From Evidence to Action: The Story of Cash Transfers and Impact Evaluation in Sub Saharan Africa

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. Contributors to this volume - Sara Abdoulayi, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Mawutor Ablo, Government of Ghana Solomon Afaw, FAO Carlos Alviar, UNICEF Gustavo Angeles, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ramla Attah, Oxford Policy Management Clair Barrington, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Angela Baschieri, UNICEF Guush Berhane, IFPRI Beyene Birru, UNICEF Joanne Bosworth, UNICEF Thabani Buthelezi, DSD Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Lucie Cluver, University of Oxford and University of Cape Town Luis Corral, UNICEF Silvio Daidone, Food and Agriculture Organization Benjamin Davis, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Stephen Devereux, IDS Lovemore Dumba, Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mohammad Farooq, UNICEF Mateusz Filipski, International Food Policy Research Institute Sudhanshu Handa, University of North Carolina and UNICEF Sarah Hague, UNICEF Charlotte Harland, independent Carolyn J. Heinrich, The University of Texas at Austin John Hoddinott, IFPRI and Cornell University J. Hoel, IFPRI Mariam Homayoun, Delegation of the European Union to Lesotho Nicola Hypher, Save the Children Selwyn Jehoma, EPRI J. Kagin, University of California, Davis Esmie Kainja, Government of Malawi Andrew Kardan, Oxford Policy Management George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Natasha Ledlie, IFPRI Heshe Lemma, Government of Tigray Djanabou Mahonde, UNICEF Malefetsane Masasa, Ministry of Social Development of Lesotho Anna McCord, ODI and University of Manchester Stanfield Michelo, Ministry of Community Development Maureen Mogotsi, DSD Daniel Musembi, Government of Kenya Leon Muwoni, UNICEF Zimbabwe Harry Mwamlima, Government of Malawi Winnie Mwasiaji, Government of Kenya Peter Mvula, University of Malawi Fredu Nega Tegebu, Mekelle University Ousmane Niang, UNICEF Lesotho Ingrid van Niekerk, EPRI Evelyne Nyokangi, EPRI Samuel Ochieng, Government of Kenya Lawrence Ofori-Addo, Government of Ghana Roger Pearson, UNICEF Luca Pellerano Oxford Policy Management Remy Pigois, UNICEF Pamela Pozarny, FAO Paul Quarl van Ufford, UNICEF Zambia Luigi Peter Ragno, UNICEF and University of Manchester Bettina Ramirez, UNICEF Lesotho Hannah Reeves, American Institutes for Research Keetie Roelen, IDS Naquibullah Safi, UNICEF Lesotho Peter Salama, UNICEF Elayn Sammon, UNICEF Zimbabwe Michael Samson, EPRI Benjamin Schwab, IFPRI David Seidenfeld, American Institutes for Research Ibrahim Sessay, UNICEF Tayllor Spadafora, UNICEF Thilde Stevens, DSD J. Edward Taylor, University of California, Davis Gelson Tembo, University of Zambia and Palm Associates Karen Thome, USDA Economic Research Service Kelley Toole, DFID Zambia Yalem Tsegay, Government of Tigray Maxton Tsoka, University of Malawi Afua Twun-Danso, University of Sheffield Patrick Ward, Oxford Policy Management Douglas Webb, UNDP Natalia Winder Rossi, UNICEF Paul Winters, UNICEF Will Wiseman, World Bank Denis Wood Jennifer Yablonski, UNICEF