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The Political Economy of Bad Data: Evidence from African Survey & Administrative Studies- Working Paper 373

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  • Justin Sandefur and Amanda Glassman

Abstract

Across multiple African countries, discrepancies between administrative data and independent household surveys suggest official statistics systematically exaggerate development progress. We provide evidence for two distinct explanations of these discrepancies. First, governments misreport to foreign donors, as in the case of a results-based aid program rewarding reported vaccination rates. Second, national governments are themselves misled by frontline service providers, as in the case of primary education, where official enrollment numbers diverged from survey estimates after funding shifted from user fees to per pupil government grants. Both syndromes highlight the need for incentive compatibility between data systems and funding rules.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin Sandefur and Amanda Glassman, 2014. "The Political Economy of Bad Data: Evidence from African Survey & Administrative Studies- Working Paper 373," Working Papers 373, Center for Global Development.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgd:wpaper:373
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    File URL: http://www.cgdev.org/publication/political-economy-bad-data-evidence-african-survey-administrative-statistics-working
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    Cited by:

    1. Holzapfel, Sarah & Janus, Heiner, 2015. "Improving education outcomes by linking payments to results: an assessment of disbursement-linked indicators in five results-based approaches," IDOS Discussion Papers 2/2015, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    2. World Bank, "undated". "Africa's Pulse, October 2013 : An Analysis of Issues Shaping Africa's Economic Future," World Bank Publications - Reports 20237, The World Bank Group.
    3. Barakat, Bilal, 2016. "“Sorry I forgot your birthday!”: Adjusting apparent school participation for survey timing when age is measured in whole years," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 300-313.
    4. Calogero Carletto & Dean Jolliffe & Raka Banerjee, 2015. "From Tragedy to Renaissance: Improving Agricultural Data for Better Policies," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(2), pages 133-148, February.
    5. Victoria Menil, 2015. "Missed Opportunities in Global Health: Identifying New Strategies to Improve Mental Health in LMICs," Working Papers id:7987, eSocialSciences.
    6. Serajuddin,Umar & Uematsu,Hiroki & Wieser,Christina & Yoshida,Nobuo & Dabalen,Andrew L., 2015. "Data deprivation : another deprivation to end," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7252, The World Bank.
    7. Durante, Anna Christine & Lapitan, Pamela & Megill, David & Rao , Lakshman Nagraj, 2018. "Improving Paddy Rice Statistics Using Area Sampling Frame Technique," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 565, Asian Development Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Africa; national statistics systems; household surveys; administrative data; immunization; school enrollment; EMIS; HMIS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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