Targeting Social Safety Nets: Evidence from Nine Programs in the Sahel
Language
EN
Article de revue
This item was published in
The Journal of Development Studies. 2024-01-11p. 1-22
English Abstract
This paper analyzes household data from nine programs in the Sahel region using a harmonized approach to compare Proxy-Means Testing (PMT) and Community-Based Targeting (CBT) as conducted in practice, once geographical ...Read more >
This paper analyzes household data from nine programs in the Sahel region using a harmonized approach to compare Proxy-Means Testing (PMT) and Community-Based Targeting (CBT) as conducted in practice, once geographical targeting has been applied. Results show that the targeting performance measured depends critically on the definition of the targeting objectives, share of beneficiaries selected, and indices used to evaluate targeting. While PMT performs better in reaching the poorest households based on per capita consumption, it differs little from CBT, random or universal selection when distribution-sensitive measures are employed, or when food security is used as the welfare metric. Administrative costs associated with targeting represent only a small share of budgets. Results emphasize the importance of studying programs as implemented in practice instead of relying on simulations of targeting performance. They also suggest that PMT and CBT contribute little to poverty or food insecurity reduction efforts in poor and homogeneous settings.Read less <
English Keywords
Targeting
Proxy means testing
Community-based targeting
Social protection
Poverty
Africa
ANR Project
IdEx Bordeaux - ANR-10-IDEX-0003-02/10-IDEX-0003