An Alternative Method of Impact Evaluation: An Application for the School Meal Programme in Primary Education in Rural India

Often, we need to examine the efficacy of development programmes using different methods of impact evaluation. The primary challenge of an ex-post impact evaluation is forming a suitable comparison group to obtain the correct counterfactual. This is particularly true for programmes that have universal coverage. In the absence of a suitable comparison group, generally, reflexive methods are used, which often leads to a biased estimate of the programme impact. This article suggests an alternative method of impact evaluation that may be used for programmes having universal coverage, but there are some breaks in the provision of benefits of the programme. Instead of forming a comparison group with units not having the programme benefits, this method examines the outcome of the treatment group at several time points, either in the presence or in the absence of the programme benefits. This article also demonstrates an application of the proposed method in the context of the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) programme in rural India. The method helps estimate the impact of the MDM programme on the daily attendance of children in primary classes. The findings suggest that the MDM programme had a positive effect on average daily attendance of children, particularly for girls and students from the disadvantaged classes. JEL Codes: I21, I28, C31