Foreign Investment and Local Welfare in Sierra Leone

A travel grant was awarded to Christensen et al. to explore an evaluation with Timap for Justice, a local civil society organization in Sierra Leone. The research team hoped to assess whether Timap’s programming improves relations between investors and local communities and increases the contribution of investments in commercial mining and agriculture to local development. In Freetown, Dr. Christensen met with government agencies, donors, non-profits, and the private sector around issues related to community expectations and grievances, land acquisition, and access to justice. These meetings clarified the feasibility of large-scale RCTs, as well as how the proposed research relates to policy priorities. The trip also started discussions around new research opportunities, related to the mapping and registration of property rights throughout Sierra Leone, as well as the development of dispute resolution mechanisms to adjudicate land disputes. Results forthcoming.