Information Bypass: Using Low-cost technological innovations to curb leakages in welfare programs✩

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Debnath, Sisir; Nilayamgode, Mrithyunjayan; Sekhri, Sheetal
• 署名单位: Indian Institute of Technology System (IIT System); Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Delhi; University of Virginia
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103137
• 发表日期: 2023
• 关键词: Welfare programs ICT Leakages Mid-day meals

摘要

Distribution networks entrusted to run welfare programs can have enduring leakages due to the expensive monitoring of agents at several echelons. This paper features a technological innovation harnessing low-cost computing that can help to curb leakages and reduce inefficiencies in such complex welfare distribution networks. A phone-based 'Interactive Voice Response System' that requires the last-mile distribution agents to report the number of beneficiaries at a very high frequency concurrently with business-as-usual beneficiary information reporting by the middle-tier delivery agents serves as a mechanism for increasing accountability. Using the roll-out of this system, we demonstrate that this innovation reduced leakage in school lunch provision in Bihar, India. While independently collected data highlights improvements in delivery, official statistics indicate a decline in the school lunches provision. We use within Bihar cellular towers location to bolster our identification in an instrumental variable framework.