Tara Sylvia Bedi CV
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD)
Department of Geography Dublin, Ireland
Assistant Professor in
Development Practice, Since 2024
EDUCATION
University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD)
Dublin, Ireland
Ph.D. Development Economics, 2013 - 2018
- Dissertation Topic: “Innovative and effective financial services and
information awareness for inclusive poverty reduction: The role of
mobile banking and awareness programmes in changing saving, credit and
employment behaviour of poor households and the resulting impact on
household welfare.”
- Advisor: Michael King
- Committee: Andrew McKay, Tara Mitchell
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Cambridge,
USA
Master of Public Administration in International
Development, 2002 - 2004
Core subjects: Analysing politics for
policy, human rights and international politics, good governance and
democratisation, legal, social and political institutions in
development, resource contes- tation, development policy analysis &
design, advanced micro and macro economics, econometrics
Lewis & Clark College, Economics
Department
Portland, USA
BA in Economics
with Honours, 1996 - 2000
PEER REVIEWED BOOK
- Hyperination in Zimbabwe: Background, Impact, and Policy,
Palgrave Pivot (2019), with T. McIndoe-Calder and R.
Mercado.
PUBLICATIONS
- Formal Financial Inclusion in Kenya: Understanding the Demand-Side
Constraints. (2015), with M. King. Chapter in Kenya’s Financial
Transformation in the 21st Century. Edited by Amrik Heyer and Michael
King. Nairobi, Kenya: FSD Kenya
- Leading Edge 2020: Critical Thinking on the Future of International
Development. (2011), with M. Bateman, L. Gold and O. Moore.
Trócaire.
- My Word is my Bond: Delivery of aid commitments by Ireland. (2010),
with B Riordan. Tr`{o}caire Development Review 2010, 101-22
- More than a pretty picture: using poverty maps to design better
policies and interventions. (2007), with A. Coudouel and K. Simler.
Washington, DC: World Bank.
- Beyond the numbers: understanding the institutions for monitoring
poverty reduction strategies. (2006), with A. Coudouel, M. Cox, M.
Goldstein, and N. Thornton. Washington, DC: World Bank.
- Impact Evaluation and the Project Cycle. (2006), with S. Bhatti, X.
Gine, E Galasso, M. Goldstein, and A. Legovini.
R&R
- Accountability of public works entitlements in rural India, with L.
Kuld.
- Forty Years of Charitable Giving in Ireland: What have we learnt,
with O. B. Breen and J. Carroll.
WORKING PAPERS
- Shifting spousal decision-making patterns: Who you target in an
agriculture intervention matter. The impact of Farmer’s Innovation Fund
in Ethiopia (2022), with N. Buehren, M. Goldstein and T. A. Ketema
- Mental Accounting, Spousal Control and Intra-Household
Communication: Evidence from an Experiment in India, with A. Jose and M.
King
PAPERS IN PROGRESS
- Natural Disasters, Mental Health and the Ultra-poor: Intra-household
Impacts of Cyclone Idai in Malawi, with A. Jose, M. King, S.
McArdle
- Developing an Evaluation Framework for Gender-responsive Climate
Change Adaptation Programme: from Design to Impact, with X. Zhao
- Ultra-Poor Graduation and Environmental Shocks: Evidence from the
2019 Malawian Floods, with M. King and I. Noy
- Gender Targeting and Household Cooperation: Experimental Evidence
from a Multifaceted Anti-poverty Program in Malawi, with M. King and J.
Vaillant
- Income Uncertainty and Preferences for Formal Financial Products:
Evidence from Rural Kenya, with M. King.
- Moving the Female Empowerment Needle: A Mixed-Method Evaluation of A
Gender Focused Multifaceted Anti-Poverty Programme in Malawi, with R.
Avard, J. Copestake, M. King and F. Remnant.
- A mixed method approach to understanding Gender Social Norms, IPV
and the Mauritania Social Transfer Program, with C. Boxho, M. King, R.
Pierotti and J. Vaillant.
- Bargaining, Poverty Stress, or Backlash? Reducing Violence Among the
Ultra-Poor, with M. King, A. Ramos, and J. Vaillant.
POLICY BRIEFS
- Achieving social impact through Graduation programmes
- Overview of the Results from the QuIP Report on Concern Worldwide
Graduation Programme, Malawi, with Concern Worldwide.
- The Graduation Model and Gender Empowerment Research Project in
Malawi, with Concern Worldwide.
- Highlights from the Baseline Survey on the Graduation Households,
with Concern Worldwide.
- The Umodzi Pilot: Successes and Learnings, with Concern
Worldwide.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
*
Module Coordinator & Lecturer, Theories of Development, Masters in
Development Practice, 2024
* Module Coordinator & Lecturer,
Dissertation & Work Placement, Masters in Development Practice, 2024
* Module Coordinator & Lecturer, Gender and Development,
Masters in Development Practice, 2023-2024
* Module Coordinator
& Lecturer, Impact Measurement, Masters in Development Practice,
2018 - 2024
* Lecturer, Survey Design and Qualitative Evaluation
Methods, Trinity IMpact Evaluation (TIME) Online Course on Impact
Evaluation, 2021 - 2024
* Supervision of 28 master dissertations,
Masters in Development Practice, 2021 - 2024
* Teaching Assistant,
Microeconomics (2nd year), Department of Economics, 2016 - 2017
*
Lecturer, Economics of Less Developed Countries (3rd year), Department
of Economics, 2015 - 2016
* Teaching Assistant, Introduction to
Economic Policy (1st year), Department of Economics, 2013 - 2014
Honours, Awards, Grants
- Mental Well-Being and School-Related Gender Based Violence: Evidence
from Zambia (2023 - 2025), with Wei Chang, Menaal Ebrahim, Anu Jose,
Michael King, and Sophia Friedson-Ridenour. Funder: World Bank
(${250,000})
- Gender Norms and the Mauritania Social Transfer Programme (2021 -
2024), with Michael King, Rachael Pierotti and Julia Vaillant. Funder 1:
World Bank ($320,750); Funder 2: International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI) ($125,000)
- Impact Evaluation of Concern’s Graduation Model in Malawi (2017 -
2025), with Michael King. Funder: Concern Worldwide (€2,250,000)
- Impact of a gender targeted graduation model and norm-transforming
intervention on IPV (2020 - 2025), with Michael King and A. Ramos.
Funder: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) ($200,000.00)
- Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions COFUND Collaborative International
Research Fellowship for a Responsive and Innovative Europe (CAROLINE).
(2017 - 2022) “Understanding the Gender and Inequality: Dimensions of a
Leading Multifaceted Anti-Poverty Programme (the Graduation Model).”
Funder: Irish Research Council (€205,120)
- Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship (2014 - 2017).
Funder: Irish Research Council (€78,000)
- Department Scholarship, Department of Economics (2013 - 2017).
Funder: Trinity College Dublin (€20,000)
- John F. Kennedy Scholarship. (2002 - 2004). Funder: Harvard
University ($20,000)
- Mary Stuart Rogers Scholar (1999). Funder: Lewis & Clark College
($5,000)
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS
Mental Well-Being and School-Related Gender Based Violence,
Evidence from Zambia: Using a randomised control trial (RCT), with
randomisation at the school level, this study will evaluate the impact
of the empowerment programme on adolescent girls’ knowledge of school
related gender based violence (SRGBV); attitudes and norms around gender
roles, corporal punishment, bullying, sexual violence, and response to
SRGBV; socio-emotional skills; mental health and social support. Data
will be collected from approximately 3,000 adolescent girls and their
teachers/peers/caregivers across three districts in Zambia. Affiliated
authors and institutions: Tara Bedi, Wei Chang, Menaal Ebrahim, Anu
Jose, Michael King, and Sophia Friedson-Ridenour. Trinity College
Dublin, Africa Gender Innovation Lab World Bank.
Gender, Social Norms and the Mauritania Social Transfer
Programme: Designed, secured funding and implemented a RCT on
understanding the impact of gender social norms interventions. The RCT
tests the effect of adding a) couples empowerment training and b)
community interventions to a cash transfer programme on female
empowerment, spousal cohesion and welfare outcomes. Affiliated authors
and institutions: Tara Bedi, Claire Boxho, Michael King and Julia
Vaillant. Trinity College Dublin and Africa Gender Innovation Lab World
Bank
Research website: https://www.tcd.ie/time/research/social-protection/gender_mauritania/
Gender impacts from the Graduation Programme in Malawi:
Designed, secured funding and implemented a randomised control trial
(RCT), which studies the impact of varying the gender of the recipient
of an anti-poverty programme and a gender empowerment training on
intrahousehold bargaining power, well-being, and household poverty.
Affiliated authors and institutions: Tara Bedi, Michael King, and Julia
Vaillant. Trinity College Dublin, Africa Gender Innovation Lab World
Bank.
Research website: https://www.tcd.ie/time/research/malawigraduation/
Gender Focused Multi-Faceted Anti-Poverty Programs: Low-Cost
Options for Scale-up in Uganda Designed and secured funding to
implement an RCT that tests a) whether we can replicate our Malawi
results in a different setting, with a less intensive group-based
graduation program, and at a lower implementation cost, and b) whether
impacts are strengthened through adding a low-cost community level
intervention. Affiliated authors and institutions: Tara Bedi and Michael
King. Trinity College Dublin.
Gender Dynamics and Climate Resilience for Sri Lanka’s
poor: Designing an RCT that investigates how anti-poverty
programmes can build climate resilience through 1) climate-smart
agriculture; 2) family cooperation and gender empowerment; and 3) the
interaction between the two. Affiliated authors and institutions: Tara
Bedi, Thomas Bossuroy, Michael King, and Dalal Moosa. Trinity College
Dublin, World Bank.
MIXED METHODS
- Gender Norms and the Mauritania Social Transfer Program:
Designed and secured funding for a qualitative research project on a
cash transfer combined with gender norms programming to study 1) the
role of complementary programming and the 2) mechanisms underlying the
impact of cash transfers on intimate partner violence.The research team
will examine the mechanisms of impact and how they vary across different
versions of the gender norms programme. This will include investigation
of changes at the household level and the possibility of socially
transformative changes. The study will use a combination of Qualitative
Impact Protocol (QuIP) interviews at the household level, Focus Group
Discussions (FDGs) and observational ethnographic research within
communities. Affiliated authors and institutions: Tara Bedi, Claire
Boxho, James Copestake, Michael King, Rachael Pierotti, Fiona Remnant
and Julia Vaillant. Trinity College Dublin and Africa Gender Innovation
Lab World Bank, University of Bath.
OTHER PROJECTS
Empowering Women Farmers through Precision Agriculture and
Market E-Linkages: Our mixed methods research investigates the
effect of leveraging agronomically and climate-informed Digital
Agricultural Technology (DAT) to provide site-specific advisories on
crop management, soil quality, and climate-smart practices, specifically
targeting women farmers, on household agriculture productivity, climate
adaptation, income and women’s empowerment. We are currently designing a
lab in the field experiment to disentangle key preferences and take up
for digital agriculture technology. Affiliated authors and institutions:
Supriya Garikipati, Tara Bedi, John O Omondi, Kevin McDonnell, Richard
Petautchere, Marta Talevi. University College Dublin, Trinity College
Dublin, IITA-Malawi, NASFAM
Exploring Intra-Household Gender Differences in Reporting
Exposure to Shocks: Poor households are more susceptible to face
negative shocks, which may undermine development and anti-poverty
interventions. Yet, in attempting to understand households’ exposure to
shocks, it might be imperative to consider the gender of the respondent
when utilising survey-based measures. A growing body of literature is
exposing intra-household gender differences in survey reporting of
various socio-economic measures, even those seemingly objective. This
paper contributes by adding a ``shock’’dimension to this literature.
Using survey data that captures household shock reports by both the male
and female spouse within a household in rural Malawi, the paper aims to
establish whether men and women report household shocks differently.
Moreover, it seeks to explore possible mechanisms that correlate with
spousal concordance, and whether concordance can be associated with
women’s wellbeing outcomes. The results of this paper will make valuable
contributions to research using survey-based measures to study household
shocks. For instance, if systematic differences are detected, reliance
on responses from only one spouse might entail biases which should be
carefully considered when targeting, or evaluating the impact of,
development interventions based on these measures. Affiliated authors
and institutions: Nouf Abushehab, Tara Bedi, and Michael King. Trinity
College Dublin.
WORK EXPERIENCE
University of Dublin, Trinity College (TCD)
Department of Economics Dublin, Ireland
Research Fellow, 2021-2023
MSCActions Research Fellow, 2017-2020
UNU-WIDER, Dublin, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Short-term consultant, 2017
- Analysed and wrote a chapter on household credit access in Vietnam
from the latest round of Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey
(VARHS)
World Bank, Dublin, Ireland
Short-term
Consultant, Summer 2013
- Co-wrote a research paper looking at the issue of unemployment and
social safety nets in Latvia.
Trócaire, Maynooth, Ireland
Policy
Officer, 2011 - 2013
- Developed and delivered policy and advocacy projects on Financing
For Development, including Tax Justice, and Policy Coherence for
Development.
- Developed an M&E framework for policy and advocacy and wrote the
annual M&E report on policy and advocacy for the organisation.
Policy & Research Coordinator, 2008 - 2011
- Managed a team of policy officers and administration support.
Responsibilities included setting work agendas for individuals in the
team, monitoring progress, and creating opportunities to develop
individual skill sets. Additional responsibilities included developing
standards on policy publications and establishing monitoring and
evaluation processes for advocacy work. *Lead researcher for the
Trócaire Research publication “Leading Edge 2020: Critical thinking on
the future of International Development.” Responsibilities included
securing funding for the project, developing research methodology and
analysis framework, collecting and analysing the data and managing a
team of researchers.
- Editor of the Trócaire Development Review, the annual policy journal
produced by Trócaire, activities included drafting call for papers,
securing papers for journal, overseeing reviewing process, managing
relationship with people on the editorial board, producing journal and
dissemination of the journal.
Research Officer on Food Security, Livelihoods &
Environmental Justice Team, 2007 - 2008
- Lead and designed research on food security, developed case studies
on successful initiatives of Trócaire‘s food security work, wrote
Trócaire‘s contribution to the Irish Government’s Hunger Task Force and
regularly briefed Trócaire‘s Director for the Hunger Task Force’
meetings.
World Bank, Poverty Reduction & Economic Management
(PREM), Washington DC, USA
Junior Professional
Associate, 2004 - 2006
Poverty Analysis, Monitoring &
Impact Evaluations team in the Poverty Reduction Group
- Co-managed the work programme on Using Small Area Estimation Poverty
Maps to Allocate Resources and Design Policy. Tasks included drafting
the concept note, overseeing 14 country studies, managing consultants,
providing guidance and feedback on reports, writing papers on poverty
map applications and on strengthening the impact of poverty maps,
organising a conference on the emerging lessons and the case studies,
and making presentations on the results of the work programme
- Coordinated work on Impact Evaluations, including organising
workshops, trainings and lunchtime seminars, supervising development of
an impact evaluation database. Researched and co-wrote a qualitative
evaluations methods note and an evaluation standards best practice
review.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organisation (IRCO)
), Portland, USA
Programme Coordinator of
Volunteers, 2001 - 2002
Non-profit refugee resettlement
service organisation
- Responsible for recruitment, training, support and management of
over 100 volunteers at IRCO
- Co-lectured a Portland State University Senior class
- Identified, designed and implemented new volunteer opportunities,
such as Youth Mentors, Case Managers for Domestic Violence
programme
- Developed outreach programmes between the local community and newly
arrived refugees
- Created programme handouts, newsletters, supplemental training and
educational material
COMPUTER SKILLS AND LANGUAGES
- Statistics: Stata (excellent), basic knowledge of R
- Typesetting: LaTex, Microsoft Office
- Languages: English (native), Spanish (intermediate)
BOARD MEMBERSHIP AND CERTIFICATES
- Master in Development Practice, Course Committee Member, Trinity
College Dublin
- Board Director of Plan International Ireland
- Certificates: Social Norms, Social Change I. Social Norms, Social
Change II
CONFERENCES AND INVITED PRESENTATIONS
- CSAE Economic Development in Africa, 2025 (Oxford)
- Irish Mission Side Event at the 69th UN Commission on the Status of
Women, 2025 (New York)
- Social Protection Leadership Collaborative, 2024 (virtual)
- World Bank Africa LEADS Workshop, 2024 (Cape Town)
- Basic Income Network Conference 2024 (Bath)
- Western Economic Association (WEAI) Conference, 2024 (Seattle)
- Gates Foundation, 2019 & 2024 (Seattle)
- Northeastern Universities Development Consortium (NEUDC), 2023
(Boston)
- World Bank, 2024 (Washington D.C)
- Researcher Gathering on Financial Inclusion and Social Protection,
2022 & 2023 (Chicago)
- Re-imagining Social Protection in a time of Global Uncertainty, 2023
(Brighton)
- Keynote: Disruptive Technologies in Computing and Communication
Systems, 2023 (Hyderabad)
- Irish Aid, 2021 (Malawi)
- Graduation Programme Learning Event: Concern Worldwide in
collaboration with Ministry of EP&D, 2021 & 2023 (Malawi)
- Africa Gender Equality Conference, 2021 (virtual)
- UN Commission for the Status of Women, 2021 (virtual)
- The Gender Study Group, 2021 (virtual)
- MenEngage Ubuntu Symposium, 2021 (virtual)
- RESULTS.org, 2019 (virtual)
- Irish Aid, 2019 (Malawi)
- World Bank, 2019 (Washington DC and Malawi)
- Skoll Ecosystem Session: Poverty Graduation & Women’s Economic
Empowerment, 2019 (Oxford)
- DIAL Development conference, 2017 (Paris)
- NORDIC conference in Development Economic, 2016 (Oslo)
REVIEWING AND EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES
- Journal Reviewer: World Development Perspectives; Economic
Modelling
- Funding: Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Finance
(WEE-DiFine)
- Editor: Trócaire Development Review, 2008 - 2010