Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 98 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

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Men lounge outside a meat shop in Pakistan.

Cognitive Behavioral Training to Improve Mental Health Among Conflict-Affected Entrepreneurs in Pakistan

Julian Jamison
Tasmia Rahman
Priyam Saraf
Mental health, well-being, and lasting economic outcomes are intimately connected, and in conflict-affected areas, entrepreneurs of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) experience chronic stress and poor mental health on a regular basis. Researchers evaluated the effects of supplementing a cash...
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Women's Entrepreneurship and Intimate Partner Violence in Uganda

Jeannie Annan
Chris Blattman
Eric Green
Julian Jamison
An evaluation of a microenterprise assistance program, with and without involving male partners, found that it improved women’s economic outcomes, but that depended on the quality of women’s relationships with their intimate partners. While the program had no impact on IPV, involving male partners...
Woman writes on papers while woman looks on from across the desk

The Impact of Credit-Scoring on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Lending and Performance in the Philippines

Gharad Bryan
Pamela Jakiela
Dean Karlan
Daniel Keniston
Researchers are working with a large bank in the Philippines, using random assignment to offer loans to SME applicants who fall just below the threshold to be automatically approved for a loan. Comparing firms that received the loans to a similar group that did not will allow for a better...
Photo of a job application

Examining Employer Race-based Discrimination Before and After Ban the Box

Amanda Agan
Sonja Starr
To better understand the connection between BTB policies and racial discrimination in hiring, researchers tested the impact of applicant race and criminal history on hiring decisions both before and after BTB policies came into effect in New Jersey and New York City. The results confirmed that...
farmer holding a basket on his head and a cell phone in his hand

Reducing Job Search Costs with an SMS-based Messaging App in Rural Tanzania

Dahyeon Jeong
The researcher conducted a randomized evaluation in rural Tanzania to determine the impact of an SMS-based messaging app that connects agricultural workers and employers on wages. He found that the SMS-based messaging app reduced wage spread within villages–meaning employers paid a wage closer to...
Woman on cell phone in Nigeria.

Information Provision via Mobile Phones to Increase Mobile Banking in Ghana

Emma Riley
Abu Shonchoy
Researchers partnered with Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited (OISL) to conduct a randomized evaluation to test the impact of high-frequency interactive voice response (IVR) calls on people’s use of mobile banking services and their financial behaviors in Ghana. People who received...
worker manufacture ethiopia

Job Fairs for Employment Matching in Ethiopia

Girum Abebe
Stefano Caria
Marcel Fafchamps
Paolo Falco
Simon Franklin
Simon Quinn
Forhad Shilpi
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation of job fairs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to test the effect of face-to-face interactions between formal firms and job seekers on workers’ chances of getting a job.
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The Impact of Transportation and Information Access on Women's Job Search and Employment in Pakistan

Erica Field
Robert Garlick
Nivedhitha Subramanian
Kate Vyborny
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of increased access to transportation and assistance with interview scheduling on women’s employment.