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    Evaluating the Targeting Effectiveness of Social Transfers: A Literature Review

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    Date
    2015-07-20
    Author
    Devereux, Stephen
    Masset, Edoardo
    Sabates-Wheeler, Rachel
    Samson, Michael
    te Lintelo, Dolf
    Rivas, Althea-Maria
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    Abstract
    Many methodologies exist for dividing a population into those who are classified as eligible for social transfers and those who are ineligible. Popular targeting mechanisms include means testing, proxy means tests, categorical, geographic, community-based, and self-selection. This paper reviews empirical evidence from a range of social protection programmes on the accuracy of these mechanisms, in terms of minimising four targeting errors: inclusion and exclusion, by eligibility and by poverty. This paper also reviews available evidence on the various costs associated with targeting, not only administrative but also private, social, psycho-social, incentive-based and political costs. Comparisons are difficult, but all mechanisms generate targeting errors and costs. Given the inevitability of trade-offs, there is no ‘best’ mechanism for targeting social transfers. The key determinant of relative accuracy and cost-effectiveness in each case is how well the targeting mechanism is designed and implemented.
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    https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/6606
    Is part of series
    IDS Working Paper;460
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    Institute of Development Studies
    Rights details
    http://www.ids.ac.uk/files/dmfile/IDSOpenDocsStandardTermsOfUse.pdf
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    • IDS Research [1594]

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