PSI uses impact evaluation to determine if our programs are working. One approach to impact evaluation is the use of coarsened exact matching, a statistical technique that allows researchers to compare program participants to nonparticipants, controlling for factors believed to influence outcomes of interest. Because it clearly shows comparisons based on program exposure, CEM analysis is a useful method for demonstrating the impact of our work.
This guide defines impact evaluation and CEM further and provides instruction on how to design studies to facilitate CEM, analyze the data using CEM, and interpret and report the results.