INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATE QUALIFICATIONS
MCGOVERN-DOLE FOOD FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS
OVERVIEW
IMPAQ International evaluates and
enhances public programs and policies.
We provide leading-edge research
and consulting services to domestic
and international clients, including:
• Monitoring & Program Evaluations
• Research & Policy Analysis
• Implementation & Technical Assistance
• Technology Solutions & Data Management
• Surveys & Data Collection
• Communications & Logistics Support
Our diverse research staff of almost 400 professionals include individuals from 40 counties who speak over 60 languages and have
advanced degrees in economics, public policy, health policy and
management, public administration, anthropology, statistics, organizational psychology, and information technology. We provide
services to international clients including US Agency for International Development (USAID), Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC), US Department of Labor’s International Bureau of Labor
Affairs (ILAB), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the World
Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and implementing partners of McGovern-Dole
Food for Education (FFE) programs in over 30 countries. Our
state-of-the-art Survey Center develops and conducts surveys in
multiple languages. We have data collection systems in place
which allow for multiple quality assurance monitoring capabilities.
Our Technology Solutions division builds monitoring and evaluation systems and databases with the capacity to integrate geospatial technology and Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping.
IMPAQ’s robust experience as an implementer and evaluator of
agriculture, nutrition, and education programs provides our clients
with relevant and data-driven recommendations. Our technical expertise includes:
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For more information, please contact
Roman Ponos
Vice President, International Development
TEL: 202.774.1945
EMAIL: rponos@impaqint.com
www.impaqint.com
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Evaluation and analysis of program impacts, including: impact evaluations, formative and summative evaluations as well as appraisal, reviews, and situation analyses.
Experimental, quasi-experimental, qualitative and mixed-methods evaluSurvey design, implementation and analysis
Performance Monitoring and evaluation of project implementation
Knowledge generation, dissemination, and management
Sectoral expertise in Agriculture and Food Security, Education, Health
and HIV/AIDS, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and Social Inclusion.
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IMPAQ adds value to clients and partners by providing
expertise in advanced research and evaluation methods, covering a wide spectrum of disciplines and regions. Our ability to utilize and tailor technical methodologies to various sectors allows our clients to make
evidence-based policy decisions. IMPAQ has the expertise to conduct evaluation studies using methods
that include individual and cluster randomized trials,
multi-level modeling, and quasi-experimental techniques including comparative, interrupted time- series
and propensity score matching. IMPAQ also conducts
implementation studies and process evaluations using
both quantitative and qualitative techniques, including
participant surveys, observations, focus groups, interviews, and case studies.
Our programs and sectorial expertise highlight our ability to meet the McGovern-Dole (FFE) Strategic Objectives and Results Framework. Our extensive work on
FFE programs in Burkina Faso and Senegal demonstrate our superb qualifications to provide monitoring
and evaluation services to future FFE programs.
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY
RESEARCH
IMPAQ recognizes that local, community-based solutions are the most effective way to alleviate poverty
and encourage economic development around the
globe. IMPAQ currently works with the Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC) to evaluate the impact of
roads and agricultural projects. These MCC investments are designed to stimulate economic growth and
improve food security by strengthening the agriculture
sector through improved infrastructure and watermanagement techniques. In addition, these interventions are also designed to reform land ownership and
to link markets through improved roads.
Impact Evaluation of the Irrigation and Water Resource Management Project in Senegal (IWRM). The
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IWRM project in Senegal aimed to increase agricultural
productivity by improving and expanding irrigation systems. IMPAQ designed and implemented rigorous impact evaluations of the IWRM Project by creating survey instruments, overseeing data collection, and assessing the effect that infrastructure projects have on
household income. Evaluations include calculation of
the Economic Rate of Return, cost-effectiveness analysis, and analysis of the distribution of benefits among
different groups of beneficiaries.
Agricultural Development (ADP) and Rural Land
Governance (RLG) Projects in Burkina Faso. In each
of these diverse MCC programs, IMPAQ provided assistance with the design and implementation of rigorous impact evaluations. ADP aims to improve agricultural productivity through water management and irrigation, diversified agriculture activities, and access to
rural finance. For the ADP, IMPAQ conducted data
quality assessments, provided a comprehensive EDR,
and contributed to the design of a baseline survey for
the RCT evaluation of a specific ADP sub-activity. The
RLG promotes legal and procedural change, institutional development and capacity building, and sitespecific land tenure interventions. For RLG, IMPAQ
elaborated an EDR and prepared a Phase I baseline
and impact evaluation report that analyzed data from
3,500 households across 34 communities using a
quasi-experimental difference-in-difference approach.
IMPAQ then designed a baseline survey and sampling
plan to cover 4,000 households and 60 communities
and oversaw part of the baseline data collection.
Monitoring and Evaluation Support Activity
(MEASURE-BiH). IMPAQ recently completed an impact evaluation of the $22.2 million Fostering Agricultural Market Activity (FARMA). Through joint funding,
USAID and the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency designed the FARMA program to
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increase Bosnia’s agricultural competitiveness, meet
EU accession standards, and reduce poverty. The
evaluation included key informant interviews with 187
FARMA beneficiaries. Our sampling used a stratified
random approach to select key informants for the
semi-structured interviews. IMPAQ also conducted a
desk review of work plans and periodic reporting, including activity level M&E plans. The FARMA evaluation contributes to knowledge of the USAID/BiH mission by assessing the effectiveness of technical assistance programs in agricultural markets, helps
USAID/BiH better understand the activity’s implementation, lessons learned, and best practices, and provides USAID/BiH with empirical evidence and information that inform future funding and program designs.
Mid-Term Review for Millennium Challenge Corporation in Georgia. IMPAQ performed Data Quality Review (DQR) of the $400 million Millennium Challenge
Georgia Fund Compact (MCG) to provide recommendations for standardizing data management procedures within MCC Georgia. IMPAQ validated data
quality of major surveys across the MCC portfolio including the $15 million Agribusiness Development Activity (ADA). The ADA surveys were developed by MCG
to support the impact evaluations of the Compact.
IMPAQ provided survey expertise to the three components of the ADA Beneficiary Survey: the Primary Producer Survey, Value Adders-Value Chain Initiative, and
the Farm Service Centers. Beyond data assessment,
IMPAQ delivered technical assistance to MCG by enhancing the quality and efficacy of their database system.
Impact and Implementation Evaluations of the
Beoog Biiga School Feeding Program in Burkina
Faso. IMPAQ is conducting impact and performance
evaluations of Catholic Relief Service’s (CRS) Beoog
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Biiga II (Tomorrow’s Child). The program aims to improve the literacy, health, and dietary practices of children in over 700 primary schools. For the impact evaluation, IMPAQ is using a Randomized Control Trial
(RCT) design to estimate the effects of the mentorship
component of the program on learning outcomes. Our
approach utilizes GIS information to avoid contamination from previous interventions. For the evaluation,
IMPAQ designed an Early Grade Reading Assessment
tool and collected data on 836 students in selected regions in Burkina Faso.
IMPAQ is conducting a baseline for the evaluation of
Counterpart International’s $9 million USDA-funded
McGovern Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition (FFE) Program in Northern Senegal. The program
aims to improve the literacy and health and dietary
practices of 20,000 children in over 270 schools in the
Saint Louis, Podor and Dagana departments of Northern Senegal. For the baseline, IMPAQ is using a prepost design to set accurate and realistic targets and
will provide a benchmark again which to compare program performance. IMPAQ is collaborating with a Senegalese survey firm to collect education, health, and
nutrition data on 1,200 grade 2 or older children,
1,200 mothers of grade 2 and higher children, and 300
mothers of Grade 1 and below children in two northern
regions in Senegal. In addition, IMPAQ is working
closely with the implementing partner (IP) to help the IP
put in place a rigorous, meaningful, and cost-effective
monitoring and evaluation system.
LITERACY & EDUCATION RESEARCH
IMPAQ International conducts rigorous research to improve education in the U.S. and abroad. IMPAQ has
specific sectorial expertise in the Early Grade Reading
Assessment (EGRA) and the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Reading Test. In Ghana, our researchers developed and adapted EGRA tools for a
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teacher community initiative aimed at improving literacy rates among primary school students. In Burkina
Faso, IMPAQ evaluated and calibrated the ASER
Reading Test from English to French to assess literacy
growth.
The IMPAQ team conducted an adaptation workshop
and a pilot test to ensure the IMPAQ-developed test
and test administration instructions were culturally appropriate and aligned with the Burkina Faso learning
standards for each grade level in primary school. The
workshop convened a group of local reading, curriculum, and assessment experts at the Ministry of Education to assess the alignment of the test and administration instructions to language, grade level, and research
questions. Four trained enumerators supervised by
two IMPAQ staff tested about 25 students. The results
from the pilot were used to further improve the ASER
Reading test and the test administration instructions.
For the performance evaluation, IMPAQ is using a
mixed method design to assess key measurement
outcomes related to student literacy, attendance, enrollment, health, hygiene, and dietary practices, in addition to teachers’ knowledge of pedagogical practices
and attendance requirements. For this evaluation,
IMPAQ developed four survey instruments and collected baseline survey data from 44 schools, 836 students, 264 parents, 154 teachers, and 44 PTAs.
IMPAQ will survey the same respondents during midline and endline assessments. IMPAQ will also conduct
in depth interviews of key administrators and stakeholders at the endline to identify best practices and
lessons learned for future interventions.
Education Priorité Qualité (EPQ). IMPAQ conducted a
performance evaluation of USAID’s Education Priorité
Qualité (EPQ) program. EPQ’s objective was to assist
Senegal in decentralizing and strengthening its teacher
preparation process; improving school governance
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and management; strengthening students’ basic skills
in French and math; and providing life skills and employability opportunities to middle school-aged youth
in six regions of Senegal.
Using a primarily qualitative approach, IMPAQ assessed the program’s progress in achieving its objectives, explored implementation barriers and solutions,
and identified lessons learned and recommendations
for future programing. For the evaluation, IMPAQ conducted and analyzed data from 28 key informant interviews with USAID staff, project staff, and key Government of Senegal (GOS) stakeholders at the national,
regional, and departmental level as well as 18 focus
group discussions with teachers, parents, and student
beneficiaries. IMPAQ also reviewed and analyzed data
from project documents. Gender and community mobilization are also key elements of IMPAQ’s evaluation
criteria.
The Evaluation of Pacific Communities with High
Performance in Literacy Development (Pacific
CHILD) The Evaluation of Pacific CHILD was a 5-year,
random assignment evaluation of a teacher professional development program to improve teaching for
English Language Learners in Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American
Samoa. The study assessed teacher and student outcomes using a school-level cluster random-assignment design. IMPAQ was responsible for project, contractor, and staff management, oversight and coordination of Pacific Island data collection—from a sample
size of 45 schools 236 teacher, and 3,078 students—
instrument development, staff and consultant training,
site visits, and analysis and report writing. The study
examined teacher knowledge of effective instruction,
observations of teacher instructional practices, and
student academic achievement. IMPAQ also monitored the fidelity of the intervention model by documenting the implementation of the Pacific CHILD and
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collecting data on treatment dosage. IMPAQ collected
contextual information such as school policies on professional development outside of the Pacific CHILD
program. IMPAQ used the implementation and contextual data to interpret findings on teacher and student
outcomes and to inform future program replication.
Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Capacity Building Project (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
IMPAQ is conducting an impact evaluation of the Education For a Just Society Program (Obrazovanje za
Pravicno Drustvo), a three-year USAID-funded project
to reform the education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). The project reflects BIH’s mission of fostering a society that promotes peace and reconciliation.
IMPAQ developed a hybrid impact evaluation design
which combines a randomized experiment within the
project schools and a quasi-experiment using Difference-in-Differences (DID) with a matched comparison
group. The project will recruit 1,800 students and
more than 270 teachers, policy makers, and educational professionals. IMPAQ began with an environmental scan of conditions in BiH. This process enabled
IMPAQ to collect information on the capacities, needs,
and expectations of all relevant staff and local implementers.
IMPAQ is working closely with local implementation
staff and the evaluation steering committee to develop
capacity for assessing program progress and impacts.
IMPAQ staff also provide local implementers with training in rigorous evaluation methods, adapted to the institutional setting in BiH and its current education system. This capacity building activity will continue over a
three-year period.
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AT-RISK YOUTH AND SOCIAL RESEARCH
Evaluation of Costa Rica Avancemos, Conditional
Cash Transfer Program. IMPAQ is conducting the implementation and impact evaluation of Avancemos for
UNICEF Costa Rica, a conditional cash transfer program (CCT). Avancemos is a national program funded
by the Government of Costa Rica and implemented by
the Agency Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social (IMAS).
This program aims to reduce dropout rates in high
school education by providing beneficiary households
with a monthly subsidy under the condition that the
household’s children regularly attend class.
IMPAQ assessed the overall functioning of this CCT
program utilizing methodologies such as key-informant
interviews, focus groups, and extensive document revisions. Simultaneously, IMPAQ performed a quasi-experimental design to determine the effects of the program on school attendance, grade completion, and
hours worked. As a final output, the IMPAQ team provided the Government of Costa Rica action plan documents establishing a proactive strategy to implement
the recommendations derived from the evaluation.
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Combating Exploitive Child Labor through Education
in Turkey. Under the U.S. Department of Labor’s program, IMPAQ designed, developed, and implemented
a pilot education program oriented toward reducing
child labor. IMPAQ worked with the Turkish Ministry of
National Education, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry
of Social Security, and civil society partners. IMPAQ
implemented a broad-based information campaign on
health, safety practices, and procedures targeted to
address child labor and gender issues related to agriculture. The project involved conducting a household
survey of migrant families targeting young children.
The project successfully identified 8,365 working and
at-risk children, trained over 800 teachers and administrators to address the needs of child workers, and
provided private tutoring and support services to
2,470 children. Through the program, IMPAQ developed an innovative system of 20 case workers tasked
with mentoring families and connecting them to vocational trainings and other educational resources. Case
workers also helped families access public services,
enabling 512 working children to transition into boarding schools. The project equipped more than 4,300
children with tools and school supplies to prepare
them for a school environment.
QUALITY TEACHING RESEARCH
Impact Study of Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL). IMPAQ conducted a random assignment
evaluation of QTEL, a professional development program for middle school teachers working with English
Language Learners. This evaluation was part of the
Regional Education Laboratory West (REL-West) portfolio funded by ED’s IES. The study used a cluster random assignment design to evaluate the effectiveness
of the three year implementation of the QTEL program.
To evaluate the program’s impact, researchers analyzed student achievement outcomes on the California
Standards Test (focusing on English Language Arts),
the California English Language Development Test
(CELDT), measures of attendance, student grade point
averages (GPAs), and grade promotion. A rigorous implementation study accompanied the impact evaluation. Implementation study methods included analysis
of teacher surveys, classroom observations, and observations of professional development sessions and
coaching sessions.
CHILD HEALTH AND NUTRITION RESEARCH
IMPAQ brings extensive experience working with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) on studies related to understanding and improving domestic school food programs to
improve child nutrition.
Impact and Implementation Evaluations of the
Beoog Biiga School Feeding Program in Burkina
Faso IMPAQ experts in nutrition, education, surveys,
and impact evaluations assessed the health and hygiene practice activities for the Beoog Biiga School
Feeding Program. Our specialists developed innovative
questionnaires, providing expertise on how to ask children about hunger. Regional and language experts improved surveys by using local vocabulary for foods and
incorporating the effects of seasons on agricultural
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yields. The food security section of the mother questionnaire complemented the information collected directly from children. Students in all grades completed
a student questionnaire. They were asked about their
diet and knowledge of nutrition and hygiene. Students
answered questions related to the different foods they
ate the previous day and whether they felt full after eating. The parent questionnaire included the same questions as the student questionnaire regarding their
knowledge of nutrition and hygiene. Parents also answered questions related to their interaction with the
school in the last year, foods they regularly served their
children, and the frequency of days the household did
not have enough food to feed their family
Feasibility of Tribal Administration of Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs. For the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, IMPAQ is assessing the feasibility of tribal administration of Federal
nutrition assistance programs. This congressionallymandated study examines the requirements of administering the Federal nutrition assistance programs under congressional regulation, as well as the feasibility
of tribal provision of services and activities associated
with program administration. IMPAQ has conducted
surveys of all 566 Federally-recognized tribes, as well
as several in-depth site visits to better understand
tribes’ interests and experiences in managing nutrition
and other human services programs.
SNAP Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Project. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) contracted IMPAQ to facilitate
business process reengineering (BPR) for state and local SNAP offices. The primary purpose of this contract
is to improve the SNAP case management and certification process in local offices, improving critical SNAP
performance measures such as timeliness, payment
accuracy, and error rates. IMPAQ will work closely with
state and local office staff to assess current business
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processes and guide staff through the analysis of current activities. The IMPAQ team will also provide BPR
training and technical support throughout each stage
of the project, not only to support BPR activities, but
also to create strategies to sustain new processes and
expand to other offices.
Child Nutrition Data Analysis. IMPAQ is conducting
the study for FNS to better understand informational
management systems used by schools and to identify
data that are collected by schools but not reported to
FNS. With this information, FNS will focus on how routine monitoring and data collection for the National
School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast
Program (SBP) can be improved. The IMPAQ study
team is collecting data from multiple stakeholders, including State NSLP and SBP program managers,
School Food Authority (SFA) officials, and software
vendors to examine current management information
systems’ designs, capabilities, and functions. The findings from this study will guide FNS in reviewing and revising current monitoring and data collection systems
for the NSLP and SBP in order to develop a more
comprehensive approach to utilizing program data for
oversight and management at the federal, state, and
local levels.
Market Research, Environmental Scan and Ethnographic Research on the Use of Communication
Technologies and Digital Media Related to Nutrition
and Physical Activity. IMPAQ conducted a literature
review and environmental scans to aid FNS to better
understand the technology and digital media being
used by their nutrition education programs to inform
the nutrition and physical activity choices made by
school-aged children. Environmental scans were conducted to identify nutrition and education programs in
schools and communities, to assess program compliance to USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and
MyPyramid, and to innovate approaches in conducting
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nutrition education through technology and social media. The study provided the first in-depth investigation
of incorporating new technology into nutrition education.
lection. IMPAQ developed a coding scheme, conducted reliability tests between coders, and applied
the codes to identify emergent themes.
GLOBAL HEALTH AND HIV/AIDS RESEARCH
AMANECE Evaluation. IMPAQ evaluated the
AMANECE Project in Mexico, which applied an innovative prevention, health promotion, and health care
model to improve screening and health care usage
among pregnant women and to reduce maternal and
child mortality. Specifically, IMPAQ assessed the effectiveness of the implementation of prenatal and postneonatal screening programs as a means of detecting
and managing early cases of fetal birth defects. The
IMPAQ team designed the evaluation, conducted surveys of 119 women of childbearing age and health
care providers, and analyzed demographic and health
outcome data on program participants to assess program impacts. A cadre of local and international experts compiled survey and focus group results from
health care professionals, pregnant women, and mothers with children less than two years of age to produce
a baseline report and determine the impact of the program.
Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment for Persons Living with
HIV. For the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, IMPAQ
provided technical assistance to better understand the
issues related to the uptake and maintenance of HIV
prevention, care, and treatment programs for people
living with HIV (PLWH). The project included qualitative
research for PLWH who had been linked to care and
had begun treatment, dropped out of care, or refused
treatment with antiretroviral therapy. IMPAQ led the Office of Management and Budget package development and coded 100 transcriptions following data col-
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Evaluation of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). IMPAQ is evaluating a project designed to increase the capability of rural community
hospitals to meet the health care needs of beneficiaries in their service areas. The RCHD tests the feasibility
of establishing a new category of rural community hospitals for reimbursement policy. The evaluation will ultimately inform a Report to Congress and provide evidence to determine the advisability of the RCHD payment mechanism – or a modified version – as an additional payment methodology for small rural hospitals.
The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the impact
of the demonstration on financial viability, progress towards meeting strategic goals, benefits provided to the
community, and improvements to population and patient health.
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