IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jdevef/v9y2017i4p519-542.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can rigorous impact evaluations improve humanitarian assistance?

Author

Listed:
  • Jyotsna Puri
  • Anastasia Aladysheva
  • Vegard Iversen
  • Yashodhan Ghorpade
  • Tilman Brück

Abstract

Each year billions of US-dollars of humanitarian assistance are mobilised in response to man-made emergencies and natural disasters. Yet, rigorous evidence for how best to intervene remains scant. This dearth reflects that rigorous impact evaluations of humanitarian assistance pose major methodological, practical and ethical challenges. While theory-based impact evaluations can crucially inform humanitarian programming, popular methods, such as orthodox RCTs, are less suitable. Instead, factorial designs and quasi-experimental designs can be ethical and robust, answering questions about how to improve the delivery of assistance. We argue that it helps to be prepared, planning impact evaluations before the onset of emergencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Jyotsna Puri & Anastasia Aladysheva & Vegard Iversen & Yashodhan Ghorpade & Tilman Brück, 2017. "Can rigorous impact evaluations improve humanitarian assistance?," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 519-542, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevef:v:9:y:2017:i:4:p:519-542
    DOI: 10.1080/19439342.2017.1388267
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/19439342.2017.1388267
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/19439342.2017.1388267?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. World Bank & United Nations, 2010. "Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters : The Economics of Effective Prevention," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2512, December.
    2. Crost, Benjamin & Felter, Joseph H. & Johnston, Patrick B., 2016. "Conditional cash transfers, civil conflict and insurgent influence: Experimental evidence from the Philippines," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 171-182.
    3. Justino, Patricia & Bruck, Tilman & Verwimp, Philip (ed.), 2013. "A Micro-Level Perspective on the Dynamics of Conflict, Violence, and Development," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199664597.
    4. Patricia Justino & Tilman Brück & Philip Verwimp, 2013. "Research and policy implications from a micro-level perspective on the dynamics of conflict, violence and development," HiCN Working Papers 139, Households in Conflict Network.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Aysegül Kayaoglu & Ghassan Baliki & Tilman Brück & Melodie Al Daccache & Dorothee Weiffen, 2023. "How to conduct impact evaluations in humanitarian and conflict settings," HiCN Working Papers 387, Households in Conflict Network.
    2. Wolfgang Stojetz & Tilman Brück, 2021. "The Double Burden of Female Protracted Displacement: Survey Evidence on Gendered Livelihoods in El Fasher, Darfur," HiCN Working Papers 356, Households in Conflict Network.
    3. Brück, Tilman & d'Errico, Marco, 2019. "Food security and violent conflict: Introduction to the special issue," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 167-171.
    4. Claudia Paciarotti & Inna Valiakhmetova, 2021. "Evaluating Disaster Operations Management: An Outcome‐Process Integrated Approach," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(2), pages 543-562, February.
    5. A. Rebecca L. Hamilton & Björn Södergård & Marco Liverani, 2022. "The role of emergency medical teams in disaster response: a summary of the literature," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 110(3), pages 1417-1426, February.
    6. Tilman Brück & Oscar Mauricio Díaz Botía & Neil T. N. Ferguson & Jérôme Ouédraogo & Zacharias Ziegelhöfer, 2019. "Assets for Alimentation? The Nutritional Impact of Assets-based Programming in Niger," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(S1), pages 55-74, December.
    7. Alda, Erik & Cuesta, Jose, 2019. "Measuring the efficiency of humanitarian aid," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 1-1.
    8. Jeong,Dahyeon & Trako,Iva, 2022. "Cash and In-Kind Transfers in Humanitarian Settings : A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10026, The World Bank.
    9. Mogge, Lukas & Roeckert, Julian & Krähnert, Kati, 2024. "Impacts of anticipatory cash transfers in the context of weather disasters," Ruhr Economic Papers 1065, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    10. Quattrochi, John & Aker, Jenny & van der Windt, Peter Cornelis & Voors, Maarten, 2020. "Field Experiments and Humanitarian Assistance," SocArXiv px75z, Center for Open Science.
    11. Moussa, Wael & Salti, Nisreen & Irani, Alexandra & Mokdad, Rima Al & Jamaluddine, Zeina & Chaaban, Jad & Ghattas, Hala, 2022. "The impact of cash transfers on Syrian refugee children in Lebanon," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    12. Hirvonen, Kalle & Sohnesen, Thomas Pave & Bundervoet, Tom, 2020. "Impact of Ethiopia’s 2015 drought on child undernutrition," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    13. Quattrochi, John & Aker, Jenny C. & van der Windt, Peter & Voors, Maarten, 2020. "Contributions of experimental approaches to development and poverty alleviation: Field experiments and humanitarian assistance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    14. Philip Verwimp & Patricia Justino & Tilman Brück, 2018. "The Microeconomics of Violent Conflict," HiCN Working Papers 280, Households in Conflict Network.
    15. Tilman Brück & Neil T N Ferguson & Valeria Izzi & Wolfgang Stojetz, 2021. "Can Jobs Programs Build Peace? [Intergroup Conflict and Intra-Group Punishment in an Experimental Contest Game]," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank Group, vol. 36(2), pages 234-259.
    16. Tilman Brück & Neil T. N. Ferguson, 2020. "Money can’t buy love but can it buy peace? Evidence from the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE II)," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 37(5), pages 536-558, September.
    17. Sachin Modgil & Rohit Kumar Singh & Cyril Foropon, 2022. "Quality management in humanitarian operations and disaster relief management: a review and future research directions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 319(1), pages 1045-1098, December.
    18. Carrie B Dolan & Kaci Kennedy McDade, 2020. "Pulling the purse strings: Are there sectoral differences in political preferencing of Chinese aid to Africa?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-18, April.
    19. Shannon Doocy & Martin Busingye & Emily Lyles & Elizabeth Colantouni & Bridget Aidam & George Ebulu & Kevin Savage, 2020. "Cash-based assistance and the nutrition status of pregnant and lactating women in the Somalia food crisis: A comparison of two transfer modalities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, April.
    20. Aysegül Kayaoglu & Ghassan Baliki & Tilman Brück, 2023. "Conducting (Long-term) Impact Evaluations in Humanitarian and Conflict Settings: Evidence from a complex agricultural intervention in Syria," HiCN Working Papers 386, Households in Conflict Network.
    21. Elisabetta Aurino & Sara Giunti, 2022. "Social Protection for Child Development in Crisis: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps [School Feeding Reduces Anemia Prevalence in Adolescent Girls and Other Vulnerable Household Members in a ," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank Group, vol. 37(2), pages 229-263.
    22. Dorothee Weiffen & Ghassan Baliki & Tilman Brück, 2022. "Violent conflict moderates food security impacts of agricultural asset transfers in Syria: A heterogeneity analysis using machine learning," HiCN Working Papers 381, Households in Conflict Network.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brück, Tilman & d’Errico, Marco & Pietrelli, Rebecca, 2019. "The effects of violent conflict on household resilience and food security: Evidence from the 2014 Gaza conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 203-223.
    2. Howe, Paul, 2019. "The triple nexus: A potential approach to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Philip Verwimp & Patricia Justino & Tilman Brück, 2018. "The Microeconomics of Violent Conflict," HiCN Working Papers 280, Households in Conflict Network.
    4. Margarita Gáfaro & Ana María Ibáñez & Patricia Justino, 2022. "Community organization and armed group behaviour: Evidence from Colombia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-2, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Kubota, Yuichi, 2017. "Imagined Statehood: Wartime Rebel Governance and Post-war Subnational Identity in Sri Lanka," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 199-212.
    6. Patricia Justino, 2017. "Food Security, Peacebuilding and Gender Equality: Conceptual Framework and Future Directions," HiCN Working Papers 257, Households in Conflict Network.
    7. Justino, Patricia, 2016. "Supply and demand restrictions to education in conflict-affected countries: New research and future agendas," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 76-85.
    8. Anke Hoeffler & Patricia Justino, 2023. "Aid and fragile states," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-83, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Travers Barclay Child & Elena Nikolova, 2017. "War and Social Attitudes: Revisiting Consensus Views," HiCN Working Papers 258, Households in Conflict Network.
    10. Tilman Brück & Oscar Mauricio Díaz Botía & Neil T. N. Ferguson & Jérôme Ouédraogo & Zacharias Ziegelhöfer, 2019. "Assets for Alimentation? The Nutritional Impact of Assets-based Programming in Niger," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(S1), pages 55-74, December.
    11. Massimiliano Bratti & Mariapia Mendola & Alfonso Miranda, 2015. "Hard to Forget: the Long-Lasting Impact of War on Mental Health," Development Working Papers 388, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    12. Tilman Brück & Patricia Justino & Charles Patrick MartinShields, 2017. "Conflict and development: Recent research advances and future agendas," WIDER Working Paper Series 178, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. PatriÌ cia Justino & Wolfgang Stojetz, 2018. "On the Legacies of Wartime Governance," HiCN Working Papers 263, Households in Conflict Network.
    14. Tilman Brück & Patricia Justino & Charles Patrick Martin-Shields, 2017. "Conflict and development: Recent research advances and future agendas," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-178, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Brück, Tilman & d'Errico, Marco, 2019. "Food security and violent conflict: Introduction to the special issue," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 167-171.
    16. Hamid Reza Oskorouchi, 2019. "Learning to Fight: Afghan Child Health and In‐utero Exposure to Conflict," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 45(2), pages 275-300, June.
    17. Pivovarova, Margarita & Swee, Eik Leong, 2015. "Quantifying the Microeconomic Effects of War Using Panel Data: Evidence From Nepal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 308-321.
    18. Patricia Justino, 2018. "The need to be governed: Governance and violence in conflict contexts," Economics of Peace and Security Journal, EPS Publishing, vol. 13(1), pages 5-11, April.
    19. Parlow, Anton, 2016. "Adult Health Outcomes during War: The Case of Afghanistan," MPRA Paper 76365, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Anne T. Kuriakose & Rasmus Heltberg & William Wiseman & Cecilia Costella & Rachel Cipryk & Sabine Cornelius, 2013. "Climate-Responsive Social Protection," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 31, pages 19-34, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H84 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Disaster Aid
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jdevef:v:9:y:2017:i:4:p:519-542. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RJDE20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.