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Evaluating Social Funds : A Cross-Country Analysis of Community Investments

Author

Listed:
  • Laura B. Rawlings
  • Lynne Sherburne-Benz
  • Julie van Domelen

Abstract

The study seeks to answer four questions that summarize the fundamental issues in the international debate about the capacity of social funds to improve beneficiaries' living conditions: o Do social funds reach poor areas and poor households? Do social funds deliver high-quality, sustainable investments? Do social funds affect living standards? How cost-efficient are social funds and the investments they finance, compared with other delivery mechanisms? The findings and lessons from this research reflect a specific moment in the evolution of six social funds and therefore may not fully predict the future impact of current investments. The evaluation assesses subprojects identified and implemented between 1993 and 1999, a period when longer-term objectives-such as increasing access to and utilization of basic services-began to supplant the funds' original emergency mandates. The time period selected allowed enough elapsed time following the implementation of the social fund subprojects to make measurement of impact and sustainability possible. The evaluation does not consider the effects of social fund projects on employment or on income generation-the original objectives of the first generation of social funds, which were introduced in Latin America. It also does not discuss the effect of social fund investments on capacity building-a more recent emphasis of social funds seeking to assist decentralization and community development.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura B. Rawlings & Lynne Sherburne-Benz & Julie van Domelen, 2004. "Evaluating Social Funds : A Cross-Country Analysis of Community Investments," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15057, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:15057
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Antonio Estache, 2010. "A survey of impact evaluations of infrastructure projects, programs and policies," Working Papers ECARES 2010_005, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. World Bank, 2007. "From Social Funds to Local Governance and Social Inclusion Programs," World Bank Publications - Reports 7775, The World Bank Group.
    3. Bouillon, César P. & Tejerina, Luis, 2006. "Do We Know What Works?: A Systematic Review of Impact Evaluations of Social Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 2801, Inter-American Development Bank.
    4. Léandre BASSOLE & Jean-Louis ARCAND, 2006. "Does Community Driven Development Work? Evidence from Senegal," Working Papers 200606, CERDI.
    5. World Bank, 2006. "India - District Poverty Initiatives Project : Joint Interim Assessment - Understanding Differences in Project Design," World Bank Publications - Reports 19468, The World Bank Group.
    6. Heinrich, Carolyn J. & Lopez, Yeri, 2009. "Does Community Participation Produce Dividends in Social Investment Fund Projects?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 1554-1568, September.
    7. Bhatia, Mukhmeet, 2005. "Social Funds : a review of public sector management and institutional issues," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 32739, The World Bank.
    8. Ministry of Planning of the Arab Repubic of Egypt & World Bank, 2004. "A Poverty Reduction Strategy for Egypt," World Bank Publications - Reports 15713, The World Bank Group.
    9. César P. Bouillon & Luis Tejerina, 2006. "Do We Know What Works?: A Systematic Review of Impact Evaluations of Social Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 80443, Inter-American Development Bank.
    10. Subhrendu K Pattanayak, 2009. "Rough Guide to Impact Evaluation of Environmental and Development Programs," Working Papers id:2187, eSocialSciences.
    11. Howard White, 2007. "Evaluating Aid Impact," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2007-75, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Deininger, Klaus W. & Galab, Shaik & Olsen, Tore, 2005. "Empowering Poor Rural Women In India: Empirical Evidence From Andhra Pradesh," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19123, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    13. Robles, Marcos & Azevedo, Viviane, 2008. "Inequality and geographical targeting of social spending: The case of Ecuador," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1630, Inter-American Development Bank.
    14. World Bank, 2012. "Resilience, Equity, and Opportunity [Capacidad de recuperación, equidad y oportunidades]," World Bank Publications - Reports 12648, The World Bank Group.
    15. Anju Vajja & Howard White, 2008. "Can the World Bank Build Social Capital? The Experience of Social Funds in Malawi and Zambia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(8), pages 1145-1168.
    16. Hala Abou-Ali & Hesham El-Azony & Heba El-Laithy & Jonathan Haughton & Shahid Khandker, 2010. "Evaluating the impact of Egyptian Social Fund for Development programmes," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(4), pages 521-555.
    17. Arlette Campbell White & Thomas W. Merrick & Abdo S. Yazbeck, 2006. "Reproductive Health—The Missing Millennium Development Goal : Poverty, Health, and Development in a Changing World," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7116, December.
    18. Reynolds, Joanna & Egan, Matt & Renedo, Alicia & Petticrew, Mark, 2015. "Conceptualising the ‘community’ as a recipient of money – A critical literature review, and implications for health and inequalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 88-97.
    19. Townsend, A. & Abraham, C. & Barnes, A. & Collins, M. & Halliday, E. & Lewis, S. & Orton, L. & Ponsford, R. & Salway, S. & Whitehead, M. & Popay, J., 2020. "“I realised it weren't about spending the money. It's about doing something together:” the role of money in a community empowerment initiative and the implications for health and wellbeing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).

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