Maarten Voors, from Wageningen University, will present "Effects of economic and social incentives on bureaucratic quality: Experimental Evidence from Sierra Leone".

Abstract: Using a field experiment implemented in Sierra Leone we examine the joint effects of local selection, local monitoring, and incentivized payment mechanisms. We find evidence consistent with past literature that social pressure improves quality. These gains however, are no better than gains from simple direct payment mechanisms that involve similar direct but lower social costs. There is weak evidence of crowding out effects. We find no effects of varying selection mechanisms. Analysis of a structural model identifies conditions under which social or economic incentives are more or less likely to be effective.