From Proof of Concept to Scalable Policies: Challenges and Solutions, with an Application

The promise of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is that evidence gathered through the evaluation of a specific program helps us---possibly after several rounds of fine-tuning and multiple replications in different contexts---to inform policy. However, critics have pointed out that a potential con...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2016
Main Authors: Banerjee, Adhijit, Banerji, Rukmini, Berry, James, Duflo, Esther, Kannan, Harini, Mukherji, Shobhini, Shotland, Marc, Walton, Michael
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Government
National Bureau of Economic Research
Online Access:Request full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The promise of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is that evidence gathered through the evaluation of a specific program helps us---possibly after several rounds of fine-tuning and multiple replications in different contexts---to inform policy. However, critics have pointed out that a potential constraint in this agenda is that results from small, NGO-run "proof-of-concept" studies may not apply to policies that can be implemented by governments on a large scale. After discussing the potential issues, this paper describes the journey from the original concept to the design and evaluation of scalable policy. We do so by evaluating a series of strategies that aim to integrate the NGO Pratham's "Teaching at the Right Level" methodology into elementary schools in India. The methodology consists of re-organizing instruction based on children's actual learning levels, rather than on a prescribed syllabus, and has previously been shown to be very effective when properly implemented. We present RCT evidence on the designs that failed to produce impacts within the regular schooling system but helped shape subsequent versions of the program. As a result of this process, two versions of the programs were developed that successfully raised children's learning levels using scalable models in government schools.