Reproducibility package for Improving Public Works Targeting For Short-Term And Medium-Term Impacts: Experimental Evidence From Côte d’Ivoire
Overview
We study contemporaneous and post-program impacts of a public works program, which provided urban youth seven months of employment at the formal minimum wage with complementary training on entrepreneurship or job search. During the program, we find limited impacts on employment, but a shift toward wage jobs, higher earnings and savings, as well as positive changes in work habits, behaviors, and well-being. After the program, we find no lasting impact on employment or behaviors, with limited gains in earnings from self-employment activities. Using machine learning to study heterogeneity, we show that alternative targeting approaches can substantially improve welfare.
Reproducibility Package
| Repository name | URI |
|---|---|
| Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank) | https://reproducibility.worldbank.org |
Reproducibility
Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:
• OS: Windows 11 Enterprise
• Processor INTEL(R) XEON(R) PLATINUM 8562Y+, 2800 Mhz, 16 Core(s), 16 Logical Processor(s)
• Memory available: 128 GB
• Software version: Stata version 18 MP, R version 4.4
~2-3 days run time
To reproduce the results, a new user should follow these steps:
- Run the initial Stata code: Open the
Global_Master.dofile, update the file paths to match your local setup, and run the scriptMASTER_1_DATASETS.do. - Run the R code: Open the master R script, run
renv::restore()to install the required package versions, and then execute the script.
Note: The outputs generated by the authors using this script are already included in the package. Users may choose to skip this step and proceed directly with the Stata code. Running the Stata code alone will still reproduce all exhibits in the output folder. - Return to Stata: Go back to the
Global_Master.dofile and runMASTER_3_TABLES_AND_FIGURES.do. This will generate all the exhibits included in the paper.To assist users with limited computing resources, the package includes all outputs produced by the replicators in the
Output/folder. These can be used to verify the results without rerunning the full pipeline.
Data
All data sources are publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.
Description
| Author | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Premand | World Bank | ppremand@worldbank.org |
| Marianne Bertrand | University of Chicago | marianne.bertrand@chicagobooth.edu |
| Bruno Crépon | Center for Research in Economics and Statistics (CREST) | crepon@ensae.fr |
| Alicia Marguerie | World Bank | amarguerie@worldbank.org |
2025-06-26
Scope and coverage
| Location | Code |
|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | CIV |
Disclaimer
The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.
Access and rights
| Name | URI |
|---|---|
| Modified BSD3 | https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause/ |
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Premand | WBG | ppremand@worldbank.org |
| Reproducibility WBG | World Bank | reproducibility@worldbank.org |
Information on metadata
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproducibility WBG | DIME | World Bank - Development Impact Department | Verification and preparation of metadata |
2025-06-26
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