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General

Study Overview

Title:

A Randomized Controlled Study of Cash Transfer Modalities on Livelihoods and Economic Behavior in Iraq

Study is 3ie funded:

No

Study ID:

RIDIE-STUDY-ID-5de0a4cf67c56

Initial Registration Date:

11/28/2019

Last Update Date:

10/07/2019

Study Status:

Ongoing

Abstract:

The primary goal of this research is to provide a means for understanding the range of well-being outcomes for beneficiaries across different cash transfer schedules and supplementary programming while minimizing the overall disruption to ongoing humanitarian and development objectives.

Categories:

Economic Policy
Social Protection

Additional Keywords:

Secondary ID Number(s):

Principal Investigator(s)

Name of First PI:

Reimar Maracanas

Affiliation:

Causal Design

Name of Second PI:

Alex Porter

Affiliation:

Causal Design

Intervention

Intervention Overview

Intervention:

Cash transfer program in Iraq targetting communities affected by conflict. The objective is to understand the impact of cash tranfers on well-being in conflict affected areas.

Theory of Change:

Cash transfers delivered in conflict-affected areas will affect economic recovery of beneficiary households and specific cash transfer schedules will affect household recovery strategies. All beneficiary groups should demonstrate improved outcomes over control group counterparts that do not immediately receive a transfer. Households receiving lump sum payments will be more likely to prioritize economic investments, particularly those that require larger cash investments, over daily needs and consumption due to the size of the payment.

Multiple Treatment Arms Evaluated?

Yes

Implementing Agency

Name of Organization:

MercyCorps

Type of Organization:

NGO (International)

Program Funder

Name of Organization:

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Type of Organization:

Public Sector, e.g. Government Agency or Ministry

Intervention Timing

Intervention or Program Started at time of Registration?

Yes

Start Date:

06/01/2019

End Date:

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:

The evaluation will conduct a phased ranodmized control trial. The evaulation will use existing vulnerability assessment tools (namely a proxy means test) to define the sampling frame. The research team will then use stratified randomization select treament arms and ensure that they are balanced across indicators (namely geography, household characteristics, sources of income). Analysis of the results will include summary statistics and OLS regression analysis (for continuous variables) and logistical regression (for binary variables)

Outcomes (Endpoints):

The primary outcome is economic recovery as measure by an aggregate wellbeing indicator. This measure will rely on two primary survey level tools.

Unit of Analysis:

Individuals

Hypotheses:

Primary hypothesis:

Households receiving lump sum payments will be more likely to prioritize economic investments, particularly those that require larger cash investments, over daily needs and consumption due to the size of the payment. Despite, receiving the same amount of cash by the final transfer, it is expected that our tranche payment groups will more likely prioritize smaller consumption purposes and meeting immediate needs as a means of promoting economic recovery. It is expected that all treatment groups should demonstrate improved outcomes over control group counterparts that do not immediately receive a transfer.

Secondary hyptheses: 

Households receiving even distributions should mirror basic needs outcomes for households receiving smaller initial disbursements of 200 USD at early stages of the cash transfer. However, it is expected that the difference in size of the final transfer should result in different economic recovery activities. Households receiving the larger 800 dollar transfer later in the schedule should demonstrate higher levels of economic investment in comparison to the group receiving 400 dollars consistently throughout the cash transfer process. 

The research team hypothesizes that since all beneficiary households are identified as vulnerable, it is unlikely that we should overall large reductions in labor income as households would still be focused on some form of economic recovery. However, we may see temporary shifts in labor allocation as the cash transfers have the potential for changing income dynamics in the home. 

The research team hypothesizes that financial services will result in a prioritization of economic investment or stabilization activities that are more geared towards long term benefits when paired with cash transfer(s) in Iraq. 

Unit of Intervention or Assignment:

Individuals

Number of Clusters in Sample:

Individuals will be randomly selected from 20 different administrative locations across three governorates

Number of Individuals in Sample:

At least 805 individuals

Size of Treatment, Control, or Comparison Subsamples:

At least 115 per subsample

Data

Outcomes Data

Description:

Two survey tools: A vulnerability assessment that captures a wide range of economic and emergency coping strategies and an economic, social capital, and psycological well being survey.

Data Already Collected?

No

Data Previously Used?

Data Access:

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

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:

Registration Category

Registration Category:

Prospective, Category 1: Data for measuring impacts have not been collected

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: