Evaluation of the Refugee Livelihoods Development Impact Bond in Jordan
Download
Associated Project
Evaluation of the Refugee Livelihoods Development Impact Bond in Jordan
Prepared for:
IKEA Foundation
Key Findings
- Program-funded small businesses served as sustainable sources of income. About three-quarters of grantees were still operating businesses after two years, generating average take-home business incomes of $138 per month for household use.
- Average annual household consumption was $897 higher for program participants two years post-training than for a matched comparison group of future participants. Impacts were almost entirely driven by participants who received cash grants to launch and grow their businesses.
- The program was highly cost-effective. Over 10 years, we estimate the program will generate consumption benefits equivalent to $2.16 for every dollar invested.
- The funding model encouraged data-driven adaptive management by the program to provide improved and more effective services to participants over time. The program shows promise for scaling and replication.
The IKEA Foundation contracted with Mathematica to conduct an independent evaluation of the world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) designed to support the livelihoods of protracted refugees and vulnerable host community members. The DIB supported a micro-entrepreneurship training program; large, competitively awarded cash grants averaging $798; and post-grant mentorship. Mathematica’s evaluation measured outcomes to determine payments to investors and generated broader learning about the program to support future adaptation and scale-up. This final evaluation report provides evidence of the impacts of the program on household well-being, estimates its cost-effectiveness, assesses implementation, and provides recommendations for future DIBs and livelihoods programming.
More like this from Mathematica
Efficiency Meets Impact.
That's Progress Together.
To solve their most pressing challenges, organizations turn to Mathematica for deeply integrated expertise. We bring together subject matter and policy experts, data scientists, methodologists, and technologists who work across topics and sectors to help our partners design, improve, and scale evidence-based solutions.
Work With Us