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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Timothy Thomas

Timothy Thomas is a Senior Research Fellow in the Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit. His research focuses on the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity. Tim’s work involves developing innovative methods for simulated climate futures and model coordination between climate, crop, water, energy, and economics.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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World Vision is a Christian non-governmental organization that is dedicated to helping the poor and oppressed throughout the world. World Vision helps to promote human transformation and seek justice through community-based and sustainable development specifically geared towards helping children. World Vision provides services such as emergency relief, spiritual and social transformation through church partnerships and public awareness.

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Publications

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Working Paper

Are government or non-governmental organization staff more effective in delivering frontline mental health services? Evidence from a culster randomized controlled trial

2026Hidrobo, Melissa; Deyessa, Negussie; Getahun, Tigabu; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hailemicheal, Adiam Hagos; Leight, Jessica; Mulford, Michael; Zafar, Sarim
Details

Are government or non-governmental organization staff more effective in delivering frontline mental health services? Evidence from a culster randomized controlled trial

Large treatment gaps in mental health services exist in low- and middle-income countries. While low-intensity psychological interventions delivered by non-specialists show promise in closing this gap, evidence is limited regarding whether government health systems can scale these services effectively. Utilizing a randomized controlled trial across 222 villages in Tigray, Ethiopia, we compare the effectiveness of a psychological intervention, group Problem Management plus (gPM+), delivered in five sessions using two distinct platforms—government-employed Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and NGO-stipended local facilitators (LFs)—vis-a-vis a control arm that receives no intervention. At the one-month follow-up, we find that gPM+ significantly reduces adverse mental health symptoms (particularly depression and anxiety) across both delivery arms, and the intervention is more effective when delivered by LFs (0.22 SD) compared to HEWs (0.11 SD). However, at the 12-month follow-up, treatment effects largely attenuate to zero (mainly due to spontaneous recovery in the control arm) and we find no impacts on child development. The cost per month of depression averted is lower for LFs (PPP $120) vis-a-vis HEWs (PPP $145 to $162, depending on whether HEW time is costed). These findings show that low cost psychological interventions can effectively reduce adverse mental health symptoms in the short term when delivered through both government and NGO platforms, but NGO platforms are slightly more cost-effective.

Year published

2026

Authors

Hidrobo, Melissa; Deyessa, Negussie; Getahun, Tigabu; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hailemicheal, Adiam Hagos; Leight, Jessica; Mulford, Michael; Zafar, Sarim

Citation

Hidrobo, Melissa; Deyessa, Negussie; Getahun, Tigabu; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hailemicheal, Adiam Hagos; et al. 2026. Are government or non-governmental organization staff more effective in delivering frontline mental health services? Evidence from a culster randomized controlled trial. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2450. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/185915

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Mental Health; Government; Nongovernmental Organizations; Interventions; Randomized Controlled Trials

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Working Paper

The effects of a multifaceted graduation model on intra-household dynamics: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia

2026Mesfin, Hiwot Mekonnen; Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica
Details

The effects of a multifaceted graduation model on intra-household dynamics: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia

We provide evidence around the effectiveness of a gender-sensitive graduation model in shifting intrahousehold dynamics and empowering women in rural Ethiopia, drawing on a multi-arm cluster randomized trial. The bundled intervention centered around village economic and social associations, nurturing care groups, men’s groups, and livelihood grants; one arm also provided a monthly cash transfer for pregnant and lactating women. Following two and a half years of implementation, we find evidence of increased savings for both men and women, a reduced gender gap in access to emergency funds, increased men’s participation in chores and childcare, and increased men’s and women’s knowledge of infant and young child feeding practices. The results also show that the interventions increased women’s decision-making power and shifted gender norms around intimate partner violence, but only in the arm receiving the maternal cash transfer. These results suggest that multifaceted interventions targeting multiple constraints are promising tools for transforming traditional gender norms and enhancing women’s agency.

Year published

2026

Authors

Mesfin, Hiwot Mekonnen; Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica

Citation

Mesfin, Hiwot Mekonnen; Hirvonen, Kalle; and Leight, Jessica. 2026. The effects of a multifaceted graduation model on intra-household dynamics: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2444. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/185537

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Models; Households; Intrahousehold Relations; Financial Inclusion; Social Protection; Decision Making; Gender Norms

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Brief

The impact of a nutrition-sensitive graduation model on child nutrition: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia

2026Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica; Mesfin, Hiwot; Mulford, Michael; Tesfaye, Haleluya
Details

The impact of a nutrition-sensitive graduation model on child nutrition: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia

This brief reports on a three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial of 3,015 households evaluating the effectiveness of SPIR II, a nutrition-sensitive graduation model implemented in Ethiopia. The full treatment package—combining nutrition-focused behavior change communication (BCC), village economics and savings associations, monthly maternal cash transfers of US$20, and a one-time livelihood grant of US$300—generates large, sustained improvements in child diet quality, household consumption, livestock holdings, and formal savings. A substantial reduction in childhood stunting (7 percentage points) is observed in the same sub-arm; BCC alone improves caregiver nutrition knowledge but does not lead to improved child feeding or growth. The benefit-cost ratio is nearly two, suggesting the program more than pays for itself.

Year published

2026

Authors

Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica; Mesfin, Hiwot; Mulford, Michael; Tesfaye, Haleluya

Citation

Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hirvonen, Kalle; Leight, Jessica; Mesfin, Hiwot; Mulford, Michael; and Tesfaye, Haleluya. 2026. The impact of a nutrition-sensitive graduation model on child nutrition: Experimental evidence from Ethiopia. IFPRI Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182850

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Eastern Africa; Impact; Nutrition; Child Nutrition; Modelling; Randomized Controlled Trials; Benefit-cost Ratio

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

The early bird gets the cash: When should a scholarship for secondary school arrive? Evidence from Ethiopia
Research Post
 | 
July 14, 2026

The early bird gets the cash: When should a scholarship for secondary school arrive? Evidence from Ethiopia

By Jessica Leight

Research insights to mark World Youth Skills Day.

All in together? How communities contribute to school meals programs
Research Post
 | 
November 24, 2025

All in together? How communities contribute to school meals programs

By James Allen IV, Naureen Karachiwalla, and Deboleena Rakshit

The dynamics of cooperation.