Publications & Work in progress
Publications on Google Scholar
Publications on ResearchGate
Job Market Paper: “Do cash transfers foster resilience to shocks? Evidence from rural Niger” (link to presentation; featured on PreventionWeb)
In this article, we explore the question of resilience in the very poor, shock-prone environment of rural Niger, where the government deployed a large-scale, multi-year cash transfer program. We combine household-level datasets from a randomized evaluation with satellite data on historical rainfall levels to identify exogenous shocks and the mitigating effects of cash transfers. Using various experimental and quasi-experimental identification strategies, and novel measures of resilience, we show that the program improves average levels of consumption and food security among beneficiaries. However, this effect is actually entirely driven by a better ability to stabilize consumption among households affected by climatic shocks. While several mechanisms may be at play, we provide evidence that this increased resilience is due to investments in agriculture and in micro-enterprises which depend on agricultural revenues. Although cash transfers have the explicit objective of promoting households by protecting them from shocks, to our knowledge this study is first to link directly cash transfers and resilience. Our findings have important implications for the design of shock-responsive programs, suggesting for instance that multi-year programs are important for improving resilience, as opposed to short-term, targeting responses where shocks occur.
Peer Reviewed Articles
Book chapters
Working Papers
Work in progress
Technical Publications and Theses
Publications on ResearchGate
Job Market Paper: “Do cash transfers foster resilience to shocks? Evidence from rural Niger” (link to presentation; featured on PreventionWeb)
In this article, we explore the question of resilience in the very poor, shock-prone environment of rural Niger, where the government deployed a large-scale, multi-year cash transfer program. We combine household-level datasets from a randomized evaluation with satellite data on historical rainfall levels to identify exogenous shocks and the mitigating effects of cash transfers. Using various experimental and quasi-experimental identification strategies, and novel measures of resilience, we show that the program improves average levels of consumption and food security among beneficiaries. However, this effect is actually entirely driven by a better ability to stabilize consumption among households affected by climatic shocks. While several mechanisms may be at play, we provide evidence that this increased resilience is due to investments in agriculture and in micro-enterprises which depend on agricultural revenues. Although cash transfers have the explicit objective of promoting households by protecting them from shocks, to our knowledge this study is first to link directly cash transfers and resilience. Our findings have important implications for the design of shock-responsive programs, suggesting for instance that multi-year programs are important for improving resilience, as opposed to short-term, targeting responses where shocks occur.
Peer Reviewed Articles
- Stoeffler, Q., F. Fontshi, A. Lungela. “Targeting in practice: A review of existing mechanisms for beneficiary selection in the Democratic Republic of Congo”. Journal of International Development (2020).
- Jensen, N., Q. Stoeffler, M. Carter, C. Atzberger, M. Meroni, A. Mude, A. Vrieling, F. Fava. “Does the design matter? Comparing satellite-based indices for insuring pastoralists against drought”. Ecological Economics (2019).
- Stoeffler, Q., B. Mills, and P. Premand. “Poor Households’ Productive Investments of Cash Transfers: Quasi-experimental evidence from Niger.” Journal of African Economies (2019).
- Ouédraogo, S., V. Ridde, N. Atchessi, A. Souares, J-L.Koulidiati, Q. Stoeffler, M-V. Zunzunegui. “Characterization of the rural indigent population in Burkina Faso: a screening tool for setting priority health care services in sub-Saharan Africa.” BMJ Open (2017).
- Stoeffler, Q., B. Mills, and C. del Ninno. “Reaching the Poor: Cash Transfer Program Targeting in Cameroon.” World Development (2016).
- Stoeffler, Q., J. Alwang, B. Mills, and N. Taruvinga. "Multidimensional Poverty in Crisis: Lessons from Zimbabwe." Journal of Development Studies (2015): 1-19.
- Stoeffler, Q. “Crop portfolio choices in Burkina Faso.” Journal of Developing Areas (2016).
- Stoeffler, Q. "The Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfer Programs on Farmers: Evidence from Ex-Ante Simulations." Public Knowledge Journal 4, no. 2 (2013).
Book chapters
- Carter, M., S. Janzen, Q. Stoeffler. "Can Insurance Help Manage Climate Risk and Food Insecurity? Evidence from the Pastoral Regions of East Africa" in Climate Smart Agriculture - Building Resilience to Climate Change, edited by L. Lipper, N. McCarthy, D. Zilberman, S. Asfaw and G. Branca New York: Springer, 2018.
- Stoeffler, Q., P. Nguetse-Tegoum, and B. Mills. "Generating a System for Targeting Unconditional Cash Transfers in Cameroun." In Safety Nets in Africa: Effective Mechanisms to Reach the Poor and Most Vulnerable (2015): 39.
- Leite, P., Q. Stoeffler, and A. Kryeziu. "Targeting Effectiveness of Social Safety Net Programs in Senegal." In Safety Nets in Africa: Effective Mechanisms to Reach the Poor and Most Vulnerable (2015): 213.
Working Papers
- Stoeffler, Q., W. Gelade, C. Guirkinger, and M.R. Carter, “The Spillover Impact of Index Insurance on Agricultural Investment by Cotton Farmers in Burkina Faso”. (Submitted, R&R)
- Premand, P., and Q. Stoeffler. “Do cash transfers foster resilience to shocks? Evidence from rural Niger” (Submitted)
- Stoeffler, Q. and G. Opuz. “The index insurance take-up puzzle: new experimental and quasi-experimental evidence from Burkina Faso”. (Submitted)
- Barré, T., and Q. Stoeffler. “Assessing Index Insurance”. Working Paper.
- Cheung D., S. Wang Sonne, and Q. Stoeffler. “From safety to productive net? Unconditional Cash Transfer and agricultural outcomes in Cameroon”. Working Paper.
- Stoeffler, Q., F. Gedeon Achi, C. Delavallade, I. Çetiner, B. Uysal. “Just a game? Understanding mechanisms and impacts of a gender empowerment program in rural Indian schools”.
- Stoeffler, Q. and P. Schnitzer. “Targeting in ultra-poor contexts”.
- Benotsmane, R. and Q. Stoeffler. “Why are women not working? Understanding female ‘not in employment, education or training’ (NEET) in Turkey”
- B. Çubukcu, Q. Stoeffler and V. Ridde. “Targeting Efficiency of PMT and CBT to Reach Poor and Health-Deprived Households in Burkina Faso”
- Çalışır, S. and Q. Stoeffler “Understanding well-being in Turkey”
Work in progress
- “Economic impacts of artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso” with C. Guirkinger
- “The impact of cash transfers for refugees on child labor and education in Turkey” with A. Aygün, M. Kirdar and M. Koyuncu.
- “Selecting beneficiaries of social programs in Turkey” with A. Aygün, M. Kirdar and M. Koyuncu.
- “Accuracy and acceptability of targeting mechanisms in Burkina Faso” with D. Cheung and P. Schnitzer
- “Impact Evaluation of the Burkina Faso Citizens Curb Corruption program” with A. Hilger and R. Grün
- "Comparing targeted and universal transfers: a randomized evaluation of targeting mechanisms in Burkina Faso" with the World Bank
Technical Publications and Theses
- Premand, P., and Q. Stoeffler. "Do Cash Transfers Foster Resilience? Evidence from Rural Niger". Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9473. World Bank, Washington, DC. (2020).
- Stoeffler, Q., W. Gelade, C. Guirkinger, and M.R. Carter. “The spillover impact of index insurance on agricultural investment by cotton farmers in Burkina Faso”. National Bureau of Economic Research (2020).
- Stoeffler, Q., B. Mills, and P. Premand. “Households’ investments in durable and productive assets in Niger: quasi-experimental evidence from a cash transfer project.” Policy Research Working Paper Series, World Bank (2016).
- Stoeffler, Q. "Three Essays on Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multidimensional Poverty Change in Zimbabwe; Long-Term Impact of Cash Transfers in Niger; and Targeting Efficiency of Social Protection Programs in Cameroon." PhD dissertation, Virginia Tech, 2014.
- Stoeffler, Q. "In the Land of Failing Markets: How Farmers React to Price Signals." Master's thesis, Sciences-Po, Paris, 2009.
- Stoeffler, Q. "What happens when cash transfers end? Sustained impacts on productive investments in Niger", guest post for the Economics That Really Matter blog, published on January 20, 2016.
- Stoeffler, Q., T. Barré, and M. Carter. "Measuring index insurance quality." I4 Brief 2015-01.
- Stoeffler, Q. « Le commerce des produits agricoles au Burkina Faso: au-delà des prix », Grain de sel n°46-47, pp 7-8, March-August 2009.
- Stoeffler, Q. “The Cotonou Agreement: across-the-broad reform of ACP-EU coopereation”, Grain de sel n°39, pp 15-16, June-August 2007
