RCT | VoxDev

The path to scale: From randomised control trial to scalable programme

An RCT conducted in Bangladesh found positive impacts on incomes and calorie consumption; academics and practitioners work together to scale it

Methods & Measurement

Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak Karen Levy Maira Reimão

Published

14.11.17

Incentivising safer sexual behaviour: Evidence from a lottery experiment on HIV prevention

Lottery incentives targeting risk lovers led to a 20% reduction in HIV incidence

Health

Martina Björkman-Nyqvist Lucia Corno Damien de Walque Jakob Svensson

Published

30.10.17

Exerting market power: Competition among agricultural traders in Kenya

Low competition undermines consumer welfare. Collusive agreements are flexible enough to deflect the effect of a small number of new traders.

Agriculture

Lauren Falcao Bergquist

Published

27.10.17

The role of disbursement timing in conditional cash transfer programmes: Long-term effects

An experiment in Colombia shows that delaying disbursement of conditional cash transfers can have substantial long-term effects on educational investment

Social Protection

Felipe Barrera-Osorio Leigh Linden Juan Saavedra

Published

17.10.17

The skills to pay the bills: Returns to on-the-job soft skills training

In a randomised controlled trial in India, the returns to a firm’s investment in worker soft skill training were nearly 250% after nine months

Firms

Achyuta Adhvaryu Namrata Kala Anant Nyshadham

Published

16.10.17

Hiring do-gooders or go-getters: Attracting talent to improve public service delivery in Zambia

In an experiment conducted with the Ministry of Health, workers recruited via career incentive ads proved more effective at delivering health services

Public Economics

Oriana Bandiera Julia Tobias Nava Ashraf

Published

13.10.17

A better way to train small business owners: Using psychology to teach personal initiative

A new personal initiative training programme outperformed traditional business training in increasing profits for informal firms in Togo

Firms

Markus Goldstein David McKenzie

Published

12.10.17

Forest conservation in Uganda: Using financial incentives to avert climate change

Payments for ecosystem services programmes for landowners reduce deforestation, presenting a cost-effective approach to cutting CO2 emissions

Energy & Environment

Seema Jayachandran

Published

28.09.17

Mentorship helps Kenyan microenterprises profit

Entrepreneurs with mentors enjoy an increase in profits and manage supplier costs better. Mentorship is also more cost effective than business classes.

Firms

Wyatt Brooks Kevin Donovan Terrence Johnson

Published

19.09.17