Date of Graduation

5-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Economics

Advisor/Mentor

Hao, Li

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of an impact assessment conducted by University of Arkansas students and finalized by Abby Davidson during the 2014 Community Development in Mozambique study abroad program. The assessment was based on a developmental poultry organization in the Nampula region. In order to evaluation the assessment several theories of impact assessment were utilized. Construction of a proper counterfactual, the mitigation of selection bias, appropriateness of impact indicators, and validity were all used to consider the methodologies employed in the aforementioned assessment. Based on these criteria it was found that The Impact of poultry in Northern Mozambique failed to adhere to several base principles. A true counterfactual was not created to provide a base comparison of the effects of poultry. Also no method as employed to minimize selection bias, and validity could have been improved. The one element that the assessment did adhere to was the selection of two proper impact indicators, employment and income. Due to these shortcomings, three recommendations were rendered. The first recommendation is for a control group to be constructed that includes comparable individuals representing what life would have been like if participants had not entered program intervention. The second recommendation is to employ a simple random sample when administering surveys in order to reduce selection bias by region. Finally, triangulation is recommended to improve validity and give the assessment more robust results. With these three recommendations future assessments of the New Horizons poultry organization will have increased accuracy and will give the business a better understanding of the effects it is having on the region.

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