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General

Study Overview

Title:

Return to capital in post-conflict context: Impact evaluation of asset and cash transfers in South Sudan

Study is 3ie funded:

No

Study ID:

RIDIE-STUDY-ID-5450e3f81fbc6

Initial Registration Date:

10/29/2014

Last Update Date:

10/28/2014

Study Status:

Ongoing

Location(s):

Sudan

Abstract:

The analysis of extreme poverty suggests that its persistence reflects the multiple and intersecting nature of the constraints experienced by the ultra-poor that keep them trapped in poverty. In response, BRAC, a large NGO in Bangladesh, launched an innovative new approach for reducing extreme poverty by addressing these multiple constraints simultaneously. Its ‘Targeting the Ultra-Poor’ (TUP) program takes an integrated approach, combining transfer of productive assets (primarily livestock), a cash stipend to support subsistence needs for the first year, intensive supervision, training and mentoring for two years and health care support. While there are growing amount of evidence on the effectiveness of this intervention in several countries, this pilot project evaluates its replication in South Sudan. In addition to measuring the impact of the program, our research also intends to assess cost-effectiveness of the intervention package by experimentally varying the value of transferred assets and directly comparing with unconditional cash transfer.

Registration Citation:

Sulaiman, M., Ligon, E., Collins, E., Barua, P. and Chowdhary, R.A., 2014. Return to capital in post-conflict context: Impact evaluation of asset and cash transfers in South Sudan. Registry for International Development for Impact Evaluations (RIDIE). Available at: 10.23846/ridie038

Categories:

Agriculture and Rural Development
Social Protection

Additional Keywords:

Ultra-poor, asset transfer, cash transfer, training

Secondary ID Number(s):

Principal Investigator(s)

Name of First PI:

Munshi Sulaiman

Affiliation:

Yale University

Name of Second PI:

Ethan Ligon, Elliot Collins, Proloy Barua and Reajul Alam Chowdhury

Affiliation:

University of Calofornia, Berkeley and BRAC

Study Sponsor

Name:

CEGA

Study Sponsor Location:

United States

Research Partner

Name of Partner Institution:

BRAC

Type of Organization:

NGO-international

Location:

Bangladesh

Intervention

Intervention Overview

Intervention:

There are three intervention arms. The first two are 'TUP' treatments where each household will receive regular tailored support including initial food stipends, livelihood skills training and assets, financial training and support with savings. The difference between these two TUP treatments is that our two groups vary in the value of the asset being transferred: one group receiving assets twice in value than the other. The third intervention group will receive cash equivalent to the value of asset transferred to TUP arm with low asset. The beneficiaries are selected through a combination of proxy-means indicators and community meetings to reach 'ultra-poor' households.

Theory of Change:

Multiple Treatment Arms Evaluated?

Yes

Implementing Agency

Name of Organization:

BRAC South Sudan

Type of Organization:

NGO (local)/Community Based Organization/Other civil society organization

Program Funder

Name of Organization:

DFID

Type of Organization:

Foreign or Multilateral Aid Agency

Intervention Timing

Intervention or Program Started at time of Registration?

No

Start Date:

10/15/2013

End Date:

12/01/2015

Evaluation Method

Evaluation Method Overview

Primary (or First) Evaluation Method:

Randomized control trial

Other (not Listed) Method:

Additional Evaluation Method (If Any):

Other (not Listed) Method:

Method Details

Details of Evaluation Approach:

First, based on local knowledge of BRAC employees, the target area is divided into clusters (i.e. villages) where the NGO operations are relatively low and the poorer households are clustered. A census is conducted in these selected clusters to collect information on assets and income. Eligible households were identified by using these indicators. Community meetings are conducted to verify eligibility of these households before they were finally selected by the intervention team. This list of households has been used to conduct the baseline survey. Randomization into the control and treatment arms is done at household level after completing baseline with four stratification variables (viz. median number of income earners, median of assets owned, whether involved in agriculture and whether has a business).

Outcomes (Endpoints):

Employment (in terms of hours spent in different types of economic activities: wage, agriculture, livestock rearing and non-farm) and income are the primary outcome variables. The secondary outcomes include financial and physical assets, food security, and food and non-food consumption. As intermediary outcomes, we intend to measure investment in assets by the households in cash treatment. Finally, we will use network data to explore spillover effects on control households.

Unit of Analysis:

Household

Hypotheses:

Unit of Intervention or Assignment:

Household

Number of Clusters in Sample:

Number of Individuals in Sample:

637

Size of Treatment, Control, or Comparison Subsamples:

Control: 255; TUP with low asset: 128; TUP with high asset: 127; Cash: 127

Data

Outcomes Data

Description:

1. Household survey: Baseline and endline. 2. A post-disbursement survey on households receiving cash transfers. 3. Program records on intervention

Data Already Collected?

Yes

Data Previously Used?

No

Data Access:

Not restricted - access with no requirements or minimal requirements (e.g. web registration)

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

No

Data Approval Process:

Approval Status:

Treatment Assignment Data

Participation or Assignment Information:

Yes

Description:

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

Data Previously Used?

Data Access:

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

Data Approval Process:

Approval Status:

Data Analysis

Data Analysis Status:

Study Materials

Upload Study Materials:

Survey instrument: ssudan TUP_questionnaire.pdf
Instrument for census: Census questions.docx
Stata do file to screen households using census data: Selection_do_flie.txt
Randomization do file: Randomization_do_file.txt

Registration Category

Registration Category:

Prospective, Category 2: Data for measuring impacts have been collected by others but not obtained or analyzed by the research team

Completion

Completion Overview

Intervention Completion Date:

Data Collection Completion Date:

Unit of Analysis:

Clusters in Final Sample:

Total Observations in Final Sample:

Size of Treatment, Control, or Comparison Subsamples:

Findings

Preliminary Report:

Preliminary Report URL:

Summary of Findings:

Paper:

Paper Summary:

Paper Citation:

Data Availability

Data Availability (Primary Data):

Date of Data Availability:

Data URL or Contact:

Access procedure:

Other Materials

Survey:

Survey Instrument Links or Contact:

Program Files:

Program Files Links or Contact:

External Link:

External Link Description:

Description of Changes:

Study Stopped

Date:

Reason: