ELLA Policy Brief: Learning from Condition Cash Transfer (CCT) evaluations
ELLA is the Evidence and Lessons from Latin America programme
Abstract
Latin American Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes pioneered the use of rigorous impact evaluation methodologies to assess social development programmes. These evaluations have been useful for ensuring continued political support for the interventions and for helping policymakers improve CCTs to achieve even greater impact. This Brief reviews evaluation objectives, key steps to consider in designing and implementing a rigorous CCT evaluation, and describes how evaluations have been used in the region. The Latin American story of CCT evaluations may be useful for both practitioners and policymakers as they consider how to plan and implement evaluations of their own CCTs.
Key Lessons:
•CCT evaluations provide critical information for policymakers, forcing them to maintain effective programmes even through changes in political administrations, and identifying design and implementation changes needed to improve impact.
•Despite being politically and technically demanding, implementing randomised or experimental methodologies to evaluate social programmes is possible.
Citation
Jaramillo, M. ELLA Policy Brief: Learning from CCT evaluations. ELLA, Practical Action Consulting, Lima, Peru (2012) 5 pp.