Virtual Migration Through Online Work

Last registered on July 19, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Virtual Migration Through Online Work
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011776
Initial registration date
July 13, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
July 19, 2023, 2:30 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Muhammad Meki
Affiliation
University of Oxford
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
M. Mehrab Bakhtiar
PI Affiliation
International Food Policy Research Institute
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PI Name
Simon Quinn
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford
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PI Name
Abu Shonchoy
PI Affiliation
Florida International University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2021-03-01
End date
2025-12-31
Keywords
Education, Gender, Labor, Other
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conduct an experiment in Gaibandha, Bangladesh. The intervention consists of training and internships focused on developing graphic design skills to provide earning opportunities from online work.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab et al. 2023. "Virtual Migration Through Online Work." AEA RCT Registry. July 19. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11776-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We collaborate with one of the leading outsourcing companies in northern Bangladesh. Our sample consists of young men and women from low-income backgrounds who have basic computer skills and expressed an interest in a training program focusing on graphic design and online work. The intervention consists of training and internships that focus on developing graphic design skills to provide earning opportunities from online work.
Intervention Start Date
2021-03-01
Intervention End Date
2024-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our key hypothesis is that our treatments affect participants' investment in IT skills, aspirations for IT work, search efforts, and income.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Our primary outcome families, therefore, are (1) involvement in IT training; (2) IT equipment investments, (3) IT skills investments; (4) skills assessment: hard skills; (5) skills assessment: soft skills; (6) income-generating activities and earnings; (7) aspirations; (8) labour search efforts; (9) personal consumption expenditure . We describe these in detail in the pre-analysis plan document.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We advertised the training program through social media, local colleges, and job fairs. Interested candidates were required to be between 17 and 30 years of age, have at least a high school degree, and complete a basic computer literacy screening exam designed by our implementing partner. Those who met the criteria completed a baseline survey and were randomly allocated to one of three groups of approximately equal size:
(1) Control group, in which individuals received no offer of training;
(2) Treatment group 1, in which individuals were offered a fully financed three-month training program consisting of computer training, photo editing, graphics design, and freelancing training; and
(3) Treatment group 2, in which individuals were offered the same fully financed three-month training program as Treatment group 1, along with a three-month post-training internship to assist trainees in the transition to earning money from online work.

Our implementing partner provided the training programme to both treatment groups, as well as the internship.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
The randomisation was done by computer, and stratified based on gender and baseline computer skills test score.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
392 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
392 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
135 assigned to Control, 129 assigned to Treatment 1, 128 assigned to Treatment 2
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Department Research Ethics Committee, Department of Economics, University of Oxford
IRB Approval Date
2017-10-23
IRB Approval Number
ECONCIA17-18-017
IRB Name
International Food Policy Research Institute IRB
IRB Approval Date
2022-06-07
IRB Approval Number
PHND-22-0734
Analysis Plan

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