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Evaluation
Improving Third-Party Audits and Regulatory Compliance in India
Researchers evaluated the impact of a reform to the pollution audit system in India, making auditors more independent, on the truthfulness of their reporting and the behavior of the firms they audited. Increasing their independence made them more likely to report the truth about industrial plants’ pollution levels.
Evaluation
Demand for Rainfall Insurance in India
Researchers tested how demand for weather insurance responded to different marketing schemes and price discounts. They found that demand was very price sensitive, but that poor understanding of the product, distrust of insurance agents, and liquidity constraints also limited take-up.
Evaluation
Searching for a Better Way to Teach Children to Read in India
In three related evaluations in India, researchers introduced an early childhood reading and comprehension program (Shishuvachan) in different contexts—integrated into first-grade classes in Mumbai public schools, implemented in preschools that were specifically designed to implement this program, and integrated into established preschool classes—in order to measure its impact on early literacy rates. Results show that the Shishuvachan program was very effective in improving students' reading skills.
Evaluation
Futures Prices and Risk Hedging in Gujarat, India
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to measure the impact of a crop price awareness program on reducing price uncertainty and promoting forward-looking planting decisions among farmers in India.
Evaluation
How to Teach English in India: Testing the Relative Productivity of Instruction Methods within the Pratham English Language Education Program
Researchers partnered with the Indian NGO Pratham to evaluate whether different technologies and implementation methods can increase students’ English test scores. Overall, the interventions were effective at increasing students’ knowledge of English.
Evaluation
Financial Literacy, Access to Finance, and the Effect of Being Banked in Indonesia
Researchers worked with Bank Rakyat Indonesia and the Microfinance Innovation Center for Resources and Alternatives to measure the impact of incentives and financial education on savings account take-up. Results indicated that the financial education program was not an effective tool for promoting the use of bank accounts, but modest financial subsidies did increase the share of households that opened a formal savings account. Overall, these results suggest that take-up of formal financial services may be more easily achieved through measures designed to reduce the price of financial services, rather than through large-scale financial literacy education.
Evaluation
School Libraries and Language Skills in Indian Primary Schools: A Randomized Evaluation of the Akshara Library Program
Researchers partnered with the Akshara Foundation in Bangalore, India to evaluate the impact of hiring trained librarians in primary schools on students’ academic achievement. Overall, the intervention had little effect on students' language, math, and science skills and had no impact on student attendance rates.
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Evidence for Social Policy in Europe
How can we design more effective social programmes across Europe? J-PAL affiliated researchers focus on the contribution made by randomised evaluations to the development of high-quality evidence for informing social policy.
Evaluation
Improving Loan Repayment through Positive Incentives in Uganda
Researchers evaluated the effect of (a) simple text message reminders and (b) financial incentives on borrowers' loan repayment. These methods had similarly positive effects, which suggests that the text message reminders may be a more cost-effective intervention. The reminders proved particularly effective for younger borrowers.
Evaluation
Cutting Through the Clutter: Making Insurance Choices Easier in the United States
Researchers evaluated the effect of personalized options information on seniors' plan choices. They found that people who received personalized information were more likely to change plans, resulting in an average saving of US$100 per year. This suggests that direct information delivery can decrease the difficulty of comparative research, thereby helping consumers make more informed decisions about government services.
Evaluation
Why Don't People Insure Late Life Consumption in the United States?
Researchers evaluated the effect of the framing of potential investment options on people's investment in life annuities. They found that individuals were more likely to prefer an annuity when their options emphasized future consumption, rather than framing options in terms of investments. These preferences were revealed in hypothetical, but realistic, scenarios.
Evaluation
Evaluating Village Savings and Loan Associations in Uganda
Researchers in Uganda assessed the impact of VSLAs on access to financial services, income, food security, and education.
Evaluation
Information Dissemination Campaign and Voters' Behavior in the 2009 Municipal Elections in Mexico
Researchers randomly assigned voting precincts to a campaign spreading information on corruption and public expenditure conducted one week before the 2009 municipal elections in Mexico. Providing incumbent corruption information not only decreased incumbent party support, but also decreased voter turnout and support for the challenger party, as well as eroded partisan attachments. While information clearly is necessary to improve accountability, corruption information is not sufficient because voters may respond to it by withdrawing from the political process.
Evaluation
Insurance, Credit and Technology Adoption in Malawi
In Malawi, researchers examined the effect of bundling rainfall index insurance with a credit program on farmers’ demand for credit. They found that bundling insurance with credit reduced the demand for credit, from 33 percent for credit alone to 17.6 percent for the bundled product.