Does Participation Improve Performance? Establishing Causality with Subjective Data
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23330802 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jonathan Isham (World Bank), Devika Narayan (0009-0002-3059-3356, World Bank), Deepa Narayan, Lant Pritchett (0000-0002-3736-3118, World Bank) |
| Year | 1995 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 175-200 |
| Publication date | 1995-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The World Bank Economic Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0258-6770 • E-ISSN: 1564-698X |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/wber/9.2.175 |
| OpenAlex | W2090050415 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 72 |
| References cited | 2 |
Data from 121 diverse rural water projects provide strong statistical findings that increasing beneficiary participation directly causes better project outcomes. Three possible econometric objections to these findings are addressed and answered. The subjective nature of the data does not preclude valid, cardinal measures of participation appropriate for statistical analysis. “Halo effects”—changes in the measurement of one variable because of the observed state of another variable—do not seem to induce a strong upward bias in the measurement of participation or project performance. Reverse causation is unlikely: estimation using instrumental variables, data on project timing, and documentation of case studies support the cause-effect relation between participation and better project performance.
Citizen journalism · Economics · Management · Political science · Sanitation · Sociology · Engineering · Law · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Public Administration · School Choice and Performance
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| Unique citing works | 72 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,57 |
| Citation span | 1998 - 2026 (29) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 52 |