From Evidence to Action: The story of cash transfers and impact evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa

Organization(s): FAO, UNICEF
Author: Afua Twun-Danso, Andrew Kardan, Angela Baschieri, Anna McCord, Benjamin Davis, Benjamin Schwab, Bettina Ramirez, Beyene Birru, Carlos Alviar, Carolyn J. Heinrich, Charlotte Harland, Clare Barrington, Daniel Musembi, David Seidenfeld, Denis Wood, Djanabou Mahonde, Douglas Webb, Ed Taylor, Elayn Sammon, Esmie Kainja, Evelyne Nyokangi, Fredu Nega Tegebu, Gelson Tembo, George Laryea-Adjei, Gustavo Angeles, Guush Berhane, Hannah Reeves, Harry Mwamlima, Heshe Lemma, Ibrahim Sessay, Ingrid van Niekerk, J. Edward Taylor, J. Hoel, J. Kagin, Jennifer Yablonski, Joanne Bosworth, John Hoddinott, Karen Thome, Keetie Roelen, Kelley Toole, Lawrence Ofori-Addo, Leon Muwoni, Lovemore Dumba, Luca Pellerano, Lucie Cluver, Luigi Peter Ragno, Luis Corral, Malefetsane Masasa, Mariam Homayoun, Mateusz Filipski, Maureen Mogotsi, Mawutor Ablo, Maxton Tsoka, Michael Samson, Mohammad Farooq, Naquibullah Safi, Natalia Winder Rossi, Natasha Ledlie, Nicola Hypher, Ousmane Niang, Pamela Pozarny Pamela Pozarny, Patrick Ward, Paul Quarles van Ufford, Paul Winters, Peter Mvula, Peter Salama, Ramla Attah, Remy Pigois, Roger Pearson, Samuel Ochieng, Sara Abdoulayi, Sarah Hague, Selwyn Jehoma, Silvio Daidone, Solomon Afaw, Stanfield Michelo, Stephen Devereux, Sudhanshu Handa, Tayllor Spadafora, Ted Chaiban, Thabani Buthelezi, Thilde Stevens, Will Wiseman Winnie Mwasiaji, Yalem Tsegay
Regions: Sub-Saharan Africa
Country: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Year: 2016

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 cash transfer programmes undertaken in eight Sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa) evaluated as part of the Transfer Project and From Protection to Production Project. The impact evaluations employed mixed method approaches, including randomized controls trials (RCTs) and non-experimental designs, qualitative methods and village LEWIE-CGE modelling. Evidence presented in the book counteracts concerns around social protection creating dependency showing that unconditional cash transfers lead to a broad range of social and productive impacts, even though they are not tied to any specific behaviour.

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