In a recent paper that I wrote with Irani Arraiz and Francisca Henriquez we find that the Chilean Supplier Development Program benefited both small and medium-sized suppliers and large firms buying their production. This paper is –to the best of our knowledge—the first to present results of an impact evaluation of a supplier development program in Latin America and the … [Read more...] about Are supplier development programs effective at improving firm performance?
What does and doesn't work in development
Randomizing civil service reform
If anything is clear in the development business, it is that attracting and retaining a qualified and motivated civil service is one of the hardest things to do. And the impact of not having such a work force is stunning if one believes the recent – and very illuminating and controversial – results from the paper by Tessa Bold and others on contract teachers in Kenya. Gabriel … [Read more...] about Randomizing civil service reform
Second-tier development banks: some evidence from Colombia
In an effort to shed some light on the effectiveness of government-owned development Banks, the Institutions for Development Sector (IDS) at the IDB financed two studies on the impact of Bancoldex, the second-tier public development Bank in Colombia. The two studies, which I co-authored with Marcela Meléndez and Marcela Eslava, evaluate the effect of Bancoldex on both firm … [Read more...] about Second-tier development banks: some evidence from Colombia
Is religion good for health and education?
It’s Easter, or as the Uruguayans call it, “tourism week”. So let us talk about religion and development. The immense majority of the world’s population is religious and believes that religion is important. According to the World Values Survey, 70% of the world’s population considers them-selves a “religious person”. In almost all of the developing countries that participate … [Read more...] about Is religion good for health and education?
And the jury is back: One Laptop per Child is not enough
In 2008 a couple of economists from the IDB visited the Peruvian Ministry of Education to meet with the Education Technology Director. Our purpose was to evaluate an old IDB-project that provided computer labs to middle schools. We were welcomed and were provided with all the support to carry out that evaluation. We were told that the Government's real interest was in … [Read more...] about And the jury is back: One Laptop per Child is not enough