Does Community Driven Development Work? Evidence from Senegal

Abstract

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled Does community driven development work? Evidence from Senegal, conducted between 2003 and 2005, in Senegal. The study observed that using a variety of estimation procedures, including instrumental variables, and working at different levels of aggregation, we find statistically significant and quantitatively important effects of the program on access by villagers to clean water and health services, as well as on standard measures of child malnutrition. The program increases per capita household expenditures by 65 percent. The program significantly improves access to clean water and health facilities. The program also significantly reduces the prevalence of underweight and stunted children and significantly increased household expenditure per capita and nutrition of children. The number of female villagers on the council is increasing with the likelihood of a village receiving a completed project. Funding for the study derived from the World Bank.