A triangulation approach to impact evaluation

This article presents a viable method to overcome the challenge of producing reliable cause–effect findings in impact evaluation. The Measuring Cluster Effects through Triangulation method (MCET) involves methodological triangulation. Three designs − shadow controls, generic controls, and process tracing − are combined to shed light on causality. When these three approaches are triangulated, cause–effect findings will be more reliable. The MCET combination is a feasible alternative when randomized controlled trials and matched controls are impossible or impracticable. It is also an alternative to using a single non-experimental design, particularly in situations where expenditure is great and the causality issue is pressing. In this article, the MCET approach is illustrated by information drawn from a set of evaluations performed on the activities of the Compare Foundation, a cluster organization in Sweden in the Information and Communication Technology sector. Regionally based in Karlstad, County Varmlan...