Targeting Poverty through Community-Based Public Works Programmes: Experience from South Africa

Michelle Adato and Lawrence Haddad

Journal of Development Studies, 2002, vol. 38, issue 3, 1-36

Abstract: Since the transition to democracy, South African public works programmes have been designed to involve community participation, and have aimed to target the poor. This article examines the targeting performance of seven programmes in Western Cape Province, and analyses the role of government, community-based organisations, trade unions and the private sector in explaining targeting outcomes. These programmes were not well targeted geographically in terms of highest poverty, unemployment or infrastructure needs. Within localities, jobs went to the poor and unemployed, though not always the poorest, and did well in reaching women, despite gender bias. Targeting guidelines of the state are mediated by diverse and sometimes conflicting priorities that emerge in programmes with multiple objectives, by local perceptions of need and entitlement, and by competing voices within civil society.

Keywords: South Africa; public works programmes; Western Cape Province; multiple objectives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220380412331322321 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:38:y:2002:i:3:p:1-36

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/FJDS20

DOI: 10.1080/00220380412331322321

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Development Studies is currently edited by Howard White, Oliver Morrissey and Ken Shadlen

More articles in Journal of Development Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst (chris.longhurst@tandf.co.uk).