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                  enGender Impact: The World Bank’s Gender Impact Evaluation Database



            Community-Driven Reconstruction in Lofa County Impact Assessment

      Author(s)            James Fearon, Macartan Humphreys, Jeremy Weinstein
      Contact              jfearon@stanford.edu

      Country              Liberia

  Organizing Theme         Voice and Agency, Economic Opportunities and Access to Assets

       Status              Completed

Intervention Category      Community Driven Development

       Sector              Social Development

      Abstract             None

 Gender Connection         Gender Focused Intervention

  Gender Outcomes          Participation and voice in community, income

     IE Design             Clustered Randomized Control Trial (Clustered at village level)
                           In 2006 the International Rescue Committee launched a Community Driven
                           Reconstruction in Northern Liberia. The program first had target meetings with local chiefs
                           and elders to gain their support. Then, the IRC oversaw the election of community
    Intervention
                           development councils which oversaw community-wide process to select and implement a
                           quick impact project valued at around $2000-$4000, followed by a larger scale development
                           project valued at about $17000.
 Intervention Period       September 2006-February 2007
                           The study collected data from 1702, 1606 of these surveys could be linked to either
  Sample population        treatment or control villages. 1382 households were included in the follow up survey. There
                           was also a parallel survey of 135 town and village chiefs.
Comparison conditions      Control communities did not receive the community development program

   Unit of analysis        Household and village level

  Evaluation Period        March 2006- September 2008
                           The program had a significant positive impact on social cohesion. Communities were able
                           to act more collectively and is supported by behavioral evidence. Exposure to the program
                           also increases social inclusion, particularly for marginalized groups. However, there was no
       Results             significant difference in behavioral outcomes for women between treatment and control.
                           The program reinforced democratic values and practices. Self-reported tension between
                           men and women decreased. However, there is little impact on material well-being. There is
                           no significant increase in household level welfare indicators.


   Last updated: 14 August 2013                                                                       1
                   enGender Impact: The World Bank’s Gender Impact Evaluation Database


                            Selection into the program may lead to other changes which are not directly attributable to
Primary study limitations   the program. Also it is possible that the respondents to the surveys are just telling the
                            researchers "what they want to hear/"
                            DFID, The Center for Global Development, AUSAID, the Center for Democracy
    Funding Source
                            Development and the Rule of Law
                            Fearon, J., Humphreys, M., & Weinstein, J. (2008). Community-Driven Reconstruction in
      Reference(s)
                            Lofa County: Impact Assessment. Unpublished manuscript.
    Link to Studies
                            http://www.columbia.edu/~mh2245/FHW/FHW_final.pdf
       Microdata




    Last updated: 14 August 2013                                                                      2