Private Outsourcing and Competition: Subsidized Food Distribution in Indonesia
在印度尼西亚最大定向转移支付项目中，通过实地实验发现允许外包最后一公里食品配送降低了运营成本且未牺牲质量，但只有修改招标规则以鼓励更多竞标者时，公民支付的价格才降低。
We explore the impact of allowing for outsourcing service delivery to the private sector within Indonesia's largest targeted transfer program. In a field experiment across 572 municipalities, we find that allowing for outsourcing the last mile of food delivery reduced operating costs without sacrificing quality. However, the prices citizens paid were lower only where we modified the bidding rules to encourage more bidders. Higher rents are associated with greater entry despite elites' efforts to block reform. In this context, the option to outsource and sufficient competition generated significant benefits relative to public distribution.