Policy Brief Assignment

For this assignment, each group will produce a 2 to 4 page policy brief synthesizing the lessons from 2 to 4 randomized evaluations that were not discussed in class. You should use the policy brief template here (the link only works if you are logged in with a Williams College address). You are free to adapt the layout of the brief as you see fit, and I encourage you to put some thought into the structure and layout of your brief. However, your brief must include:

1. A title
2. A description of the development policy issue that the intervention seeks to address
3. A description of the context(s) of the studies (location(s), unit(s) of observation, etc.)
4. A description of the interventions and the design of the randomized trials
5. At least one graphic, produced in Stata or R, summarizing the estimated impacts of the program(s)
6. Text explaining the graphic
7. A summary of the main takeaways and policy implications from the studies
8. At least one other visual element
9. Correct citations of the papers you are summarizing, as well as the names of all your group members

To avoid violating the Honor Code, you should not use any text that is taken directly from the paper.

Some examples of policy briefs about the papers we read in class:

An IGC brief on the Bloom et al. paper on management consulting for textile manufacturers

A J-PAL brief on the Egyptian rug weavers paper

A short GLMLIC brief on the Nairobi youth entrepreneurship paper

A J-PAL brief summarizing the lessons from 7 evaluations of microfinance