Odisha Rural Livelihoods Evaluation - Baseline Household and Village Data, 2011

Impact Evaluation Framework and Results: Odisha Rural Livelihoods Project This is a baseline panel survey of households from rural Odisha collected to evaluate the impact of the TRIPTI Livelihoods project using a quasi-RDD design. The data were also used, after merging it with information on rainfall patterns, to assess the impact of TRIPTI on mitigating the effects of Hurricane Phailin. Collaboration: World Bank Social Observatory in collaboration with the Government of Odisha. EVALUATION DESIGN This evaluation was designed in 2011 after the project areas were chosen, which meant that a “gold standard” impact evaluation with a Randomized Control Trial method was not feasible. The selection rule for project areas however allowed for the next best available tool of Regression Discontinuity Design (See below). Using this design, the difference in difference approach, which measures the change in outcomes between project or “treatment” and comparable non-project or “control” areas over the evaluation time period can be used to evaluate the impact the project. Selection of TRIPTI Blocks - In each TRIPTI district, 4 blocks were to be chosen for project ""treatment"" using a ""backwardness"" selecton rule - All blocks were given a score that gave weightage to block level development indices (Ghadei Committee Index), SHG coverage, total population and SC/ST Populations - Program blocks then ranked in descending order of scores, and the 4 blocks with highest backwardness score wee chosen for the program Selection of Evaluation Blocks - In each district, the non- program or ""control"" block was chosen to the block that had the closest score to the last of the 4 program blocks - A pair of blocks- one program or “treatment” block, and non- program or “control” blocks) were chosen to be part of the evaluation sample in every district Selection of GPs, Villages and Households - Treatment is universal at the level of the block, which implies that at sub-block units, or Gram Panchayats (GPs) receive TRIPTIs interventions. > 4 GPs randomly chosen in each block > 2 vilages randomly chosen in each GP - All targeted households in a TRIPTI GP are eligible TRIPTI interventions > 15 households randonly chosen in each village > Oversampling of SC/ST housholds to proxy for target housholds EVALUATION DATA The data used in this evaluation come from the first (baseline) of two surveys commissioned by TRIPTI with technical assistance from the World Bank. An independent survey firm