Jeevika Livelihoods Project, Phase 1 - One Round "Retrospective" Evaluation. Household Survey Data 2011 Socio-Economic Effects of a Self-Help Group Intervention: Evidence from Bihar, India

This is a one period survey with retrospective questions of changes on changes over time, collected to do a "quick" evaluation of Phase 1 of the Jeevika Project Bihar.

This current research may be viewed as a pilot of a much more comprehensive ‘multi-disciplinary’ evaluation design which is now underway at JEEViKA. Thus, following the completion of this survey in early 2011, a baseline survey was conducted in 180 panchayats, located in 17 blocks of 6 districts of Bihar in mid to late 2011. After the analysis of the baseline data, JEEViKA rolled out randomly to 90 ‘treatment’ panchayats. Allied to the design of the Randomized Control Trial, an in-depth qualitative study of 12 villages (part of the 180 panchayats) was also commissioned to look at the intervention timeline and the process of change in the villages. Finally, a behavioral study is also underway to tease out the intra and inter household effects of creating a platform to raise demand, among households and women who have otherwise faced vicious marginalization. This basket of evaluation designs is a direct outcome of the current research, which pointed out the severe restrictions that a solely quantitative approach has in understanding projects of such complexity.

The survey covers the following themes:

General Module
Section 1: Location & Household Identification
Section 2: Household Roster
Section 3: Livelihoods
Section 4: Housing Information
Section 5: Land Holdings
Section 6: Asset Information & Food Security
6C Food Security
Section 7: Debt & Saving Habits
7C. Mortgaged Assets
7D. Savings Habit

Woman's Module
Section 8: Woman’s Module - Captures social indicators attempting to capture changes in women’s empowerment focused on women’s mobility, decision making and networks.

Section 9: SHG Membership Information
Section 10: Interviewer Observations