Evaluation Methods in Empirical Economics

Evaluation Methods in Empirical Economics Evaluation methods in empirical economics fall into five broad categories; each provides an alternative approach for constructing the counterfactual. Alternative evaluation methods depend on several criteria like; a) nature of the program i.e. whether the program/policy is local or national, small scale or global, b) nature of questions to be answered, and c) nature of data available (Blundell and Dias 2000). Heckman et.al (1997, 1998a,b) showed that data quality is also a crucial ingredient for the determination of the appropriate estimation strategy. Both in the case of large scale and small scale impact evaluation work, randomized assignment is often used. It is a fair allocation rule. Because the program manager ensures that, every eligible person or unit has the same chance of receiving the program. When the observation will be very large, any characteristic (either observed or unobserved) will flow through treatment and comparison group; if they are created through randomised assignment. An evaluation is internally valid; if it uses a valid comparison group; and when the impact estimated in the evaluation sample can be generalised to the total population, that evaluation will be called externally valid. Randomized assignment is used, when there exists excess demand for a program and when a program needs to be phased until it covers the entire population. (Gertler et.al 2011). In the Progresa program, where cash was transferred to poor mothers in rural Mexico for their children’s enrolment in school; Schultz (2004) based on the randomized assignment found that, educational grants to rural poor mothers had an effect on the enrolment.. In the paper â€Å"Expanding credit access: using Randomized Decisions to estimate the Impacts’, (Karlan and Zinman 2008), the authors concluded that, marginal loans produced significant net benefits for borrowers over a wide range of outcome by using randomized experiment. In assessing the effect of performance based payment on the use and quality of maternal and child health services provided by health-cares in Rwanda, Basinga et.al (2011) concluded that, financial performance incentives (i.e. payment for performance) could improve the use and quality of maternal and child health services. Vermeersch by using randomised technique examined that, school participation was 30% greater in twenty five Kenyan schools where a free breakfast was introduced than in twenty five comparison schools( Vermeersch 2002). Kremer et.al (2002) evaluated a program where a nongovernmental organisation provided uniforms, textbooks, and classroom construction to seven schools that were randomly chosen from fourteen poorly performing schools in Kenya and found that, dropout rates was considerably low in treatment schools. In evaluating a twice-yearly school based mass treatment program in Kenya, where inexpensive de-worming drugs were provided ( as intestinal worm among children was highly prevalent) in seventy five schools which were randomly selected, Miguel and Kremer (2003a) found that, the absenteeism rate in treatment schools lowered down by 25%. From randomized evaluation , it was found that, provision of textbooks in schools in Kenya increased the test scores by about 0.2 standard deviation, but there was an increase in test score of those students who had scored well (top 20-40%) in the pre-test exam before the intervention of the program. They also found that, text book provision didn’t affect the test scores of bottom 60% students (Glewwe et.al 2002). Seva mandir, an Indian NGO, runs in Indian villages, introduced a program, where a second teacher (preferably woman) was randomly assigned to twenty one out of forty two schools in non formal education centres. Banerjeee et.al(2002) evaluated this program by monitoring the attendance of both teachers and children and found that, the number of closing days reduced after the introduction of the program (i.e. 44% in one- teacher and 39% in two- teacher). They also found the participation of girls also increased. Banerjee et.al (2003) evaluated the impact of a remedial education program introduced by Pratham, an Indian NGO, where young women were hired from the communities and were providing remedial education to children in Government school. On an average, after two years of the program, they found that, the test scores of the students increased by 0.39 standard deviation. Moreover, the bottom level children gained the largest out of this program. They also concluded that, hiring remedial education teachers from community is 10 times more cost effective than hiring new teachers. Glewwe et.al (2003) evaluated a program where parent school committees were providing gifts to teachers whose students were performing well and concluded that, the test scores f the students who were a part of the program initially increased but later on fell back to the level of comparison group at the end of the program. In the evaluation of a Colombian program for extending the coverage of secondary school ( Programa de Amlplication de cobertura de la Education Secundaris), where vouchers for private schools were allocated by lottery due to the limitation of program’s budget, Angrist et.al (2002) took the advantage of randomly assigned treatment and found that, lottery winners were 15-20% more likely to attend private schools, 10% more likely to complete the 8th grade and scored on an average 0.2 standard deviation higher on standardised tests. Randmised promotion method is similar to that of the randomised offerings. Under this method, we randomly select the units to whom we promote the treatment; instead of randomly selecting units to whom we offer the treatment. By doing so, we leave the program open for every unit. There are three types of units under randomised promotion method:1) Always- always they want to enrol in the program, 2) Enroll- If- Promoted- they will enrol only when additional promotion is provided, 3)Never- they will never enrol in the program; whether the promotion is offered or not ( Gertler 2011). Both Gertler et.al (2008)[1] and Newman et.al (2002)[2] used the randomised promotion technique as an impact evaluation tool. In impact evaluation, Regression discontinuity design method will e used for a program that have a continuous eligibility index with a clearly defined cut-off score to determine the eligibility of the participants (Gertler 2011). In assessing the effect of social assistance program, which was funded through the Canadian Assistance plan, in Quebec, Canadain in labor market outcome, Lemieux and Milligan (2005) by using regression discontinuity design method by limiting the sample to men found that, access to greater social assistance benefits reduced employment by about 4.5 percent for men. To study the impact of school fee reduction program on school enrolment in the city of Bogota, Colombia, Barrera-Osario et.al (2007) used regression discontinuity design method and found a positive impact on school enrolment rates. Regression discontinuity design method was also used t evaluate a social safety net initiative in Jamaica. In 2001, the Government of Jamaica initiated a program namely, Program of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), where grants was given to children in eligible poor households on the condition of regular attendance and health visits. Levy and Ohis (2007) by using regression discontinuity design found that, PATH program increased school attendance for children ages 6 to 17 by an average of 0.5 days per month. Likewise, Matinez(2004)[3] and Filmer and Schady (2009)[4] also used regression discontinuity design method to study the impact of a program. Propensity score matching method pairs each program participants with a single nonparticipant, where pairing is done on the basis of the degree of similarity in the estimated probability of participating in the program (Smith and Todd 2001). In measuring the impact of training program on trainee’s earning, Lalonde (1986) by comparing both experimental and non experimental results concluded that, non experimental methods are subjected to specification errors and also suggested to be aware while implementing these methods. Dehejia and Wahba (1998,1999) by using NSW data concluded that, matching approaches are generally more reliable thangeneral econometric estimators as they found that, matching estimators were able to produce a result which was a replicate of experimental NSW result. Smith and Todd (2005a) argued that, PSM does not solve the selection problem which was studied by Lalonde. [1] Gertler et.al (2008) evaluated the impact of a maternal and child health insurance program in Argentina. [2] Newman et.al (2002) evaluated a program where social investment fund was provided for small scale investments in education, health and water infrastructure in Bolivia. [3] Matinez(2004) studied the effect of old age pension program on consumption. [4] Filmer and Schady(2009) studied the impact of scholarship in school enrolment and testscores of poor students in Colombia.

Illustration Paragraph Essay

So, let’s suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis. What else should you keep in mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every paragraph in a paper should be Unified—All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed in the topic sentence of the paragraph). Clearly related to the thesis—The sentences should all refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and Behrens 119). Coherent—The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for development (Rosen and Behrens 119). Well-developed—Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through evidence and details that work together to explain the paragraph’s controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119). top Read more:  How many sentences in a paragraph for college. How do I organize a paragraph? There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with brief examples. Narration: Tell a story. Go chronologically, from start to finish. (See an example.) Description: Provide specific details about what something looks, smells, tastes, sounds, or feels like. Organize spatially, in order of appearance, or by topic. (See an example.) Process: Explain how something works, step by step. Perhaps follow a sequence—first, second, third. (See an example.) Classification: Separate into groups or explain the various parts of a topic. (See an example.) Illustration: Give examples and explain how those examples prove your point. (See the detailed example in the next section of this handout.) 5-step process to paragraph development Let’s walk through a 5-step process to building a paragraph. Each step of the process will include an explanation of the step and a bit of â€Å"model† text to illustrate how the step works. Our finished model paragraph will be about slave spirituals, the original songs that African Americans created during slavery. The model paragraph uses illustration (giving examples) to prove its point. Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph’s development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a paragraph’s controlling idea. Here is the controlling idea for our â€Å"model paragraph,† expressed in a topic sentence: Model controlling idea and topic sentence— Slave spirituals often had hidden double meanings. Step 2. Explain the controlling idea Paragraph development continues with an expression of the rationale or the explanation that the writer gives for how the reader should interpret the information presented in the idea statement or topic sentence of the paragraph. The writer explains his/her thinking about the main topic, idea, or focus of the paragraph. Here’s the sentence that would follow the controlling idea about slave spirituals: Model explanation—On one level, spirituals referenced heaven, Jesus, and the soul; but on another level, the songs spoke about slave resistance. Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples) Paragraph development progresses with the expression of some type of support or evidence for the idea and the explanation that came before it. The example serves as a sign or representation of the relationship established in the idea and explanation portions of the paragraph. Here are two examples that we could use to illustrate the double meanings in slave spirituals: Model example A— For example, according to Frederick Douglass, the song â€Å"O Canaan, Sweet Canaan† spoke of slaves’ longing for heaven, but it also expressed their desire to escape to the North. Careful listeners heard this  second meaning in the following lyrics: â€Å"I don’t expect to stay / Much longer here. / Run to Jesus, shun the danger. / I don’t expect to stay.† Model example B— Slaves even used songs like â€Å"Steal Away to Jesus (at midnight)† to announce to other slaves the time and place of secret, forbidden meetings. Step 4. Explain the example(s) The next movement in paragraph development is an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence and rationale that were stated at the beginning of the paragraph. This explanation shows readers why you chose to use this/or these particular examples as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph. Continue the pattern of giving examples and explaining them until all points/examples that the writer deems necessary have been made and explained. NONE of your examples should be left unexplained. You might be able to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence in the same sentence which introduced the example. More often, however, you will need to explain that relationship in a separate sentence. Look at these explanations for the two examples in the slave spirituals paragraph: Model explanation for example A— When slaves sang this song, they could have been speaking of their departure from this life and their arrival in heaven; however, they also could have been describing their plans to leave the South and run, not to Jesus, but to the North. Model explanation for example B—[The relationship between example B and the main idea of the paragraph’s controlling idea is clear enough without adding another sentence to explain it.] Step 5. Complete the paragraph’s idea or transition into the next paragraph The final movement in paragraph development involves tying up the loose ends  of the paragraph and reminding the reader of the relevance of the information in this paragraph to the main or controlling idea of the paper. At this point, you can remind your reader about the relevance of the information that you just discussed in the paragraph. You might feel more comfortable, however, simply transitioning your reader to the next development in the next paragraph. Here’s an example of a sentence that completes the slave spirituals paragraph: Model sentence for completing a paragraph— What whites heard as merely spiritual songs, slaves discerned as detailed messages. The hidden meanings in spirituals allowed slaves to sing what they could not say. Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely developed the main idea of the paragraph. Narration, description, process, clasification, illustration  topics sentence,controlling idea,give example,explain,complete,transition

Addressing Employee Motivation Essay

Executive Summary Tom was seen to have a loss of motivation at work which was investigated. An analysis showed the main cause to be a lack of communication from his manager, a need for role definition, and a lack of publicity for the success of his project initiative. Recommendation is for Tom’s manager to be informed so they are hopefully able to address these issues and retain and develop Tom’s skills. A problematic work situation relating to a HRM concept in Book 2 1.1 A description of the work problem Tom has a well paid job as a project manager. He created an idea and initiated a project to design and implement a website. After setting up the design and defining the stakeholders, without discussion, another person was brought in to chair the project meetings and keep track of actions for the software team. He felt a lack of clarity in his role and without clear guidance and credit did not feel motivated to push the project as hard as before. Weekly work hours fell back to a normal 40 hours from 50 or 60, and his other ideas were not pushed to management with the same enthusiasm. Motivation was clearly falling. This example relates to motivation and Session 1 of Book 2 can be used to analyse what motivates Tom to go to work. See more:  First Poem for You Essay 1.2 Analysis of my experience using my chosen concepts To understand Tom’s motivation level’s I have analysed his situation using Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (1954) from session 1 (The Open University, B120 Book 2). According to Maslow, â€Å"a satisfied need is not a motivator†. Matching which needs are met on the pyramid of five categories will give an indication of which unmet need should be a motivator. Figure [ 1 ] Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs pyramid, and summary of Tom’s status within it. Figure 1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs pyramid, and summary of Tom’s status within it. According to Maslow’s theory, Tom has reached the 3rd level, but the lack of communication and feedback has stopped him achieving ‘Esteem’. Maslow states that â€Å"Not meeting these needs has a negative effect on our mental health† and this could explain the low motivation that Tom’s behaviour indicates. Tom was also under the impression that his idea and the quick success of the project would be publicised by his manager and would open up opportunities to be involved in other senior projects within the business. This did not materialise, and the senior management was not made aware of any plans to utilise Tom’s skills. In fact Tom’s manager was based in another country and was often not reachable for consultation either by phone or email. This expectation and its failure to materialise also causes low motivation, as explained in the concept of a ‘psychological contract’ from The Open University (2012). By applying this concept, we can understand that Tom had reason to believe that a successful project would lead to acknowledgement and higher esteem within the company, and even though this was not part of a formal employment contract. When this did not occur Tom felt his psychological contract had been violated, and that his hard work was inconsequential, leading to his low motivation to keep working hard. 1.3 Proposed solutions to the problem The analysis above has identified possible causes of Tom’s low motivation. With this understanding of these reasons, each can be addressed with the right actions. . * Problem : Low motivation, * caused by : Perceived low likelihood of achieving Esteem (on Maslow’s hierarchy) * caused by : lack of communication about tasks. * Classified as : Broken psychological contract If we can determine the cause for the broken contract, we may be able to restore Tom’s motivation to work hard. Also relevant is the Job Characteristic Model from Hackman and Oldham cited by The Open University (2012) which lists five core job characteristics that contribute to satisfying work. If Tom’s work is missing any of the core characteristics his attitude to his job could be affected. Figure [ 2 ]. Hackman & Oldham JCM The lack of regular communication between Tom and his manager suggests that there is insufficient â€Å"Feedback from the Job†. B120, Book 2, Study session 4, highlights the importance of â€Å"Constructive feedback†, which â€Å"involves praising strengths and achievements†. Arranging another person to chair project meetings could also mean that â€Å"Task Identity† was not clear. To solve these items, Tom’s manager should take the following actions: * clarify Tom’s role and tasks within the project * Provide regular opportunities for feedback and communication, including praise of achievements when applicable. * Publicise Tom’s contributions to raise his profile in the senior management team and allow development of his career. Relevant Web sites http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tesco/motivational-theory-in-practice-at-tesco/maslow-and-herzberg.html (accessed 28-Nov-2012) This shows how a successful company has used Maslow’s hierarchy and Herzbergs two factor theory to try to keep employee motivation high. Herzberg could be summarised as â€Å"If you want people to do a good job for you, then you must give them a good job to do.† The Times is a reputable publisher which lends credence to this site, but this is a case study utilising the theories in this report, and not and original source. http://gmx.xmu.edu.cn/ews/business/management/chapter16.htm#what (accessed 28-Nov-2012) This site was chosen because it contains some interesting definitions of motivation factors, and summarises a collection of different theories on analysing motivation in employees. The information is not verified but some theories corroborate with other sources. References The Open University (2012) B120 An introduction to business studies, Book 2 ‘An introduction to human resource management in business’, Milton Keynes. Web source 1: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tesco/motivational-theory-in-practice-at-tesco/maslow-and-herzberg.html dated unknown (accessed 28-Nov-2012) Web source 2: http://gmx.xmu.edu.cn/ews/business/management/chapter16.htm#what dated unknown (accessed 28-Nov-2012)

Neoliberalism in Latin America Essay - 2315 Words

Neoliberalism in Latin America From the 1930s until the 1980s state intervention and protection were key components of most Latin American economies. In these years many Latin American countries were used an Import-substitution industrialization based economy trying to reduce dependence on foreign imports and replacing them with domestic production. Due to the use of an Import-substitution industrialization based economy Latin American countries were forced to keep high tariffs to protect the private companies of their countries. This combined with many Latin America countries providing numerous government subsidized programs eventually led to the 1982 debt crisis. This debt crisis created a vacuum affect in Latin America†¦show more content†¦This excrementally helped the upper-class because after they bought this stock at largely discounted prices it quickly grew in value. Clearly, lower classes that did not have extra cash could not benefit from this because they were unable to purchase any of the shares of these newly privatized commodities. This created two problems, not only did real assets of Latin America get lost to upper-class foreign investors, it also created a significantly larger wealth gap between the poor and upper-class because of the large amounts of money the upper-class made from the gains of the stock that they bought at such cheap prices. Another benefit the upper-class of Latin America and other foreign countries gained from neoliberalism was the reduction of tariffs. The reduction of Tariffs allowed foreign companies to come into Latin America and build maquiladoras. This was beneficial for the foreign investors because they could now come into Latin America where working wages were much cheaper and produce their goods at lower prices, which entail created more profit. 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