Evaluation & research consulting
Rigorous evidence for education and workforce programs.
Harvill Evaluation and Research is an independent consultancy led by Eleanor L. Harvill, Ph.D. — an economist and evaluation methodologist with 15+ years leading federally funded education and workforce studies. We help agencies, researchers, and practitioners design credible studies, assess evidence against federal standards, and turn findings into decisions.
Services
What we do
Three focused practice areas, grounded in federal evaluation standards and applied research experience across education, workforce, and human services.
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Research & evaluation methods
Experimental and quasi-experimental design, mixed-methods research, causal inference, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, and benefit-cost analysis for education and workforce programs.
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Technical assistance & evidence building
Evaluation technical assistance, research capacity building, and expert consultation on design, analysis planning, random assignment, and data collection — from proposal through dissemination.
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Research quality & evidence standards
Study quality assessment against What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Version 5.0 standards, evidence reviews, grant application review support, protocol development, and effect size estimation.
About
About Eleanor Harvill, Ph.D.
Eleanor is an economist and evaluation methodologist recognized for expertise in experimental and quasi-experimental methods, mixed-methods research, systematic evidence reviews, meta-analysis, and research quality assessment. She has led major applied research studies and technical assistance initiatives for the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.
Prior to founding Harvill Evaluation and Research in 2026, she spent nearly 15 years at Abt Global (formerly Abt Associates) — most recently as Senior Associate — directing analysis for the Investing in Innovation (i3) evaluation, the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) impact studies, and experimental evaluations of state Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) programs. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Reed College. Prior to graduate school, she taught math in San Bruno, California.
Based in Portland, OR, and available for engagements nationwide.
Selected work
Recent projects
A sample of studies and technical assistance engagements led or co-led over the past several years.
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WWC Reviewer — WWC-TOAST
Reviewing education studies against WWC Version 5.0 evidence standards; conducting evidence reviews, documenting findings, and estimating effect sizes to support USDOE grant application reviews.
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Investing in Innovation (i3) Evaluation — Director of Analysis and Reporting
Directed the systematic review and meta-analysis of findings from independent evaluations of 172 i3 grants; oversaw the What Works Clearinghouse reviews conducted under the contract.
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Delaware & Massachusetts RESEA Evaluations — Principal Investigator
Led experimental and mixed-methods evaluations of state Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment programs, including impact analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and examination of variation across claimant risk profiles.
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HPOG 2.0 National Evaluation — Director of Analysis
Directed long-term impact and benefit-cost analyses of postsecondary career pathways programs serving low-income and nontraditional students, examining credential completion and employment outcomes.
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PREP Local Evaluation Support — Evaluation Support Liaison
Provided technical assistance to evaluation teams developing and testing innovative youth-serving interventions; advised on design, analysis planning, random assignment, and alignment with federal evidence standards.
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Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System (EWIMS) Evaluation — Project Director
Directed a multi-state experimental evaluation of a high school dropout prevention intervention; provided methodological leadership for design, analysis, and dissemination.
Publications
Selected publications
A short list of recent peer-reviewed articles and federal reports. A full list and full text are available on request.
- Harvill, E.L., Peck, L.R., & Walton, D. (2025). Do Administrative and Survey Data Tell the Same Impact Story? Evidence from the HPOG 1.0 Impact Study. Journal of Human Resources, 60(3).
- Goodson, B.D., Harvill, E., Sarna, M., Brown, K., & McCormick, R. (2024). Federal Efforts Towards Investing in Innovation in Education Through the i3 Fund. NCEE 2024-002r. U.S. Department of Education.
- Dastrup, S., Harvill, E., & Klerman, J. (2023). Cost-Benefit Analysis for RESEA Programs: A Handbook. U.S. Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office.
- McCormick, R., Harvill, E., Mendez, J., & Shea, M. (2021). New Mexico Charter School Study: Findings Report. Abt Associates.
- Martinson, K., Harvill, E., & Schwartz, D. (2020). The Effectiveness of Different Approaches for Moving Cash Assistance Recipients to Work: Findings from the Job Search Assistance Strategies Evaluation. OPRE Report 2020-113.
- Peck, L.R., Litwok, D., Walton, D., Harvill, E., & Werner, A. (2019). HPOG 1.0 Impact Study: Three-Year Impacts Report. OPRE Report 2019-114.
- Harvill, E.L., Peck, L.R., & Bell, S.H. (2013). On Overfitting in Analysis of Symmetrically Predicted Endogenous Subgroups from Randomized Experimental Samples. American Journal of Evaluation, 34(4).
Contact
Let’s discuss your evaluation
Whether you’re scoping a new study, need a second methodological opinion, or want help meeting federal evidence standards, I’d be glad to hear about the work.
- LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/eleanor-harvill
- Based Portland, OR · Available nationwide