Tracking how people’s lives are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can enable policymakers to better understand the situation in their countries and make data-driven policy decisions. To respond to this need, IPA has developed the RECOVR survey—a panel survey that will facilitate comparisons, document real-time trends of policy concern, and inform decision-makers about the communities that are hardest-hit by the economic toll of the pandemic. In Côte d'Ivoire, the survey is building on a partnership with the Ministry of Employment and surveying an existing sample of economically active respondents, with sections on employment and businesses and education tailored specifically to the country’s context. The survey will provide the Ministry with data on how the pandemic is affecting employment and business outcomes, particularly for youth and vulnerable populations, to inform its policy responses.

Researchers:
Shana Warren, Doug Parkerson, Elliott Collins
Country:
Côte d’Ivoire
Program Area:
Agriculture, Education, Financial Inclusion, Governance, Health, Peace and Recovery, Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Protection
Partners:
Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Employment, Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Education
Study Type:
Descriptive / Surveillance
Timeline:
June-July 2020
Implemented by IPA:
Yes
Impact Goals:
Build resilience and protect the financial health of families and individuals; Build resilient and adaptable businesses and employment opportunities; Improve social-safety net responses; Improve women’s health, safety, and economic empowerment; Keep children safe, healthy, and learning; Promote peace and safety, and improve humanitarian response; Reduce COVID-19 transmission rates
Outcomes of Interest:
Some of the key questions the survey aims to answer at the global level include the size and scope of the disruptions to government service provision, work disruptions and type of disruptions, whether and how households with school-aged children are spending time on education since schools have been closed, extent to which people are skipping necessary healthcare, identification of populations most at risk of skipping necessary healthcare. The Côte d'Ivoire survey includes health symptoms and care, COVID-19 mitigation behavior, education, work and income, social safety net support received, food and market security, and financial health, with a particular focus on education and employment/business outcomes.
Data Collection Mode:
CATI (Computer-assisted telephone interviewing)
Link to Related RECOVR Questionnaire:
RECOVR Côte D'Ivoire Survey, Round 1; RECOVR Côte D'Ivoire Survey, Round 2
Data Collection Instruments:
docs.google.com
External Website:
poverty-action.org
Public Data:
dataverse.harvard.edu
Results Status:
Results
Link to Results:
Round 1: Full results presentation (in French), blog post (in English) summarizing the key takeaways, and video recordings of webinars (in English in French) sharing the results and their policy implications
Key Findings:
Round 1:
  • 41% of respondents say they feel their household is at risk of contracting COVID-19. Those who do not feel at risk overwhelmingly cite following preventive measures as a reason
  • More than 70% of respondents say they have had to deplete savings to pay for food since February 2020
  • 65% of employed individuals have earned less pay than they did in a typical week before the government closed schools
  • While 35% of employed individuals report spending fewer hours working, 47% report working the same hours working for pay/running a business/helping on a family business than they did in a typical week before the government closed schools
  • 69% of respondents with children intend to continue to using Eneza once schools reopen