Do nudges work? Experimental evidence from Sanitation and Financial Inclusion
NA-Online
About the Event
Nudges/ behavioral interventions are increasingly being relied upon as effective tools for policymakers to change behaviors. However, designing and evaluating the effectiveness of nudges at scale has always been a challenge. Teams withing IDinsight have been experimenting with nudges in Sanitation and Financial Inclusion. We would conduct two lectures as a part of this session:
Nudges in Financial Inclusion
Our results indicate that low-touch SMS reminders work, but only when there is a supportive environment for the agents. This could be key given the importance of banking agents during COVID19. Also, the audience can expect a good old academic-style seminar, where we'll discuss the key parts of the research design, implementation, and results.
Nudges in Sanitation
Our results indicate that the nudges didn't work and that our data provide some clues about why: we measured open defection in a new way that allows us to understand the behavior at a detailed level. This data provides new descriptive insights on open defecation in India and leads us to posit that the behavioral factors preventing latrine use may be different from what prior research had suggested, and this behavior may not be particularly amenable to nudges.
Nudges in Financial Inclusion
Our results indicate that low-touch SMS reminders work, but only when there is a supportive environment for the agents. This could be key given the importance of banking agents during COVID19. Also, the audience can expect a good old academic-style seminar, where we'll discuss the key parts of the research design, implementation, and results.
Nudges in Sanitation
Our results indicate that the nudges didn't work and that our data provide some clues about why: we measured open defection in a new way that allows us to understand the behavior at a detailed level. This data provides new descriptive insights on open defecation in India and leads us to posit that the behavioral factors preventing latrine use may be different from what prior research had suggested, and this behavior may not be particularly amenable to nudges.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Andrés Parrado | Manager | Andrés is a Manager at IDinsight, based in New Delhi. Andrés leads a part of the Financial Inclusion portfolio with the NITI Aayog. His team identifies operational and behavioral levers with the potential to increase the uptake and usage of financial products among the poor. |
| Sebastian Lucek | Associate | Sebastian Lucek is an Associate at IDinsight. Sebastian was a part of a team that conducted a thorough evidence review to identify key barriers to sustained use of latrines, and designed behavioral interventions and evaluation to address challenges related to 4 such barriers. |
| Karan Nagpal | Economist | Karan Nagpal is an Economist at IDinsight, based in New Delhi, India. Karan leads the technical design and analysis of impact evaluations, sample surveys, and preference elicitation exercises, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. |
| Krishanu Chakraborty | Senior Manager | Krishanu used to lead the Learning Partnership team for Financial Inclusion with NITI Ayog to identify operational and behavioral levers to increase the uptake and usage of financial products and services among the poor across the 27 NITI focus districts. |
| Ritika Rastogi | Associate | Ritika Rastogi is an Associate at IDinsight, based in New Delhi, India. Ritika wa a part of a team that conducted a thorough evidence review to identify key barriers to sustained use of latrines, and designed behavioral interventions and evaluation to address challenges related to 4 such barriers. |