Community Driven Development and Conflict Reduction
Community-driven development (CDD) is a decentralized method of aid distribution that promotes inclusive and participatory decision-making in local communities. It is widely claimed that building social cohesion may also alleviate local conflicts, which makes CDD increasingly popular in conflict-prone areas. We test this hypothesis by studying the impact of Myanmar’s national CDD program during the large-scale civil war after an unexpected coup in 2021. Exploiting the discontinuity of treatment along administrative boundaries, we estimate that enrollment in CDD causally reduced the occurrence of local conflicts by 41.0%. Our mechanism analysis suggests the peace dividends of CDD arise from improvement in local governance and/or social cohesion rather than economic development. In CDD-treated villages, local institutions are stronger along many observable dimensions more representative of ethnic minorities, and demonstrate more capacity to provide local public goods in times of crisis. Meanwhile, while CDD resulted in higher levels of local infrastructure delivered through the program, there is no evidence of broader economic gains in these villages.
with Luke Fesko, Sudhanshu Sharma, and Yinhong Zhao
Collaborating Organizations: Innovations for Poverty Action, Myanmar (IPA) and International Growth Centre, Myanmar (IGC)
Funding Organizations: DFID; IGC
Maternal Cash Transfers and Child Malnutrition
We experimentally evaluate the impact on child malnutrition of a maternal cash transfer program in Myanmar that was supplemented with Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) in a subset of villages. The combination of interventions significantly reduced stunting, while cash alone had no impact on stunting. SBCC appears to have worked in conjunction with cash to reduce stunting by encouraging mothers to increase children’s diet diversity, in particular proteins consumed. The findings underscore the importance of adding SBCC to cash transfer programs.
with Elisa Maffioli
Collaborating Organizations: Save the Children, Myanmar; Innovations for Poverty Action, Myanmar (IPA); Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement; Department of Social Welfare; Myanmar Nurse and Midwife Association; PACT Global Microfinance Fund
Funding Organizations: IGC; LIFT
