Projects
Current Projects
Bricks to Blocks: Information and coordination challenges for transitioning to a cleaner building technology
This proposed study will investigate constraints impeding the adoption of green technology, especially in the presence of supportive policies. Specifically, the study will experimentally assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to address several barriers to achieving greater usage of soil-stabilized blocks (SSB) over fired clay bricks (FCB) as construction material in both publicly and privately procured projects. In addition to being a significant contributor to carbon emissions, the production of FCB is a leading cause of air pollution and soil degradation in Bangladesh. Conversely, blocks are recognized as less polluting than FCB while being reliable building materials in terms of strength and durability. Acknowledging the detrimental effects of FCB, the Government of Bangladesh implemented a policy in 2019 to entirely transition to the use of blocks for all construction and repair of government buildings, boundary walls, herringbone roads, and village roads by 2024–25. The policy also expected that this transformation in public construction would lead to corresponding shifts in private construction. Despite the policy and provisions for incentives to facilitate its implementation, the adoption of blocks in both public and private construction has remained remarkably low. Research on this issue identified several reasons for this slow progress including - a lack of awareness about the policy as well as blocks as alternative construction materials, misperceptions about the cost and quality of different types of blocks, limited information about how to obtain blocks, and availability of trained construction workers who can work with blocks. Building on existing knowledge, this proposed study will involve government officials, contractors, construction workers, and block producers. By employing a randomised controlled trial (RCT), we will measure the impact of an “exposure intervention” for the procurement officials and contractors on the adoption of SSBs and the marginal effects of site visits, market linkage and skills training for workers as added interventions.
Funded by: PEDL, UK.
Paid-, unpaid-work and life satisfaction: In the context of Bangladeshi rural women
In this study, the main objective is to answer whether there are differences in life satisfaction among Bangladeshi rural women in distinct labour categories, such as working primarily in farming, business, being employed, or being housewives, and if so, how these differences can be explained. To clarify the relationship between women’s work situation and life satisfaction, it is necessary to comprehend the reasons behind women’s allocation of work time and their overall life situation that influence their decision-making. By analyzing women’s time allocation and their total work situation, I aim to identify and describe a significant aspect of rural Bangladeshi women’s situation that has undergone extensive change over the past few decades.
Funded by: Jagannath University, Dhaka.
Parenting style and cognitive development: in the context of distance learning intervention during COVID-19 school closure
In this proposed study, we aim to use data collected from two ‘low-tech’ distance learning interventions to examine whether parenting styles can be influenced by these interventions and whether changes in children’s cognitive outcomes also mediate through changes in parenting styles.
Funded by: ADB & ADBI.
Telementoring Scaling-up Project
It is evident from past research that mobile-based telementoring is very effective for the marginalized segment of children. We now want to investigate whether this positive impact persists in multi-country and institutional settings. This project primarily receives seed funding from Monash University, Australia.
Funded by: Monash University, Australia.
Completed Projects
Impact Assessment and Outcome Study of “Climate Risk Insurance” Project
In this assessment study, we aim to assess the Climate Risk Insurance (CRI) project's performance and document its accomplishments, obstacles, and best practices to inform future endeavours.
Funded by: OXFAM, Bangladesh.
Addressing Learning Loss/Gap Using Low-tech Remote Learning among Underprivileged in Developing Countries: The Bangladesh Case
In Bangladesh, schools reopened in September 2021 after a long 18-month closure, one of the longest in the world. However, students are likely to endure a major challenge in catching up with their current grades. This challenge is even more extensive for the students in grades 9 & 10, i.e. SSC examinees. These students suffered more during school closures for several reasons. First, most parents were unable to help the upper-grade students at home considering the level of difficulty of the curriculum at that level. Second, students in grades 9 and 10 learn many new methods in both English and mathematics, which they have difficulty learning by themselves. Besides, the long school closures also created uncertainties related to the timing and format of their public exam, which may have caused inertia and disappointment in learning something new and preparing for the competitive exam. To counteract these adversities, in this project, we will develop a set of audio lessons (podcasts) to deliver via the IVR system of the telecommunication platform.
Funded by: World Bank
Impact of IRI-based mobile lessons on educational outcome of Primary graders: A Randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh
In this intervention, we used a toll-free mobile number to deliver interactive audio lessons to primary graders for 15 weeks. The program covered three modules, each divided into several 20-minute lessons (i.e. a total of 75 lessons). The modules focus on numeracy, literacy, and behavioural training. Behavioural training (BT) covers topics such as self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, social awareness, self-management, and so on. A total of 1763 children were selected from 60 villages and allocated randomly to any of the three treatment groups. At the end of the program, we measured the cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes of the children.
Funded by: EdTech Hub.
Project documents: [AEARCTR-0007931]
The effect of receiving philanthropic benefits on the preference for redistribution
Schools in Bangladesh have been closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with the Global Development and Research Initiative (GDRI), a research-focused NGO operating in the southwest region of Bangladesh, we delivered two educational interventions to primary school-age children free of charge. The children in these two interventions were randomly selected. In this study, we aim to investigate whether receiving philanthropic benefits affects people’s preference for redistribution. We will use standard lab-in-the-field experiments for this purpose.
Project documents: [AEARCTR-0008210]
Educational inequality and parental involvement during the Covid-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled experiment of a telementoring program in rural Bangladesh
This was an impact evaluation of a weekly telementoring program in rural southwest Bangladesh. The program was delivered by university students to elementary school-aged children and their parents for 12 weeks over the phone. The project was funded by CDES, Monash University, Australia. Due to prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant portion of children is missing out on a range of educational input. In this context, we examined whether the telementoring program (i) improves children’s cognitive skills, (ii) increases parental engagement in children’s educational and other activities, (iii) changes children’s social preferences, and (iv) affects parents’ perception about their parenting ability and style.
Funded by: Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES), Monash University.
Project documents: [Pre-Analysis Plan] [AEARCTR-0006395 ]
Costing of the Family Planning Services
This was a costing exercise to evaluate the cost of the operation of mobile family service teams operating in rural and hard-to-reach areas of Bangladesh. We used accounting data and field observations to calculate the retrospective cost of those units and estimate the cost in different planned circumstances. This study assists NGOs and the government in doing the CBA of mobile teams and provides some policy implications.
Funded by: EngenderHealth Bangladesh.
Projects News in Media
Tele-mentoring project during COVID-19 [Bangla Tribune (Bengali)] [Samakal (Bengali)] [dainikshiksha.com (Bengali)]