Proxy-means tests (PMTs) are popular for poverty-targeting with imperfect information. In a
widely-used version, a regression for log consumption calibrates a PMT score based on …

Identifying and selecting poor households with efficient targeting methods is essential for
effective poverty alleviation programs. This paper assesses the ex-post performance of two …

This paper intends to inform the effort of the Sri Lankan government to reform the targeting
efficacy of its social protection programs, in particular, Samurdhi, which currently distributes …

While universal social programs—whereby everyone is covered—are excellent at reaching
the poorest, the beneficiaries can include many people who do not need this form of public …

The heterogeneity in farmer crop portfolios observed empirically in a given location is
puzzling. Even in the presence of higher-return alternatives, a large number of households …

The increasing attention to social protection in urban settings is not being paired with
increasing evidence. This paper offers a single ex‐ante evaluation methodology that …

While risk is known to harm farmers' production investments, there is still limited evidence of
index-insurance impact on household ex-ante behavior. This paper studies a pilot area-yield …

This thesis combines three independent articles. In the first chapter, I examine the health
care that drug sellers, common medical providers in many developing coun-tries, provide for …

While there have been large gains in poverty reduction globally, there is evidence to
suggest that the poorest are being left behind. This dissertation aims to further our …