By Cynthia Hobbs, Darrell Hull, Lincoln Williams and Carolyn Thomas In Jamaica, more than 120,000 “unattached” 16-to-24 year-olds are not in school and are not working. Youth unemployment in Jamaica is more than twice (30.3 percent) that of adults (13.5 percent) and crime rates are highest among 18- to 24-year-old males. Many young people in this age bracket have … [Read more...] about Positive Youth Development in Jamaica – A National Project
Public Policy
How much do impact evaluations (really) help policymaking?
by Eva Vivalt. Increasingly rigorous studies have been done on the effects of development programs with the hope that these studies' results will inform policy decisions. However, the same program often has different effects in different contexts. There are many different variables that can affect what will happen. The key question is then: to what extent can we … [Read more...] about How much do impact evaluations (really) help policymaking?
The Juana Azurduy Voucher Program: health services for mothers and their children
“I didn’t go to the health center because it took a long time, and on top of that they treated me badly,” recounted a Quechua woman in the town of Oruro, Bolivia. “We have our own customs for childbirth”. She is not alone in those views. According to a recent national survey, the main reason why women avoid prenatal care is distrust of health personnel (26 percent). … [Read more...] about The Juana Azurduy Voucher Program: health services for mothers and their children
Short-term triggers of agricultural productivity in Bolivia
Thanks to the implementation of CRIAR's program, beneficiary households diversify their crop portfolio, producing nontraditional crops with greater value added in larger areas. At the same time beneficiary households are modifying their household economy, moving from self-sustainment toward a more market-oriented structure. Carlos Pacheco is one of 17,000 beneficiaries … [Read more...] about Short-term triggers of agricultural productivity in Bolivia
Cows and kilowatts: opportunities for development
by Jesús Tejeda A program in Ecuador is a classic example of how electrification in isolated rural and urban areas can raise living standards and boost economic growth. Each morning at 4 a.m. as the cocks begin to crow, women in the Prado communities of Ecuador's Pichincha province put on their woolen pants, wrap-around shawls, and bowler hats, and head into the hilly … [Read more...] about Cows and kilowatts: opportunities for development