The Cost of Poverty Alleviation Transfer Programs: A Comparative Analysis of Three Programs in Latin America

John Maluccio, Natàlia Caldés () and David Coady ()

Middlebury College Working Paper Series from Middlebury College, Department of Economics

Abstract: A common criticism of antipoverty programs is that the high share of administrative (nontransfer) costs substantially reduces their effectiveness. Yet, there is surprisingly little rigorous empirical evidence on program costs. Improved information and a better understanding of the costs of such programs are crucial for effective policymaking. This study proposes and implements a replicable methodology for a comparative cost analysis of three similar poverty alleviation programs in Latin America, and assesses their cost efficiency. The findings underscore that any credible assessment of cost-efficiency requires a detailed analysis of program cost structures that goes well beyond simply providing aggregate cost information.

Keywords: cost efficiency; poverty alleviation; human capital; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 44 pages
Date: 2005-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-lam
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The cost of poverty alleviation transfer programs: A comparative analysis of three programs in Latin America (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mdl:mdlpap:0527

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