Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 97 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

Displaying 1-8 of 252
Nurses catering to a child

Digital Monitoring and Health Service Provision in Sierra Leone

Erika Deserranno
Andrea Guariso
Gianmarco Leon
In many countries, rural populations access social services through decentralized systems that hire community-based workers with high monitoring needs, leaving little time for supervisors to perform other essential functions. Researchers are evaluating the impact of a phone-based e-monitoring app...
A woman bows her head in prayer while seated in a pew

The Impact of a Christian Values Program on Wellbeing in the Philippines

Gharad Bryan
James Choi
Dean Karlan
In the Philippines, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to measure the impact of an evangelical Protestant religious values and theology education program on individuals' economic and subjective wellbeing.
student learning from books in the classroom of their school, scene in a rural or small village school in India

The Impact of Sustained Cognitive Effort on Student Performance in India

Christina Brown
Supreet Kaur
Geeta Kingdon
Heather Schofield
Researchers evaluated the impact of practicing sustained cognitive activity on cognitive endurance and school performance in Lucknow, India. Students that spent additional time engaging in sustained cognitive effort received higher grades in all of their classes, improved their performance on tests...
Social distancing in Ghana

Cash and Compliance with Social Distancing in Ghana

Dean Karlan
Matt Lowe
Robert Osei
Isaac Osei-Akoto
Benjamin Roth
Christopher Udry
The researchers aim to understand the role that digital cash transfers can play as a policy tool both to increase household resilience during the pandemic and to stem the spread of the disease by increasing adherence to social distancing in Ghana.
Woman in Living Goods uniform points at medicine bottle while mother of newborn watches

An Entrepreneurial Model of Community Health Delivery in Uganda

Andrea Guariso
Martina Björkman Nyqvist
Jakob Svensson
David Yanagizawa-Drott
In Uganda, an incentivized community health promoter program increased health care access, knowledge, and health-promoting behaviors among households, leading to a 27 percent reduction in child mortality.
Narrow mud passage between corrugated walls

Creating a Toilet Habit in Kenya

Berhe Beyene
Johann Caro Burnett
Judy Chevalier
Mushfiq Mobarak
Despite expanding access to sanitary options such as community toilets, many individuals, especially in urban slums, continue to practice open defecation. One potential explanation is that open defecation has become an ingrained habit. Applying lessons from psychology and neuroscience, researchers...
Girls in uniforms lounge outside on mat

Teaching Girls Negotiation Skills in Zambia

Nava Ashraf
Natalie Bau
Corinne Low
Kathleen McGinn
In Sub-Saharan Africa, young girls drop out of school at higher rates than boys. A large portion of drop outs occur between primary and secondary school, when families in most countries have to start paying fees for their children to continue attending school. In Zambia, researchers designed and...
Health care workers in Sierra Leone put on personal protective equipment during the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak.

Building Resilient Health Systems: Community Monitoring and Nonfinancial Awards During Sierra Leone's 2014 Ebola Outbreak

Oeindrila Dube
Johannes Haushofer
Bilal Siddiqi
Maarten Voors
Researchers partnered with the Government of Sierra Leone to evaluate the impact of community monitoring and nonfinancial awards programs on health care utilization and health outcomes. Both programs improved clinic utilization, patient satisfaction, and symptom reporting during the 2014 Ebola...