Welfare Comparisons across Expenditure Surveys

Elliot Collins, Reajul Chowdhury, and Ethan Ligon will compare three capital transfer experiments involving ultra-poor households in Bangladesh, Ghana, and South Sudan. In the first part of the study, the authors look to replicate studies examining the three capital transfer experiments, and document the challenges faced and tools and methods along the way. In the second part of the study, the authors will combine these experiments in an extended analysis to explore how economic theory can allow for meta-analysis and comparative impact evaluation among datasets that would otherwise be problematic or even impossible to compare. The project will produce novel practical insights for students and researchers on the challenges associated with conducting comparisons across surveys. Results forthcoming.