06.01.2022

After a year of taking classes that helped me refine my research interests in the fields of public finance and development, I was eager to spend the summer pursuing my own research ideas and gaining experience applying what I have learned. While I had previous experience working with administrative and survey datasets, COVID-related restrictions made it difficult for me to gain any field experience during my time as a graduate student. I was particularly keen to learn more about the practical realities of implementing randomized evaluations and working directly with government stakeholders. So when Professor Hanna asked if I would be interested in spending the summer in Chennai, Tamil Nadu helping out on projects related to property tax reforms, I jumped at the opportunity!

Tamil Nadu is the second largest state of India in terms of GDP, and the most industrialized. The Government is committed to evidence-based policy making and signed an MOU with J-PAL in 2014 with a focus on promoting rigorous evaluation of government programs, strengthening monitoring systems, and enhancing state officials’ capacity to generate and use administrative data. With the generous support of the Adriene Hall Fund, I am looking forward to spending time in Chennai, and gaining hands-on experience with launching a large-scale randomized evaluation. As a summer intern with Evidence for Policy Design, I will be helping to lay the groundwork for a study that tests interventions to strengthen the enforcement and collection of property tax. I also look forward to learning more about the policy challenges and priorities in the state in order to brainstorm ideas for my own projects. The recently-elected government has a strong focus on promoting gender-forward policies, including encouraging female labor force participation and improving women’s access to healthcare, which I am particularly eager to learn more about. I’m excited to start my new role on the project, and look forward to sharing updates here throughout the summer!