· In Science last week, a RCT in Bangladesh introduced better operational practices to brick kilns, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions, while also increasing brick quality and profitability. The results “demonstrate the potential for privately profitable, as well as publicly beneficial, improvements to address environmental problems in informal industries.” – whereas regulatory efforts have not been effective. They also summarize the paper on VoxDev.
· A nice short review article by Park et al on what recent studies have found around the psychology of poverty “An emerging literature on “the psychology of poverty” suggests that the experience of poverty itself has psychological consequences, some of which may make escaping poverty more difficult. We synthesize the evidence base from both psychology and economics using an organizing framework comprising four sets of mechanisms: cognitive function, mental health, beliefs, and preferences. We discuss the strength of the evidence supporting both how poverty affects these four mechanisms and how these four mechanisms in turn affect poverty.”….” the existing evidence has clearly established proof of concept that psychological factors exist in the experience of and response to poverty” but “there is still a lack of evidence on whether these psychological effects are large enough in magnitude to meaningfully impede an individual’s ability to escape poverty. A key frontier of this literature is assessing the relative importance of psychological factors relative to more market-based or structural factors in the perpetuation of poverty.”
· AI: From the Agency Fund, a blog on a framework for different types of evaluation for using AI to improve development outcomes – from model evaluation (e.g. is the AI chatbot giving the responses you’d like it to give), to product evaluation (are users using it as intended), user evaluation (is it changing how users think, feel and act), to impact evaluation (how is it affecting development outcomes?). And on the CGD blog, Han Sheng Chia and our former blogger Markus Goldstein discuss identifying smart bets in AI applications for development. “we propose organizing investment in AI powered interventions into three buckets: (1) Supercharging proven solutions, (2) Tackling known problems lacking solutions, and (3) Exploring unknown unknowns….Given AI’s early stage, impact isn't guaranteed, and each of the three approaches carries different levels of risk and potential benefit. For example, the clearest opportunities lie in bucket one—enhancing proven interventions. If evidence shows students learn best when taught at their skill level, AI could help deliver this tailored instruction cheaply and at scale. In bucket one, the key questions are about whether AI enhances the underlying mechanisms that drive impact and is less about the mechanisms themselves.”…” AI is the shiny new thing. Hype mixed with anxiety about being left behind can lead to a misallocation of resources.”
· J-PAL evidence notes on workplace interventions to improve worker well-being (e.g. better health and safety protocols in factories, low cost interventions to reduce noise and temperature, giving workers more voice, and soft skills training); and on improving sanitation access through subsidies, loans, and community-led programs: “There were three overarching findings. First, most sanitation interventions improved access to toilets. While many programs also boosted toilet usage, the relationship between increased access and usage was not one-to-one. Second, programs that provided subsidies or other support to build toilets were most successful at boosting household toilet ownership and usage. However, they rarely improved health outcomes like diarrhea, parasitic infection, or child growth, even when they increased toilet access and usage. Programs often fell far short of universal toilet coverage or usage, which may be necessary to realize health benefits from improved sanitation.”
· Robyn Meeks edits a new VoxDevLit on electricity infrastructure in developing countries. “Simply connecting households to the grid does not automatically lead to economic transformation. Existing research highlights that the impacts of electrification can depend on factors such as baseline household income, complementary infrastructure (such as roads or internet), the quality and reliability of electricity supply and the duration of reliable access. Studies have documented significant heterogeneity in electrification impacts based on geographic, economic, and institutional factors. For example, rural areas with lower baseline wealth and weaker infrastructure may experience smaller economic benefits from electrification compared to urban or peri-urban areas where businesses and higher-income households can leverage electricity for productivity gains”
· Conference calls for papers for work on women and jobs:
o Call for papers for a conference on women and jobs in Africa, to be held at the University of Ghana Legon November 11-12. They are looking for “empirical papers that delve into the critical barriers to – as well as the opportunities to promote - women's economic participation. Priority will be given to research that studies policy solutions tailored to the unique economic landscapes of Africa to spur economic growth.” Submission deadline June 30.
o And for a sister event on women and jobs in Latin America, to be held at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia on October 6-7, with submissions due June 15.
· And a conference call for papers for an IDB research conference on digital technologies as drivers of growth and well-being – submissions due May 22.
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