Quantitative Methods and Reasoning

"The Toughest Beat": Investing in Employee Well-Being at the Denver Sheriff Department

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Facing staffing shortages, safety concerns, and widespread burnout at the Denver Sheriff Department, Chief of Administration Sonya Gillespie was overseeing a novel experiment in boosting staff morale through peer-to-peer support. Over an...

Fighting Pollution with Data: Environmental Audits and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board Sequel

Publication Date: June 29, 2017

In 2010, the overwhelmed Pollution Control Board in the Indian state of Gujarat faced a difficult path ahead. The agency charged with monitoring and enforcing pollution regulations in the heavily industrialized state had a problematic...

Scared Straight: Freeport City Council Takes on Juvenile Delinquency

Publication Date: July 8, 2016

A newly elected city council member is facing her first vote—an appropriations measure to increase funding for the Scared Straight program. Juvenile crime is rising in the city, citizens are concerned and want the government to do...

Fighting Pollution with Data: Environmental Audits and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board

Publication Date: January 11, 2016

In 2010, the overwhelmed Pollution Control Board in the Indian state of Gujarat faced a difficult path ahead. The agency charged with monitoring and enforcing pollution regulations in the heavily industrialized state had a problematic...

Devil in the Details: Designing a Social Impact Bond Agreement in Medellin

Publication Date: July 22, 2015

In July 2012, three freshly-minted Harvard Kennedy School graduates bought one-way tickets to Medellin, Colombia, to launch a nonprofit startup they called Instiglio. Their idea: to bring Social Impact Bonds, still experimental even in affluent...

Betting Private Capital on Fixing Public Ills: Instiglio Brings Social Impact Bonds to Colombia

Publication Date: August 01, 2014

In July 2012, three freshly-minted Harvard Kennedy School graduates bought one-way tickets to Medellin, Colombia, to launch a nonprofit startup they called Instiglio. Their idea: to bring Social Impact Bonds, still experimental even in affluent...

Expanding Health Insurance to Millions: Learning from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment

Publication Date: May 22, 2014

In 2008, the state of Oregon had the budget to enroll 10,000 individuals into Medicaid. But officials knew that demand for Medicaid would be far greater. To give all poor, uninsured Oregonians a fair chance at receiving health insurance, the...

Primary Education in Pakistan: Show Me the Evidence

Publication Date: April 30, 2014

This case has two parts, a text-based case and a supplemental PowerPoint presentation. The case traces the evolution of an evidence-based research study on the education sector in Pakistan. In 2003, Atish (fictionalized character), a...

Providing Pensions for the Poor: Targeting Cash Transfers for the Elderly in Mexico

Publication Date: March 05, 2014

When the Mexican Congress approved the country's 2007 budget, it included an appropriation of 8.5 billion pesos allocated to provide non-contributive pensions to senior citizens. President Felipe Calderon wanted to introduce eligibility criteria...

The Hormone Therapy Controversy: What Makes Reliable Evidence

Publication Date: November 13, 2013

For nearly two decades, the leading evidence on hormone therapy was based on findings from observational studies like the Nurses Health Study. In 1985, researchers at Nurses Health Study confirmed that postmenopausal women who took estrogen had...

Women as Leaders: Lessons from Political Quotas in India

Publication Date: July 18, 2013

In 1993, the Indian government approved a constitutional amendment that would forever change the face of rural politics. The landmark legislation mandated that village councils--traditionally the bastion of higher caste males--hold regular...

Budget Woes and Worse Ahead... Pine Street Inn, Boston's Iconic Homeless Shelter, Re-Thinks its Strategy

Publication Date: May 14, 2013

In 2004, Boston's preeminent homeless shelter, Pine Street Inn, faced the prospect of steadily dwindling funds for shelter services over the next few years. This stark reality--combined with persistent frustrations at finding permanent homes for...