Program Overview

Public Policy Evaluation Using Stata

Course Description

Providing effective evaluation of different economic measures has become an increasingly important requirement for public policy makers. This course seeks to provide participants with the essential tools for conducting statistical and econometric analysis of different public policies using Stata, most notably labour market, and public finance policies. As such, the course starts with an introduction to Stata and is followed by practical exercises that show how to handle survey data. Then, the course covers indicators that evaluate equity and efficiency effects of public policies in Stata.

Course Topics

• Introduction to the statistical package Stata
• Poverty and inequality measurement in Stata
• A difference-in-differences evaluation of the effect of minimum wages on (un)employment
• Probit estimates of labour force participation using Stata
• Economic benefits of education: Measuring rates of return to investment in education using propensity score matching
• Evaluation of PISA-based education polices in Stata

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, it is expected that the student is able to:

• Apply appropriate statistical techniques to analyse various public measures
• Assess the equity and efficiency effects of public policy programs
• Design recommendations for public policy makers based on implemented econometric methods

Additional Course Information

The course is developed to encompass both standard statistical methods of program evaluation (e.g., instrumental variables, limited dependent variable regression models) and the more advanced econometric techniques (e.g., difference-in-differences, propensity score matching). At the end of the course, participants are expected to be able to master complex evaluation design by identifying the type of data required in their specific policy framework; evaluating which specific econometric method is more appropriate for the analysis in hand; and finally extracting policy recommendations from the obtained results. Through the course, students will acquire practical skills necessary for public policy analysis, supplementing theoretical knowledge in microeconomics and macroeconomics.