Jenny C. Aker of Clark University authored a paper using data from a randomized experiment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The data compares the impacts and costs of equivalently-valued cash and voucher transfers in a humanitarian context. The study found voucher programs distorted household purchases but showed no significant differences in food consumption or well-being compared to cash.
Use Cases
- Comparing the cost-effectiveness of cash versus voucher transfers based on experimental data.
- Analyzing household purchase distortion along extensive and intensive margins based on transfer modality.
- Modeling impacts on food consumption and well-being measures from different aid types.
- Assessing the role of market resale in mediating the effects of voucher-based aid programs.
Strengths
- Data originates from a randomized experiment, which suggests a rigorous causal design.
- The study directly compares two major aid modalities (cash and vouchers) with equivalently-valued transfers.
- Analysis includes both impact measures (consumption, well-being) and cost-effectiveness for implementing agencies and recipients.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
- Source
- Jenny C. Aker, Clark University
- Collection Method
- Data collected from a randomized experiment.
- Geography
- Democratic Republic of Congo