Devil in the Details

This case study is one of two cases about a Social Impact Bond (SIB) effort in Colombia, with a focus on statistics. It relates the efforts of a nonprofit startup, Instiglio, to introduce Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) in Colombia. The case includes a summary background on the SIB financing model, and touches on the challenges that three Harvard Kennedy School graduates faced in their efforts to draft an SIB agreement and evaluation design, and structure a payment system; their story is described in greater detail in the companion case, “Betting Private Capital on Fixing Public Ills.” The case invites students to consider how to select treatment and control groups; how to select a measure of performance that is both legitimate and practical; and how to address the potential for a social desirability bias. The case also supports discussion of the contractual payment deal and the complicating question of standard error.

The case is part of a series produced by the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Case Program, hosted by the HKS Strengthening Learning and Teaching Excellence (SLATE) initiative, the world’s largest producer and repository of case studies designed for teaching about how government works and how public policy is made. Each case in the series is designed to train public leaders, and introduces actual policy dilemmas along with data to equip students to learn how to apply the rigor of quantitative analysis in the real world.

This case may be purchased for a nominal fee; registered educators may obtain a free review copy. Online supplemental resources include short free documents and videos on how to teach with the case method, as well as downloadable related tip sheets and questions for class discussion.