Attribution is how much a certain outcome was caused by a program. The programs we evaluate do not operate in a vacuum – there are outside forces that may also contribute to the outcomes we see. For example, we are evaluating a program designed to reduce youth homelessness, and after 1 year we saw a 5% reduction in homelessness. How much of this 5% was caused by the program we are evaluating? How much may be attributed to other programs and policies that affected youth homelessness over that year?

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