Publication: North-South Knowledge Sharing on Incentive-based Conditional Cash Transfer Programs
Date
2011-01
ISSN
Published
2011-01
Author(s)
Abstract
Over the last decade, Conditional Cash
Transfer (CCT) programs have become one of the most widely
adopted anti-poverty initiatives in the developing world.
Inspired particularly by Mexico's successful program,
CCTs are viewed as an effective way to provide basic income
support while building children's human capital. These
programs have had a remarkable global expansion, from a
handful programs in the late 1990s to programs in close to
30 countries today, including a demonstration program in the
United States. In contrast to many other safety net programs
in developing countries, CCTs have been closely studied and
well evaluated, creating both a strong evidence base from
which to inform policy decisions and an active global
community of practice. This paper first reviews the
emergence of CCTs in the context of a key theme in welfare
reform, notably using incentives to promote human capital
development, going beyond the traditional focus on income
support. The paper then examines what has been learned to
date from the experience with CCTs in the South and raises a
series of questions concerning the relevance and
replicability of these lessons in other contexts. The paper
concludes with a call for further knowledge sharing in two
areas: between the North and South as the experience with
welfare reform and CCTs in particular expands, and between
behavioral science and welfare policy.
Citation
“Aber, Lawrence; Rawlings, Laura B.. 2011. North-South Knowledge Sharing on Incentive-based Conditional Cash Transfer Programs. SP Discussion Paper;No. 1101. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/27343 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”