Long-term follow-up evaluation of Ghana CLASS behavioral interventions

Last registered on April 29, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Long-term follow-up evaluation of Ghana CLASS behavioral interventions
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018456
Initial registration date
April 24, 2026

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
April 29, 2026, 3:39 PM EDT

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

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Primary Investigator

Name
Wen Wen Teh
Affiliation
ideas42
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Carolina Better
PI Affiliation
ideas42
PI Name
Mahreen Mahmud
PI Affiliation
University of Exeter

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-04-01
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Labor, Welfare
Additional Keywords
Behavioral Science, Social Protection, Livelihoods, Productive Inclusion
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study is a three-year follow up to an evaluation of low-cost behavioral interventions integrated into a productive inclusion program in Ghana. While prior research shows these interventions prompt immediate behavior change, a significant gap remains in understanding whether these effects persist over time and if they translate into improved livelihood outcomes.

The original randomized control trial showed positive impact on saving behavior, but delays limited follow through on investments. This longer-term follow-up aims to measure if these interventions lead to enduring savings habits, reinforced financial self-efficacy, and ultimately, increased financial resilience, business performance, and overall well-being.

Additionally, the follow-up will update the cost-effectiveness analysis, which calculates the additional cash amount required to achieve the same savings impact as the behavioral tools, using data from the recent program scale-up. The findings, if positive, will provide a model for the design of scalable and cost-effective social protection and productive inclusion programs.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Better, Carolina, Mahreen Mahmud and Wen Wen Teh. 2026. "Long-term follow-up evaluation of Ghana CLASS behavioral interventions." AEA RCT Registry. April 29. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18456-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-07-01
Intervention End Date
2026-10-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Use of behavioural tools, incidence of goals and plans, incidence and frequency of saving, savings amount, productive asset accumulation, incidence of borrowing and purpose, debt accumulation, actions taken to improve business performance, number and duration of businesses in operation, business revenue and profits
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Optimistic self-belief, perseverance, self-control, total household income, ability to weather financial shocks, participation in government social programs, current and future financial outlook
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study is a follow-up to an RCT evaluating the impact low-cost behavioural interventions integrated into a productive inclusion program in Ghana. Our theory of change is that the low-cost behavioural tools introduced in the initial study foster durable habits of saving and investment, leading to greater financial self-sufficiency and resilience for treatment participants and households.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization was done in the original study using STATA
Randomization Unit
Sub-district (community)
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
104 communities
Sample size: planned number of observations
3100 recipients
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
52 communities control, 52 schools treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan