Overview

Innovations for Poverty Action seeks a Research Associate to manage a project that will answer questions related to take up, selection, and use/satisfaction of mobile insurance, across different enrollment methods (solicitation vs no solicitation), different controlled audio messages at the point of sale (disclosure, behavioral marketing), and different follow-up scenarios. The project is led by Michael King (University of Trinity Dublin) and Paolina del Carmen Medina Palma (Texas A&M University).

Development and roll-out of mobile insurance in developing countries has only begun recently. Insurance regulators do not yet have a clear understanding of the associated consumer protection implications and have not yet developed evidence based regulatory guidelines for interactions with customers. We expect this research to provide evidence on the efficacy of aggressive telemarketing and provide guidance on the effectiveness of disclosure solutions. On the assumption that our disclosure interventions are effective, the findings will empower regulators to pursue interventionist policies to ensure customers are better informed about terms and conditions and claims processes. This research project studies the effect of regulatory disclosures and behaviorally informed advertising strategies on take-up, renewal and claims for mobile hospitalization insurance provided by a large mobile network operator (MNO) and insurance provider in Tanzania. We use consumer protection motivated pre-recorded messages played during phone call solicitations, cross-randomized with informative follow text messages, to study changes in composition of the insured pool, and changes in user behavior. The study will include 4 groups:

• Group 1: As a benchmark, we will study the characteristics and behavior of a random sample of 4,000 individuals that “self-enroll” in to the mobile insurance product by directly calling the MNO and without receiving a phone solicitation call.

To study the effect of different solicitation messages, we will randomize 150,000 pre-screened MNO users, into three groups of equal size to receive phone solicitations as follows:

• Group 2: Phone solicitations with standard script currently used by the insurance provider.
• Group 3: Phone solicitations with standard script and an additional pre-recorded disclosure message.
• Group 4: Phone solicitations with standard script and an additional pre-recorded behaviorally informed marketing message.

We will complement administrative data on all of these individuals with two rounds of phone surveys with 12,000 respondents each to gather information on socioeconomic characteristics, historical health outcomes, experiences of insurance and use of informal insurance mechanisms

The Research Associate will work closely with the Research Manager, Principal Investigators, staff from the implementing partners, and other IPA country office staff to oversee the implementation of the research study including the development and roll-out of the consumer disclosure messaging. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. The work will develop your analytical and management skills and require your full commitment in a challenging environment. This position will likely be based in Dar es Salaam and requires frequent travel to the field sites.