Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorBanerjee, Abhijit
dc.contributor.authorBanerji, Rukmini
dc.contributor.authorBerry, James
dc.contributor.authorDuflo, Esther
dc.contributor.authorKannan, Harini
dc.contributor.authorMukerji, Shobhini
dc.contributor.authorShotland, Marc
dc.contributor.authorWalton, Michael
dc.date.accessioned2018-02-20T15:48:43Z
dc.date.available2018-02-20T15:48:43Z
dc.date.issued2017-11
dc.identifier.issn0895-3309
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/113831
dc.description.abstractThe promise of randomized controlled trials is that evidence gathered through the evaluation of a specific program helps us—possibly after several rounds of fine-tuning and multiple replications in different contexts—to inform policy. However, critics have pointed out that a potential constraint in this agenda is that results from small "proof-of-concept" studies run by nongovernment organizations may not apply to policies that can be implemented by governments on a large scale. After discussing the potential issues, this paper describes the journey from the original concept to the design and evaluation of scalable policy. We do so by evaluating a series of strategies that aim to integrate the nongovernment organization Pratham's "Teaching at the Right Level" methodology into elementary schools in India. The methodology consists of reorganizing instruction based on children's actual learning levels, rather than on a prescribed syllabus, and has previously been shown to be very effective when properly implemented. We present evidence from randomized controlled trials involving some designs that failed to produce impacts within the regular schooling system but still helped shape subsequent versions of the program. As a result of this process, two versions of the programs were developed that successfully raised children's learning levels using scalable models in government schools. We use this example to draw general lessons about using randomized control trials to design scalable policies.en_US
dc.publisherAmerican Economic Associationen_US
dc.relation.isversionofhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1257/jep.31.4.73en_US
dc.rightsArticle is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.en_US
dc.sourceAmerican Economic Associationen_US
dc.titleFrom Proof of Concept to Scalable Policies: Challenges and Solutions, with an Applicationen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.identifier.citationBanerjee, Abhijit et al. “From Proof of Concept to Scalable Policies: Challenges and Solutions, with an Application.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 31, 4 (November 2017): 73–102 © 2017 American Economic Associationen_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economicsen_US
dc.contributor.departmentAbdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)en_US
dc.contributor.mitauthorBanerjee, Abhijit
dc.contributor.mitauthorDuflo, Esther
dc.relation.journalJournal of Economic Perspectivesen_US
dc.eprint.versionFinal published versionen_US
dc.type.urihttp://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticleen_US
eprint.statushttp://purl.org/eprint/status/PeerRevieweden_US
dc.date.updated2018-02-20T14:35:26Z
dspace.orderedauthorsBanerjee, Abhijit; Banerji, Rukmini; Berry, James; Duflo, Esther; Kannan, Harini; Mukerji, Shobhini; Shotland, Marc; Walton, Michaelen_US
dspace.embargo.termsNen_US
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9923-6088
dc.identifier.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6105-617X
mit.licensePUBLISHER_POLICYen_US


Files in this item

Thumbnail

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record