Evaluating the Impact of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs : Lessons from Latin America

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.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Rubio, Gloria M., Rawlings, Laura B.
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2003-08
Subjects:	CASH TRANSFER SYSTEM, POOR FAMILIES, HUMAN CAPITAL, EVALUATION OF PROJECTS, CASH TRANSFERS, POOR PEOPLE, HEALTH ISSUES, EDUCATION, POVERTY ALLEVIATION MECHANISMS, DATA GATHERING, EVALUATION TECHNIQUES, IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, POLITICAL FACTORS ADOLESCENTS, AGED, ALTERNATIVE INTERVENTIONS, AVERAGE CONSUMPTION, BASIC HEALTH CARE, BASIC NEEDS, BENEFICIARIES, BUDGET ALLOCATIONS, CENSUS DATA, CHILD LABOR, CHILDBIRTH, CHRONIC POVERTY, COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, CONSUMPTION DATA, CONTROL GROUPS, COUNTERFACTUAL, DATA COLLECTION, DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, EMPLOYMENT, EVALUATION ACTIVITIES, EVALUATION DESIGN, EVALUATION METHODOLOGY, EVALUATION METHODS, EVALUATION RESULTS, EVALUATION STRATEGIES, EVALUATORS, EXCLUSION ERRORS, EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, EXPERIMENTAL METHODS, EXTERNALITIES, EXTREME POVERTY, FAMILIES, FLEXIBILITY, FOOD CONSUMPTION, FOOD EXPENDITURES, GEOGRAPHIC TARGETING, GIRLS, GROUP DISCUSSIONS, HEADCOUNT RATIO, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CENTER, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURES, HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SECTOR UNIT, IMMUNIZATION, IMPACT EVALUATION, IMPACT INDICATORS, INCOME, INCOME COUNTRIES, INCOME GENERATION, INCREASED DEMAND, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANTS, INTERVENTION, INTERVENTIONS, KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS, LABOR FORCE, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LABOR MARKET, MALNUTRITION, MATCHING METHODS, MEAN INCOME, MEASURING CHANGES, MEDIA, MEDICINES, MIGRATION, MONITORING VISITS, MORTALITY, MOTHERS, NATIONAL SCALE, NGO, NUTRITION, NUTRITION EDUCATION, OPPORTUNITY COSTS, OUTCOME INDICATORS, PARTICIPATION RATES, POLICY RESEARCH, POLITICAL CONTEXT, POOR AREAS, POOR HOUSEHOLDS, POPULATION GROUPS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, POVERTY GAP, POVERTY HEADCOUNT, POVERTY INCIDENCE, POVERTY LEVELS, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION PROGRAMS, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES, POVERTY STATUS, POVERTY TARGETING, PREGNANCY, PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIVATE TRANSFERS, PROBABILITY, PROCESS EVALUATION, PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES, PROGRAM EVALUATION, PROGRAM EXPANSION, PROGRAM IMPACTS, PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, PROGRAM OUTCOMES, PROGRAMS, PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING, QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE, QUESTIONNAIRES, RANDOMIZED CONTROL DESIGN, RELATIVE IMPORTANCE, REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS, RURAL AREAS, SAFETY, SAFETY NET, SAMPLING FRAME, SCHOOLS, SEASONAL EFFECTS, SERVICE QUALITY, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL EXPERIMENTS, SOCIAL PROGRAMS, SOCIAL PROTECTION, SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, TARGETING, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TREATMENT GROUPS, URBAN AREAS, VACCINATION, ADOLESCENTS, POLITICAL FACTORS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/08/2511635/evaluating-impact-conditional-cash-transfer-programs-lessons-latin-america https://hdl.handle.net/10986/18119
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