Publication: Evaluating the Impact of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs : Lessons from Latin America
Date
2003-08
ISSN
Published
2003-08
Author(s)
Abstract
Unlike most development initiatives,
conditional cash transfer programs recently introduced in
the Latin America and the Caribbean region have been subject
to rigorous evaluations of their effectiveness. These
programs provide money to poor families, conditional on
certain behavior, usually investments in human capital-such
as sending children to school or bringing them to health
centers on a regular basis. Rawlings and Rubio review the
experience in evaluating the impact of these programs,
exploring the application of experimental and
quasi-experimental evaluation methods and summarizing
results from programs launched in Brazil, Honduras, Jamaica,
Mexico, and Nicaragua. Evaluation results from the first
generation of programs in Brazil, Mexico, and Nicaragua show
that conditional cash transfer programs are effective in
promoting human capital accumulation among poor households.
There is clear evidence of success in increasing enrollment
rates, improving preventive health care, and raising
household consumption. Despite this promising evidence, many
questions remain unanswered about the impact of conditional
cash transfer programs, including those concerning their
effectiveness under different country conditions and the
sustainability of the welfare impacts.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Rawlings, Laura B.; Rubio, Gloria M.. 2003. Evaluating the Impact of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs : Lessons from Latin America. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 3119. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18119 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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