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13 2020 16:30 - 17:45
Webinar

Development Labor Political Economy - DLPE

Myths of Official Measurement: Auditing and Improving Administrative Data in Developing Countries


Abhijeet Singh (Stockholm School of Economics)

Abstract


A central, yet understudied, component of state capacity is the quality of administrative data, which is a key enabler of effective policymaking. I use direct audit evidence to show that levels of student achievement in Madhya Pradesh, from a large census covering almost 7 million students annually, are severely inflated in official data due to cheating by students and teachers. In a follow-up randomized experiment, covering over 2400 schools in a different state (Andhra Pradesh), I evaluate whether tablet-based testing, which makes cheating harder, could reduce distortion. I find paper-based assessments proctored by teachers severely exaggerate achievement, in both private and government schools, but find no evidence of such distortion in tablet-based assessments. These results suggest that business-as-usual learning assessments may be compromised even without high-powered incentives, limiting their usefulness for policy action or research. However, technology-based testing may provide a scalable solution, implemented within government systems in developing countries, to address the challenge of building accurate official data systems. Both the challenge of data corruptibility, and evidence on reforms to address it, are likely to generalize across sectors. 

 

by invitation: for information or to receive the invitation link contact patrizia.pellizzari@unibocconi.it