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Field
Primary Outcomes (End Points)
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Before
1. Willingness / Intention to Formalize This primary variable measures the participant's self-reported probability of registering for the RESIMPLE regime following the informational intervention. It serves as the main indicator of the immediate effect of the framing and will be assessed through survey questions, specifically using a Likert scale to gauge the likelihood of registering in the upcoming months or a binary response regarding the specific intention to initiate the administrative process.
2. Behavioral Formalization Outcome This outcome represents the "gold standard" of the study by measuring the concrete action of formalization rather than just the intent. It is defined as a binary variable (1=Yes, 0=No) indicating whether the participant successfully initiated or completed their RESIMPLE registration within a specified follow-up period (e.g., 30 to 60 days post-intervention); in the context of this pilot, this measure also serves to test the feasibility of tracking administrative data.
Secondary Outcomes (Mediators)
1. Institutional Trust Defined as the individual's level of confidence in public institutions, specifically the DNIT and the tax system, this mediator explains the relationship between information and compliance. It will be measured using an index constructed from survey items that assess the participant’s perceptions of fairness, transparency, and the overall effectiveness of the tax authority.
2. Perceived Complexity This variable captures the individual's subjective assessment of the barriers associated with the formalization process, specifically how difficult, costly, or time-consuming they perceive the RESIMPLE registration to be. It will be evaluated using Likert-scale questions regarding the perceived ease of the administrative procedures and compliance requirements.
3. Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy is defined as the individual's belief in their own capability to successfully navigate and complete the formalization process. This mediator will be assessed through specific survey inquiries measuring the participant's confidence in their ability to handle the RESIMPLE registration independently without external assistance.
4. Perceived Social Norms This outcome measures the individual's perception of the social environment regarding formalization, acting as a proxy for the social framing hypothesis. It will be assessed by measuring both descriptive norms (the perceived prevalence of registered peers) and injunctive norms (the perceived level of community or family approval regarding the decision to formalize).
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After
1. Willingness / Intention to Formalize
This primary variable measures the participant's self-reported probability of registering for the RESIMPLE regime following the informational intervention. It serves as the main indicator of the immediate effect of each informational component and will be assessed through survey questions, specifically using a Likert scale to gauge the likelihood of registering in the upcoming months or a binary response regarding the specific intention to initiate the administrative process. Given the nested structure of the experiment, this outcome will be used to identify the marginal effect of each arm: the effect of administrative information (T1 vs. C0), the additional effect of economic framing (T2 vs. T1), and the marginal contribution of prosocial framing (T3 vs. T2).
2. Behavioral Formalization Outcome
This outcome represents the "gold standard" of the study by measuring the concrete action of formalization rather than just the intent. It is defined as a binary variable (1=Yes, 0=No) indicating whether the participant successfully initiated or completed their RESIMPLE registration within a specified follow-up period (e.g., 30 to 60 days post-intervention). The same adjacent-arm comparisons applied to the primary outcome will be used here to assess whether informational effects on intent translate into actual behavior. In the context of this pilot, this measure also serves to test the feasibility of tracking administrative data.
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Field
Experimental Design (Public)
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Before
Type of study: The present study is a randomized control group experiment (RCT) with random assignment at the individual level, designed to identify the causal effect of different information frames on the willingness of informal workers in the construction sector to formalize within the RESIMPLE regime.
Target population: The population of interest is made up of informal workers in the construction and maintenance sector (masons, carpenters, electricians, painters, installers, among others) who are not registered with the DNIT or affiliated with the IPS.
The study will be implemented mainly in Asunción and cities in the Central department, with the possibility of extending it to rural communities to analyze territorial differences.
Experimental design and treatment groups
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups:
● Control Group (Administrative Information):
You will receive an informative video with basic explanations about the RESIMPLE regime, its requirements, the registration procedure and the amounts to be paid.
● Treatment 1 (Economic Benefits):
It will also receive administrative information, but with an additional framework that highlights the economic benefits of formalization, such as access to new markets, credit, stability, and protection from sanctions.
● Treatment 2 (Social Benefits or Social Norms):
You will receive administrative information, economic benefit information, and incorporate a social framing that emphasizes the collective benefits of formalization, the contribution to the common welfare, and the importance of following the social norm of "doing things right" as part of a progressing community.
Each participant will watch only one of the three videos, individually, without knowing the existence of other groups or versions.
Procedure
● The interviewer will introduce himself and inform the general objectives of the study.
● The eligibility criteria will be verified: not to be registered in DNIT or affiliated with the IPS, to work in the construction sector and to be between 18 and 65 years old.
● The interviewer will deliver the Informed Consent Letter for signature.
● The interviewer will make the random assignment and play the video corresponding to the assigned group.
● Then, the participant will complete a structured survey on socioeconomic aspects and perception of formalization.
● Finally, you can choose between two options:
● Receive a transfer of PYG 20,000, or
● Receive personalized assistance to formalize, including the first three months of contribution covered by the project, the printing and sending of a RESIMPLE receipt book and accompaniment to take care of it yourself after the first three months (this package is equivalent to PYG 200,000).
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After
Type of study: The present study is a randomized control group experiment (RCT) with random assignment at the individual level, designed to identify the causal effect of different information frames on the willingness of informal workers in the construction sector to formalize within the RESIMPLE regime.
Target population: The population of interest is made up of informal workers in the construction and maintenance sector (masons, carpenters, electricians, painters, installers, among others) who are not registered with the DNIT or affiliated with the IPS. The study will be implemented mainly in Asunción and cities in the Central department, with the possibility of extending it to rural communities to analyze territorial differences.
Experimental design and treatment groups
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups following an additive structure:
Control Group – C0 (Informational Placebo): Will receive a neutral video on occupational safety on construction sites, unrelated to taxation, registration, or formalization decisions. This group controls for attention, engagement, and exposure to video content, allowing for the isolation of the causal effects of treatment-relevant information.
Treatment 1 – T1 (Administrative Information): Will receive an informative video with basic explanations about the RESIMPLE regime, its eligibility criteria, the registration procedure, and the amounts to be paid.
Treatment 2 – T2 (Economic Benefits): Will receive all content from T1, plus additional information on the private economic benefits of formalization, such as the ability to issue invoices, access formal clients, credit, stability, and protection from sanctions.
Treatment 3 – T3 (Social Benefits or Social Norms): Will receive all content from T2, plus a prosocial framing that emphasizes the collective benefits of formalization, the contribution to the common welfare, fairness, and the importance of following the social norm of "doing things right" as part of a progressing community.
This nested design allows for the identification of the marginal effect of each informational component through adjacent-arm comparisons: the effect of administrative information is identified by comparing T1 to C0, the additional effect of economic information by comparing T2 to T1, and the marginal contribution of the prosocial framing by comparing T3 to T2.
Each participant will watch only one of the four videos, individually, without knowing the existence of other groups or versions.
Procedure
The interviewer will introduce himself and inform the general objectives of the study.
The eligibility criteria will be verified: not to be registered in DNIT or affiliated with the IPS, to work in the construction sector and to be between 18 and 65 years old.
The participant's consent to participate will be confirmed directly within the survey.
The interviewer will make the random assignment and play the video corresponding to the assigned group.
Then, the participant will complete a structured survey on socioeconomic aspects and perception of formalization.
Finally, you can choose between two options:
Receive a transfer of PYG 20,000, or
Receive personalized assistance to formalize, including the first three months of contribution covered by the project, the printing and sending of a RESIMPLE receipt book and accompaniment to take care of it yourself after the first three months (this package is equivalent to PYG 200,000).
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