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Research Assistants

Migration and Social Networks: Evaluating a Pilot Intervention

Migration is among the most effective poverty alleviation strategies currently known (Gibson and McKenzie, 2014; Clemens and Postel., 2017; Mobarak et al., 2020; Bryan et al., 2014; Beegle et al., 2011). Unfortunately, many individuals face large barriers to profitable migration. New migrants must cope with imperfect information on wages and employment prospects in destinations, search costs in finding jobs and housing, risks of abuse by employers, and difficulty navigating unfamiliar laws and norms in a new community.

Social networks can help individuals overcome these barriers. Networks can improve migrant outcomes by sharing information on wages, job opportunities, and strategies for living safely in the destination (Munshi 2003; Das et al., 2014). Traveling in groups can also allow migrants to share risk, transportation, and housing costs.
This project will study whether policies that actively expand social networks can improve migration outcomes. We will pilot a program in 10 high-migration villages in Nepal that attempts to build new social connections between experienced migrants to high-wage destinations and potential migrants from their locality. The RA will have the opportunity to contribute to many aspects of the pilot, including iterating on program design; working on survey design; collecting and analyzing data monitoring program implementation; collecting and analyzing survey data from program participants; and helping to summarize qualitative findings from in-depth interviews with program participants and implementers. The RA will work with SurveyCTO and Stata.

Requisite Skills and Qualifications: 

The ideal candidate will be highly motivated with close attention to detail, have previous data analysis experience, and be able to commit to spending 10 hours per week on the project. Previous experience with Stata is preferred. Previous experience with survey design, particularly in ODK or Survey CTO is a plus.