Information is Power: Experimental Evidence on the Long-Run Impact of Community Based Monitoring

53 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2016

See all articles by Martina Bjorkman Nyqvist

Martina Bjorkman Nyqvist

Stockholm School of Economics

Damien de Walque

World Bank - Development Research Group (DECRG); World Bank

Jakob Svensson

Stockholm University - Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: August 1, 2014

Abstract

This paper presents the results of two field experiments on local accountability in primary health care in Uganda. Efforts to stimulate beneficiary control, coupled with the provision of report cards on staff performance, resulted in significant improvements in health care delivery and health outcomes in both the short and the longer run. Efforts to stimulate beneficiary control without providing information on performance had no impact on quality of care or health outcomes. The paper shows that informed users are more likely to identify and challenge (mis)behavior by providers and as a result turn their focus to issues that they can manage locally.

Keywords: Community Development and Empowerment, Services & Transfers to Poor, Disability, Community Driven Development, Health Care Services Industry, Health Service Management and Delivery, Economic Assistance, Access of Poor to Social Services

Suggested Citation

Bjorkman Nyqvist, Martina and de Walque, Damien and Svensson, Jakob, Information is Power: Experimental Evidence on the Long-Run Impact of Community Based Monitoring (August 1, 2014). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 7015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2487613

Martina Bjorkman Nyqvist (Contact Author)

Stockholm School of Economics ( email )

PO Box 6501
Stockholm, 11383
Sweden

Damien De Walque

World Bank - Development Research Group (DECRG)

1818 H. Street, N.W.
MSN3-311
Washington, DC 20433
United States

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433
United States

HOME PAGE: http://econ.worldbank.org/staff/ddewalque

Jakob Svensson

Stockholm University - Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) ( email )

Stockholm, SE-10691
Sweden
+46 8 163 060 (Phone)
+46 8 161 443 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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