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Targeting mechanisms for cash transfers using regional aggregates

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  • Chaaban, Jad M.
  • Ghattas, Hala
  • Irani, Alexandra
  • Thomas, Alban

Abstract

We propose an empirical method for improving food assistance scoring and targeting, which minimizes under-coverage and leakage of food and cash assistance programs. The empirical strategy relies on a joint econometric estimation of food insecurity and economic vulnerability indicators at the household level, using data-driven instead of predetermined quantiles.We apply the method to recent micro data on Syrian refugees in Lebanon, to explore how regional and community-based aggregates can improve the targeting effectiveness of aid programs, notably food aid by the World Food Program in Lebanon. Our results confirm that using regional aggregates are useful for augmenting the Balanced Poverty Accuracy Criterion, and our method performs much better than the current policy in terms of targeting effectiveness and accuracy for economically vulnerable households.

Suggested Citation

  • Chaaban, Jad M. & Ghattas, Hala & Irani, Alexandra & Thomas, Alban, 2018. "Targeting mechanisms for cash transfers using regional aggregates," TSE Working Papers 18-896, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    • Handle: RePEc:tse:wpaper:32515
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    Cited by:

    1. Angela C. Lyons & Josephine Kass‐Hanna & Alejandro Montoya Castano, 2023. "A multidimensional approach to measuring vulnerability to poverty among refugee populations," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 2014-2045, October.
    2. Matthew C. LaFevor & Alexandra G. Ponette-González & Rebecca Larson & Leah M. Mungai, 2021. "Spatial Targeting of Agricultural Support Measures: Indicator-Based Assessment of Coverages and Leakages," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Miranda Svanidze & Linde Götz & Ivan Djuric & Thomas Glauben, 2019. "Food security and the functioning of wheat markets in Eurasia: a comparative price transmission analysis for the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 733-752, June.
    4. Patrick L. Hatzenbuehler & George Mavrotas, 2021. "Combining household and price data to target food marketing interventions in Nigeria," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(2), pages 493-505, April.
    5. repec:zbw:iamodp:285032 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Vu, Khoa & Vuong, Nguyen Dinh Tuan & Vu-Thanh, Tu-Anh & Nguyen, Anh Ngoc, 2022. "Income shock and food insecurity prediction Vietnam under the pandemic," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Targeting; Food security; Economic vulnerability; Food aid; Refugees;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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