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Unit outline_

ECOS4212: Economics of Program Evaluation

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study develops the knowledge and skills required for the economic evaluation of government programs. Across a range of policy domains including health, education, crime and the environment, governments are increasingly seeking advice on the economic evaluation of policy proposals. In this unit the economic tools and skills used to evaluate policies across a range of domains are introduced and critically examined. Emphasis will be placed on the empirical approaches used to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of government programs through the use of real world data.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Economics
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
ECOS3997 or ECMT3997 or ECON3999 or ECON3998
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Gregor Pfeifer, gregor-gabriel.pfeifer@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Programming a Stata Do-file
Stata do-file for Data Analysis on Program Evaluation, based on Tutorial
20% Week 08
Due date: 22 Sep 2023 at 23:59
N/A
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment Essay
Program Evaluation Essay, based on a research article discussed in lecture
60% Week 13
Due date: 03 Nov 2023 at 23:59
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO6 LO5 LO3 LO2
Assignment Oral Presentation
Presentation of the essay on the research article
20% Week 13
Due date: 03 Nov 2023 at 23:59
up to 20min
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO6 LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5

Assessment summary

Task 1: Analysing Data from Tutorial on Program Evaluation

Assessment item:

1) Written Stata do-file for the data analysis based on Tutorial. Individual Assessment. Weight: 20%.

 

Task 2: Essay on Program Evaluation, based on a Published Research Article discussed in Lecture and Tutorial

Assessment item:

2) Written essay, including a literature review on the topic, detailed outline of econometric technique applied to evaluate the program, critical discussion of strengths and weaknesses of the research. (3000 words). Individual Assessment. Weight: 60%.

 

Task 3: Presentation of the Essay

Assessment item:

3) Presentation of the Essay. Individual Assessment. Weight: 20%.

Assessment criteria

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.

Distinction

75 - 84

To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty. 

Credit

65 - 74

To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard as
defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.

Pass

50 - 64

To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 02 Randomized Controlled Trials I Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 03 Randomized Controlled Trials II Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 04 Regression I Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 05 Regression II Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 06 Difference-in-Differences Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 07 Instrumental Variables Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 08 More on Difference-in-Differences and Instrumental Variables I - Programming Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 More on Difference-in-Differences and Instrumental Variables II - Feedback Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 10 Starting your Essay Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 Q&A on Essay and Presentation I Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 Q&A on Essay and Presentation II Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 13 Review Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library’s reading list system Leganto, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Describe the key empirical methods in economics to evaluate the causal impact of programs aiming at improving outcomes for individuals and the wider society.
  • LO2. Describe the behavioural and experimental methods in economics that can guide the design of programs and shed light on the behavioural channels through which programs succeed or fail.
  • LO3. Critically evaluate the assumptions and limitations of the empirical methods used to evaluate programs.
  • LO4. Apply program evaluation methods to an existing dataset and evaluate the impact of a program.
  • LO5. Develop a program evaluation plan, including identifying i) the most adequate empirical methods for the impact evaluation, and ii) the experimental methods to identify the effect of the program on individual behaviour.
  • LO6. Communicate the process of and results from program evaluations.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

“Unit Description/Overview” is outdated, update is:

Students will evaluate Public Policies, so-called “programs”, applying micro-econometric techniques to leverage (mostly) natural experiments. Students will explore methodologies extensively used in applied microeconomics including OLS, Difference-in-Differences, or Instrumental Variables, based on the idea of identifying and measuring causal impacts of public interventions. Various empirical topics will be discussed, focusing on examples from Health, Labour, and Education Economics. Students will have to define a research problem, conduct a literature review, code, analyse, and interpret data, as well as critically present their research results.

Disclaimer

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