Science-based Self Evaluation of Learning at the World Bank

Scientific rigor is being re-introduced into evaluation research after some period of absence, with strong proponents of science in evaluation found among economists. This paper describes efforts to introduce greater scientific rigor into self-evaluation of learning programs of the World Bank. These programs are designed for two sets of learners: (a) World Bank staff, and (b) government officials and policy makers, technical experts, business and community leaders and civil society stakeholders from developing countries. Efforts to introduce science-based evaluation methods discussed in this paper include use of: mixed methods, valid and reliable measures of learning, counterfactuals, scientific sampling, and multivariate statistical analysis. The paper describes these efforts and concludes by reviewing the evidence from these evaluation about the features of effective learning programs for adult learners