Empowering IDPs with SMS: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Bogota

Mariana Blanco () and Juan Vargas ()

No 37718, IDB Publications (Working Papers) from Inter-American Development Bank

Abstract: This paper studied whether the use of short message service (SMS) technology effectively informed Bogota's population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) about its eligibility to receive social benefits. Half of the sample population was randomly informed of their eligibility via SMS and their awareness of available benefits was estimated. On average, treated households are more aware of their rights; however, awareness varies across benefit type. The study recommends expanding the use of SMS as a policy instrument and as a means for empowering IDPs.

Keywords: Telecommunications; Social Policy & Protection; IDB-WP-222; Internally displaced persons; Short message service; Field experiments; Colombia; SMS; randomized controlled trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-12
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Related works:
Working Paper: Empowering IDP with SMS: a randomized controlled trial in Bogotá (2010)
Working Paper: Empowering IDP with SMS: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Bogotá (2010)
Working Paper: Empowering IDPs with SMS: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Bogota (2010)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:idb:brikps:37718

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