From the Conceptual Framework to the

From the Conceptual Framework
to the Empirical Model
Gustavo Angeles
MEASURE Evaluation
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Workshop on Impact Evaluation of
Population, Health and Nutrition Programs
Accra, Ghana
July 18-29, 2016
Importance of Conceptual Frameworks
• A conceptual framework explicitly identifies the main relevant
factors that influence the health result of interest
• It also makes explicit the causal relationships between the
factors, and, the pathways through which the program has an
influence on the outcome
• It provides the reference framework for the empirical model
• It allows you to better identify endogenous explanatory
factors
• It also provides the reference framework for including or
excluding variables in the empirical model
Simple Conceptual Framework
Individual / Household
Characteristics
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
What do we observe?
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
What do we observe?
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
What do we observe?
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use =f(Age , Edu , SES , Rur , Prog ,
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Useij=f(Ageij, Eduij, SESij, Rurj, Progj,
Use of FP
Methods
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
Use of FP
Methods
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Useij=f(Ageij, Eduij, SESij, Rurj, Progj, Riskij, Genij,HFj,Sanj)
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics
/ Health Service supply
Use of FP
Methods
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Useij=f(Ageij, Eduij, SESij, Rurj, Progj, Riskij, Genij,HFj,Sanj)
Observed
Unobserved
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model
Useij=f(Ageij, Eduij, SESij, Rurj, Progj, Riskij, Genij,HFj,Sanj)
?
What is the functional form of this function?
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model
Useij=f(Ageij, Eduij, SESij, Rurj, Progj, Riskij, Genij,HFj,Sanj)
?
What is the functional form of this function?
We don’t know.
But, we need a functional form to estimate the
relationship between “Use” and its determinants, in
particular, the Program.
So, what can we do?
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model – An useful result
Look at the statistics toolkit. An interesting result:
If you have Y= f( X1, X2) with f(.) unknown, you can
approximate it by:
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model – An useful result
Look at the statistics toolkit. An interesting result:
If you have Y= f( X1, X2) with f(.) unknown, you can
approximate it by:
Y≈ α0 + α1X1 + α2X2 + α3X1X2 + α4X12 + α5X22 + α6X12 X22
+ α 7X 13 + α 8X 23 + α 9X 13 X 23
+ α10X14 + α11X24 + α12X14 X24
+ … (polynomial of order n continues)
Simple Conceptual Framework
Building an empirical model – An useful result
Look at the statistics toolkit. An interesting result:
If you have Y= f( X1, X2) with f(.) unknown, you can
approximate it by:
Y≈ α0 + α1X1 + α2X2 + α3X1X2 + α4X12 + α5X22 + α6X12 X22
+ α 7X 13 + α 8X 23 + α 9X 13 X 23
+ α10X14 + α11X24 + α12X14 X24
+ … (polynomial of order n continues)
This is the Taylor Series approximation (Taylor polynomial; 1715)
In practice, we use the linear part of the approximation:
Y= α0 + α1X1 + α2X2
and sometimes you add interactions
and squares.
Simple Conceptual Framework
Going back to our model
So, we have:
Useij=f(Ageij, Eduij, SESij, Rurj, Progj, Riskij, Genij,HFj,Sanj)
Which can be approximated by a linear relationship:
Useij = α0+ α1Ageij + α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj +α5Progj
+ (α6Riskij+ α7 Genij + α8HFj + α9Sanj)
Simple Conceptual Framework
Examining the structure of our model
Useij = α0+ α1Ageij + α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj +α5Progj
+ (α6Riskij+ α7 Genij + α8HFj + α9Sanj)
It has a basic structure:
Useij = Observed factors + Unobserved factors
Usually, all unobserved factors are summarized in the term εij
Useij = α0 + α1Ageij + α2Eduij + α3SESij + α4Rurj + α5Progj + εij
Simple Conceptual Framework
Examining the structure of our model
Useij = α0+ α1Ageij + α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj +α5Progj
+ (α6Riskij+ α7 Genij + α8HFj + α9Sanj)
It has a basic structure:
Useij = Observed factors + Unobserved factors
Usually, all unobserved factors are summarized in the term εij
Useij = α0 + α1Ageij + α2Eduij + α3SESij + α4Rurj + α5Progj + εij
But, it is important to know what those unobserved factors are
and how they relate to the other determinants.
Simple Conceptual Framework
Examining the structure of our model
Notice that there are unobserved factors at the individual and
community level. In particular,
Unobserved = α6Riskij+ α7 Genij + α8HFj + α9Sanj
Individual-level
Unobservables
Community-level
Unobservables
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑HF
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Use
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Use
↑Prog
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Use
↑Prog → ∆ Use
Now, what can we say about the relationship
between the explanatory factors and Use?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Characteristics / Health
Service supply
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Program
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Useij = α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj +α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Use
↑Prog → ∆ Use
Then, we have direct and unique relationships between each determinant
and “Use”. Then, we can estimate the effect of Prog on Use.
Now, a simple modification: Conceptual
Framework 2
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Use of FP
Methods
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Program
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What do we observe?
Observed? Individual / Household
Characteristics
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
NO
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Use of FP
Methods
Community
Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities(HF)
- Sanitation
Program
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What is the associated empirical model?
Observed? Individual / Household
Characteristics
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
NO
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Use of FP
Methods
Community
Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What is the associated empirical model?
Observed? Individual / Household
Characteristics
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
NO
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Use of FP
Methods
Community
Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj Progj = β0+
β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What is the associated empirical model?
Observed?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
Observed?
YES
NO
NO
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Use of FP
Methods
Community
Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
Now the empirical model has two equations.
Notice that equation (1) is exactly as in the previous slides for the first
conceptual framework.
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
↑HF
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Individual / Household
Characteristics
- Age
- Education
- Household wealth/SES
- Risk aversion
- Biological endowments
Community Charact.
- Rurality
- Health facilities (HF)
- Sanitation
Use of FP
Methods
Program
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Prog → ∆ Use
∆ Use
∆ Use
We don’t have a unique relationship between “Health Facilities (HF)” and
“Use”!!
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Prog → ∆ Use
∆ Use
∆ Use
A change in HF generates two effects:
1. Change “Prog”, which changes “Use”.
2. Change “Use”, directly.
Notice that we only observe the net effect on Use (∆ Use).
A simple analysis will relate the observed change on “Use” to the observed
change in “Prog”. Clearly, it estimates incorrectly the impact of Prog on
Use.
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model?
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Prog →
Program Impact: α5
∆ Use
∆ Use
∆ Use
A change in HF generates two effects:
1. Change “Prog”, which changes “Use”.
2. Change “Use”, directly.
Notice that we only observe the net effect on Use (∆ Use).
A simple analysis will relate the observed change on “Use” to the observed
change in “Prog”. Clearly, it estimates incorrectly the impact of Prog on
Use.
This is the problem of endogeneity. Cannot estimate α5 correctly.
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model? Endogenetity
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
Program Impact: α5
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Prog → ∆ Use
∆ Use
∆ Use
This problem is caused by unobserved factors, such as “HF”, that influence
both the Outcome (“Use”) and the Program (“Prog”).
Special methods are needed to disentangle the effects and separate out
the effect of Prog on Use.
Methods:
- Instrumental Variables
- Longitudinal data models
- Some other “clever” methods.
A simple modification: Conceptual Framework 2
What can we say about the relationships in the
model? Endogenetity
Useij=α0+α1Ageij+α2Eduij+α3SESij+α4Rurj+α5Progj+α6Riskij+α7Genij+α8HFj+α9Sanj
Progj = β0+ β1Rurj + β2HFj + β3Sanj
What if?
Program Impact: α5
↑Edu → ∆ Use
↑Risk → ∆ Use
↑HF → ∆ Prog → ∆ Use
∆ Use
∆ Use
Question: Which kind of factors (or determinants) can be considered as
suspects of being endogenous?
Thanks.
This presentation was produced with the support of the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) under
the terms of MEASURE Evaluation cooperative agreement
AID-OAA-L-14-00004. MEASURE Evaluation is implemented by
the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in partnership with ICF International; John Snow,
Inc.; Management Sciences for Health; Palladium; and
Tulane University. Views expressed are not necessarily those
of USAID or the United States government.
www.measureevaluation.org