The targeting effectiveness of social transfers

Devereux, Stephen; Masset, Edoardo; Sabates‐Wheeler, Rachel; Samson, Michael; Rivas, Althea; Lintelo, Dolf te

doi:10.1080/19439342.2017.1305981

Cited by 104 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The processes of selecting appropriate eligibility criteria and of identifying eligible people for selection into programmes present seemingly intractable challenges to social protection policymakers and administrators. Evidence from cross‐country reviews suggests that trade‐offs between targeting accuracy and targeting costs are inevitable and that choices need to be made about whether to invest more resources into improving targeting accuracy and whether to minimise inclusion error or exclusion error (Coady et al ., ; Devereux et al ., ). The findings presented in this paper reinforce Besley and Kanbur's () theoretical proposition, that simpler approaches such as single proxy indicators are cheaper but less accurate than more complex approaches such as means tests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Targeting Social Transfer Programmes: Comparing Design and Implementation Errors Across Alternative Mechanisms

Sabates‐Wheeler

Hurrell

Devereux

2015

J of Intl Development

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An innovative cash transfer programme in northern Kenya is the first of its kind to trial three targeting mechanisms to learn about which approach is most effective at identifying the poorest households while minimising inclusion and exclusion errors. Analysing data collected through a randomised controlled trial, we conclude that community‐based targeting is the most accurate of the three approaches, followed by categorical targeting by age and household dependency ratio. However, targeting performance is strongly affected by implementation capacity and modalities. Through a simulation exercise, we show that a proxy means test would have performed better than single categorical indicators. © 2015 UNU‐WIDER. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In emergency contexts, or in localities where poverty is widespread, the time and budgetary costs of identifying and excluding the non‐poor might make poverty targeting inappropriate (Ellis, ). Conversely, crude targeting or no targeting (universal coverage) can be extremely wasteful of scarce resources (Devereux et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Targeting Social Transfer Programmes: Comparing Design and Implementation Errors Across Alternative Mechanisms

Sabates‐Wheeler

Hurrell

Devereux

2015

J of Intl Development

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“…Of equal if not of more importance are the costs experienced by participants/beneficiaries of CCT programmes. Such costs relate to costs of opportunity, incentives, social, political and psycho-social costs, as well as costs of inclusion and exclusion that tend to be neglected in the literature (Devereux, 2017). The costs of compliance that are incurred by beneficiaries of CCT programmes are difficult to quantify, yet they deserve significant attention.…”

Section: Costs To Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conditional cash transfers: A critical review

Ladhani

Sitter

2019

Development Policy Review

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Motivation In areas of the world where poverty and inequality are deep and pervasive and social protection systems comparatively fragile, cash transfers are becoming commonplace and often promoted by international institutions and aid agencies as a viable instrument for social protection. Particularly, conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are being looked to as a means of reducing poverty while also investing in human capital. Purpose To capture some of the main critiques of CCTs from conception to evaluation, while identifying both gaps and opportunities for research and consideration for the future of CCTs. Methods A rapid review process was used. The initial search was conducted using a number of online peer‐reviewed databases. The initial search process yielded 993 sources, results were then limited to full‐text, English language, and to sources published between 2008 and 2017. Sources were then screened. Finally, 44 articles were chosen for in‐depth review. Findings This review captures some of the main critiques of CCTs from conception to evaluation, while identifying both gaps and opportunities for research and consideration for the future of CCTs. Policy implication We discuss responsibilities and implications for social work professionals who may be involved in the design, implementation or evaluation of CCT programmes domestically or internationally.

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“…This may include travel costs and opportunity costs in relation to the application process, as well as the possible stigma of being targeted to receive social benefits (Conning and Kevane, ). Third, there may also be a number of “invisible costs”, such as social tensions that are created through the targeting process (Devereux et al, ). The latter may be particularly important in the context in which the introduction of the targeting intervention is planned as a partial compensation for the phasing out of universal food and energy subsidies that will have negative effects over the entire spectrum of the income distribution.…”

Section: Targeting Versus Universal Social Protection Programmes: Assmentioning

confidence: 99%

Universal social protection in Tunisia: Comparing the effectiveness and cost‐efficiency of food and energy subsidies with a proposed universal child allowance programme

Gyori¹,

Soares²

2018

Int Social Security Review

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This article compares the effectiveness and efficiency of a food and energy subsidy programme, which is currently implemented by the Tunisian government, and a universal child allowance programme that is discussed as an alternative to these subsidies. The empirical analysis is based on microsimulations on the poverty impact and the costs of both programmes based on Tunisian household survey data. Our results suggest that a universal child allowance is approximately twice as efficient (i.e. the cost of lifting one person out of poverty under a universal child allowance is half of the cost of lifting one person out of poverty using subsidies) in reducing poverty than the current food and energy subsidies. The article concludes that efficiency‐enhancing social protection reforms are possible based on a universal approach. Such reforms can be achieved without resorting to narrow poverty‐targeting as an alternative to the subsidies whose negative side‐effects (e.g. non‐negligible exclusion errors, incentives to informality and social tensions) and costs (both public and private costs related to intensive data collection to improve targeting) are usually overlooked or underestimated.

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The targeting effectiveness of social transfers

Cited by 104 publications

References 29 publications

Targeting Social Transfer Programmes: Comparing Design and Implementation Errors Across Alternative Mechanisms

Targeting Social Transfer Programmes: Comparing Design and Implementation Errors Across Alternative Mechanisms

Conditional cash transfers: A critical review

Universal social protection in Tunisia: Comparing the effectiveness and cost‐efficiency of food and energy subsidies with a proposed universal child allowance programme

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