Evaluations
Search our database of 785 randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 69 countries using keywords and filters, and view our library of policy publications.
Sector
Research Initiative
Policy Issue
Researcher
Region
Country
Status
Data Available
Featured
-
Labor Markets, Political Economy & Governance, Crime
The Impact of Employment on High-Risk Men in Liberia
Chris Blattman , Jeannie AnnanWithout special attention to creating economic opportunities for ex-combatants, they may be more likely to join rebellious groups, commit crime, and otherwise threaten political stability. In Liberia, researchers tested the effect of an intensive agricultural training program on employment activities, income, and socio-political integration.
-
Labor Markets
Organizational Barriers to Technology Adoption: Evidence from Soccer-Ball Producers in Pakistan
David Atkin , Azam Chaudhry, Eric Verhoogen, Shamyla Chaudry, Amit KhandelwalBusinesses may be slow to adopt a new technology even when it offers clear benefits. Researchers introduced a new fabric cutting technology to a randomly selected group of soccer ball manufacturers in Pakistan, but very few firms adopted it.
-
Education
Peer Group Assignment and Student Achievement in the United States
Bruce Sacerdote , Scott Carrell, James WestThe composition of peer groups is thought to impact productivity and academic achievement. Researchers evaluated the impact of creating peer groups optimized to improve the academic achievement of lower-ability first-year students at the United States Air Force Academy.
Finance, Health
Extending Health Insurance to the Informal Sector Through Microfinance in Nicaragua
Erica Field, Rebecca Thornton
, Laurel Hatt, Mursaleena Islam, Freddy Solis Diaz, Martha Gonzalez Monada, Anne Fitzpatrick
This evaluation measured the determinants of insurance enrollment as well as the impacts of having insurance for informal sector workers by randomly varying the costs and convenience of signing up for a government health insurance program available to formal and informal sector workers in Nicaragua. Overall, take-up of the insurance and retention rates were low, and enrolling in the program did...
Finance
Information and Social Interaction in Savings Decisions in the United States
Esther Duflo
, Emmanuel Saez
This evaluation studied the influence of information and social networks on university employees' decisions to enroll in a voluntary Tax Deferred Account (TDA) retirement plan in the United States. The results indicated that an individual’s decision to participate in the TDA is affected by small changes in their environment (i.e. in their social network), and not only by receiving increased...
Education
Computer-Assisted Learning Project with Pratham in India
In Vadodora, India, researchers studied the impact of supplementing classroom instruction with computer-assisted learning (CAL) in primary schools. CAL significantly improved student’s math scores, but was less cost-effective than the remedial tutor-based program, Balsakhi.
Finance
Group versus Individual Liability in the Philippines
Dean Karlan
, Xavier Giné
In this study, researchers randomly selected existing group-lending centers to convert to an individual liability model. They found no difference in repayment rates between individuals assigned individual liability and those assigned group liability, no change in overall profitability for the bank, and a reduction in voluntary savings for those removed from joint liability.
Finance
Valuing Trust in Shantytowns in Peru
Dean Karlan
, Markus Mobius, Tanya Rosenblat, Adam Szeidl
In collaboration with PRISMA, a Peruvian NGO offering credit through village banks, researchers designed and implemented a new loan product, which required new clients to be sponsored by existing clients, to measure the relative importance of social networks and prices for borrowing in shantytowns near Lima. Results demonstrated that borrowers were more likely to obtain sponsorship from friends....