Community Based Development Program

Research initiative joint with Prof. Dr. Markus Frölich (SIAW and University of Mannheim).The aim of the project is to develop a (long term) research environment for the evaluation of socio-economic policy interventions in developing economies and in the fields of health, employment and education. There exists a large body of data from Sub-Saharan economies mostly based on cross-sectional surveys that are countrywide representatives but fail to offer follow up interviews for the same individuals over time. This lack of ‘Panel data' format is often the reason why policy evaluation may be conducted at the macroeconomic level where estimation of dynamic effects requires only available aggregates. The effects of the socio-economic policies, on the other hand, are subject to idiosyncratic behaviour that changes according to sub-groups in the population. Thus, idiosyncratic effects require dynamic analysis that deals with data at the microeconomic level. In our project we aim at using quasi-aggregation at cluster level to convert cross-sectional data (e.g., DHS data) into panel data that follows clusters over time. Our empirical analysis targets estimation of policy effects (e.g., information campaigns, provision of free primary school, micro-credit creation) on health outcomes, educational outcomes and employment outcomes. First working paper: HIV/AIDS-Knowledge and behaviour: Have information campaigns reduced HIV infection? The case of Kenya (joint work with Markus Froelich) - see working paper series below