The socioeconomic determinants of cumulative and recent fertility are investigated with micro data from Jamaica, a middle-income country with low rates of infant mortality and total fertility. Infant mortality has a significant nonlinear influence on fertility, peaking at a mortality rate of...

This article discusses the experience of six conditional cash transfer programmes in Latin America, a model of social safety-nets which has grown to dominate the social protection sector in the region during the past decade. While they have been generally successful in terms of achieving their...

Today, virtually every country in sub-Saharan Africa has some kind of cash transfer programme. These programmes are increasingly recognized as key to fighting poverty and hunger. Designed to reflect regional characteristics, they emphasize strong community participation and focus on economically...

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...

Impact evaluations must be embedded in the ongoing process of policy and programme design in order to be effective in influencing country policy. This is the primary lesson found in this book, which is based on the rigorous impact evaluations and country-case study analysis of government-run...