Norad encourages the use of high-quality evaluations grounded in social science methods. The evaluation of impact is particularly challenging when it is not possible to define a credible comparison group. This workshop will dive into what can be done in such cases to make plausible claims about impact.  

The workshop will:

1. Equip you with a toolbox of non-experimental impact assessment methods (e.g., contribution analysis and process tracing).
2. Support you in applying these methods to your own project through structured group work and direct researcher feedback.
3. Create space for critical reflection on the strengths and limitations of non-experimental approaches.

How it works

• Pre-incubator preparation: Each participating organisation submits a short project case description and prepares for the workshop by developing the Theory of Change for the project case.
• Day 1: Foundations & framing – refining the Theory of Change and exploring families of non-experimental methods (e.g. contribution analysis, process tracing, outcome harvesting).
• Day 2: Method deep dives – how to apply methods in practice, group work with researcher feedback leading into the drafting of your own impact assessment plan.
• Day 3: Implementation – how to implement the evaluation, ethics and limitations, finalization and presentation of draft plans. Dialogue with Norad on next steps. 

What you gain

• A draft impact assessment plan for your project.
• A clear understanding of when (and when not) to use non-experimental methods.
• A shared language and peer network for continued learning.

Practical details

• Who should attend:
  • We invite 4-5 participants per organization. We encourage including staff from implementing organisations with good knowledge about the project and the context in which the project is implemented.
  • Both current Norad agreement partners and other organisations are invited to participate; however, Norad partners will be prioritised.
• Dates: 1-3 December, 2025
• Location: Norad
• Costs: Participation is free of charge. Organisations must cover their own travel expenses.

How to register 

• Interested organizations are asked to submit the registration form including brief information about a relevant project within 20th of October. Fill in the form below and send it to viola.asri@cmi.no.

What does a suitable project case look like?

Examples of suitable projects may be advocacy, capacity building, institutional reform or other interventions where “everyone” is affected in a way that makes it impossible to identify a credible comparison group, or where the number of participants is so small that it is not possible to do statistical analysis.

 

We look forward to your participation and to working together on building stronger, credible impact assessment practices across the Norwegian humanitarian and development community.