This report reevaluates PROGRESA's targeting methods since the program began adding beneficiary households through a process called “densification.” The authors first evaluate PROGRESA's accuracy in targeting both at the community and household levels. Second, they evaluate the targeting in...

This report reevaluates PROGRESA's targeting methods since the program began adding beneficiary households through a process called “densification.” The authors first evaluate PROGRESA's accuracy in targeting both at the community and household levels. Second, they evaluate the targeting in...

Based on Food and Agriculture Organization data for 15 developing countries, we examine household characteristics, asset bundles and income-generating activities of the rural poor. Assets aid in exiting poverty, not independent of one another, but rather in combination. We develop an approach to...

The Malawi Social Cash Transfer (SCT) scheme is part of a wave of social protection programmes providing cash to poor households in order to reduce poverty and hunger and promote child education and health. This paper looks beyond the protective function of such programmes, analysing their...

This paper analyzes the household level impact of an increase in price of major tradable staple foods in a cross section of developing countries, using nationally representative household surveys. We find that, in the short term, poorer households and households with limited asset endowments and...

In 2006, the Government of Malawi initiated the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme as part of a poverty reduction strategy that targeted ultra-poor, labour-constrained households. The SCT programme is an unconditional cash transfer designed to reduce poverty, hunger and starvation, and improve...

This working papers offers an impact evaluation of two innovative programs cash transfer schemes from the Mexican Government: PROGRESA, which is a national anti-poverty scheme directed at chronic rural poverty, and PROCAMPO, a scheme designed to compensate farmers for the negative price effects...

This paper reports the analysis of the impact of Kenya's Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Programme on the household decisions on productive activities using data from a randomised experimental design. Results show that the programme had a positive and significant impact on food...

We document the broad impacts of the Zambian Government’s Child Support Grant , including on consumption, livelihood strengthening, material welfare of children, young child feeding, investment in assets, productive activities and housing after two years, making this one of the first studies...

Poverty and food security in most countries are highly heterogeneous phenomena. Both types and depth of poverty, measured in a variety of ways, vary between and within countries, regions or other geographic and administrative units. Poverty mapping in all its various forms involves techniques...