Qualitative Research and Analyses of the Economic Impacts of Cash Transfer Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa
A research guide for the From Protection to Production (PtoP) project
Abstract
The From Protection to Production (PtoP) project aims to identify productive impacts of cash transfer programmes covering three thematic areas of inquiry: household economic decision-making, the local economy and social networks and risk sharing. The Project builds on ongoing evaluations in seven sub Saharan African countries with the overall aim of broadening understanding of how cash transfer programmes affect and contribute to sustainable economic growth, in order to inform governments, policy makers and practitioners in improving future design and implementation of cash transfer programmes. The Project uses a mixed method approach: qualitative research is being undertaken in complement with quantitative econometric analysis of impact evaluation data including an innovative village Local Economy Wide Impact Evaluation model. Together, these methods aim to provide greater contextual evidence and deepen understanding of how CT programmes impact behavior and practices among community members and other people interacting with villages receiving cash transfers.
This Qualitative Research Guide describes in detail the sequencing and timing of the research process to be implemented in each country: training, fieldwork preparation and a simple and clear fieldwork roadmap. To achieve comparability and enable crosscountry analysis, this qualitative research method is being implemented systematically across all seven countries.
The Guide introduces the two main qualitative methods used in the fieldwork: Focus Group discussions (FGDs) and Key informant interviews (KII). Participatory tools used during the FGDs include: social mapping and community well-being analysis, household income and expenditure analysis, livelihood analysis and institutional mapping. The fieldwork concludes with feedback sessions with community members in each research site to share and validate findings and preliminary conclusions. As part of a mixedmethods approach, in-depth qualitative research provides great value by further informing understanding, bringing rich evidence to ongoing policy debates on CT programmes, documenting their full contribution to hunger and poverty reduction, inclusive growth, productive decision making and the local economy.
Citation
Oxford Policy Mangement. Qualitative Research and Analyses of the Economic Impacts of Cash Transfer Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A research guide for the From Protection to Production (PtoP) project. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy (2013) v + 49 pp.
Links
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