To strengthen causal claims, we often integrate a comparison or control group into baseline and endline designs. This method helps isolate the effect of the intervention from other external factors. We select comparable populations that are not exposed to the intervention, ensuring they match the treatment group across key variables such as demographics, geography, or socio-economic status.
At both baseline and endline, the same tools are administered to both groups, and difference-in-difference (DID) or other quasi-experimental methods are applied during analysis
This approach is particularly valuable when randomized controlled trials are not feasible but a rigorous counterfactual is still needed.
