This case asks participants to put themselves in the position of a government official in charge of selecting an evaluation design to assess the impact of a social program. The goal is to illustrate the tradeoffs that are made in the real world when trying to balance the desire for a rigorous and credible evaluation design with the logistic, political, financial and ethical constraints that so frequently arise in evaluating social programs. Participants are asked to assess the strengths and weaknesses of three possible evaluation designs using as criteria the scientific rigor, political feasibility, logistical implications, and financial feasibility of each design. The case includes a 5:30-minute video interview with Jason Wilks, a Senior Policy Analyst with the team in charge of monitoring the PATH Program for the Jamaican government. Wilks describes the political context in Jamaica at the time and the internal and external pressures the government was under as it considered the three evaluation designs. The video contains three short segments that can be played throughout the class and a 3-minute "reveal" where Wilks explains the government's ultimate decision. The four segments can also be played sequentially at the end of the case discussion.

Set in the year 2004, when Rwanda commemorated the 10th anniversary of a genocide that had claimed the lives of over 10% of its population. Focuses on the formulation of an economic strategy to rebuild the economy and its institutions after the devastation. Rwanda, one of the poorest countries in the world, highlights the challenges of economic development in Africa and in other low-income countries. Provides a brief political and economic history of Rwanda, but focuses on the country preceding and after the genocide. A description of government policies since 1994 enables discussion of the efforts of the transitional government under Bizimungu (1994-2000) and the first Kagame government (2000-2004) to restore and build the economy. Provides detailed economic and social data as of 2004, allowing evaluation of policy results. Concludes as President Kagame, now formally elected as head of state, considers an economic strategy to meet Rwanda's current challenges and increase the country's prosperity over the next decade.