IPA Research on Cash Benchmarking in Rwanda Featured in the New York Times
Media Coverage
September 19, 2018

In the New York Times Fixes Column, Marc Gunther writes about an IPA study on cash benchmarking in Rwanda. The study compared how a standard WASH and nutrition program compares to just giving people cash, measuring impacts on indicators of poverty and malnutrition. While that column was released before the results were out, you can read Gunther’s reflections on the implications of the results on his blog, here.
NPR's Planet Money on Breaking Up Senegal's "Poop Cartels"
Media Coverage
July 26, 2018

NPR's Planet Money interviews economist Molly Lipscomb along with current and former IPA staff, and goes to Senegal to describe our work there. Veteran economics journalist Robert Smith explains how markets for household "desludging" waste removal weren't working, keeping essential services out of many households' reach, and what IPA did about it.
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To Fee or Not to Fee? Designing Inclusive Savings Products for Women
Silvia Prina
April 17, 2018

By Alejandra Martinez and Danielle Moore

Reducing transaction fees and increasing proximity to bank branches seems like a no-brainer for increasing account usage. And predictably enough, a body of research points to transaction costs broadly defined, including fees, distance from a bank branch, difficult administrative processes, as a major barrier to savings. However, for women in the developing world, experimental evidence paints a more complicated picture about the ways in which transaction costs may affect financial inclusion.

 

In one study, reinforcing conventional...
Quartz Features IPA Research on Growth Charts in Zambia
Media Coverage
February 10, 2018

Quartz reports on IPA findings in rural Zambia that simple, low-cost growth charts reduced malnutrition. Among previously malnourished children, the charts reduced stunting by 22 percentage points, and they appear to be a cost-effective tool to reduce physical growth deficits in this context. Read more about the evaluation here.
Kenya leads globally in what works
Media Coverage
January 20, 2018

In an op-ed in the Daily Nation, IPA Kenya Country Director Suleiman Asman and IPA Associate Director of Policy & Communications Heidi McAnnally-Linz discuss IPA's extensive breadth of work in Kenya to date and the opportunities for rigorous evidence to inform the country's education policies and improve student learning outcomes. 
The Star reports on conference co-organized by IPA in Kenya
Media Coverage
December 27, 2017

On November 21, IPA and the government of Kenya's Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat co-hosted a one-day policy forum to discuss evidence and relevant policy lessons in health, water, and sanitation. The Star (Kenya) reported on the conference and the broader state of the health sector in Kenya. 
The Daily Star Features IPA Studies on Mobile Finance and Gender Inequality in Bangladesh
Media Coverage
July 17, 2017

IPA researchers Jonathan Morduch and Christopher Woodruff discuss their study results on mobile financial services and obstacles to hiring female garment workers to supervisory roles in Bangladesh.
IPA Featured in Demand: How Constraints Lead to Innovation
Media Coverage
April 15, 2017

In this article, Demand talks with Rachel Steinacher about IPA’s WASH study in Kenya, and chronicles the engineering process that went into testing, developing, and implementing an effective handwashing product.

"Highly specific project briefs sometimes make assumptions about user needs, which goes against best practice in human-centered design. But having a clear agenda and focused budget can help balance ideals with constraints."
U.S. News & World Report on IPA's Behavioral Interventions in Kenya
Media Coverage
March 27, 2017

The U.S. News & World Report discusses IPA's behavioral science research and RCT studies that are being conducted throughout Kenya. From the article:

Thanks to IPA and outfits like it, the next frontier for nudge theory is being developed in the developing world itself. The epicenter is Kenya – a country with relatively robust infrastructure that serves as a regional hub for international agencies and technology start-ups.
IPA Study on Child Nutrition in Myanmar Featured in Intellasia
Media Coverage
March 11, 2017

Among Southeast Asian Countries, Myanmar suffers particularly from flooding, cyclones, and landslides. For low-income populations, these natural disasters can be especially devastating, leading to child malnutrition and unsanitary conditions. Intellasia reports on how IPA Myanmar is partnering with Save the Children to generate evidence on the effectiveness of government-led cash transfer programs on child nutrition and hygiene.
AllAfrica on IPA's testing improved sanitation in Senegal
Media Coverage
March 01, 2017

For households with latrines in many low-income households, finding an affordable provider to remove the waste in a sanitary way can be difficult. AllAfrica reports on a new program tested by IPA in Senegal to improve sanitation for households there.
Finding Impact Podcast: Motivating Community Health Workers
Media Coverage
February 19, 2017

In this episode of the Finding Impact podcast, Liz Jarman talks about how to motivate a network of community health workers and cites an IPA study, whilst ensuring real-time performance management through their health mobile phone app.
Running a Randomized Control Trial in a Real Health System
Anne Karing
February 16, 2017

By Anne Karing and Arthur Baker

Editor’s note: This cross-post originally appeared on the Behavioral Economics in Reproductive Health Initiative (BERI) blog

Together with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone and CEGA’s Behavioral Economics for Reproductive health Initiative, IPA Sierra Leone has launched a new randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of social incentives in the form of colored bracelets on demand for antenatal care (ANC) and delivery with a doctor or nurse.

In 2016, we wrote a post on our efforts in piloting the...
IPA in the Washington Post with What We've Learned About Poverty
Media Coverage
January 01, 2017

IPA Executive Director Annie Duflo and Senior Policy Communications Associate Jeff Mosenkis write about our work in The Washington Post. Arguing against prevailing views that the world is getting worse, they show that many measures of poverty have been improving, and cite four recent areas where we've learned what works. Read the full piece from the link below.
Quartz on IPA Study Showing Reduction in Infant Mortality
Media Coverage
December 30, 2016

Quartz discusses IPA's evaluation of a program in Uganda where women entrepreneurs bring healthcare to people's houses. The study found large reductions in child and infant mortality. You can read more from the link below.

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