belize’s co-responsibility cash transfer program
DESCRIPTION
Belize’s Co-responsibility Cash Transfer Program. B uilding O pportunities for O ur S ocial T ransformation. name. BOOST – Program Objectives. A C onditional C ash T ransfer program Two broad aims: immediate poverty reduction through a small, but regular cash payment - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Belize’s Co-responsibilityCash Transfer Program
Building Opportunities for
Our Social Transformation
name
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – Program Objectives
• A Conditional Cash Transfer program• Two broad aims:• immediate poverty reduction through a
small, but regular cash payment• break family’s cycle of poverty through
human development of children
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – What is it?
• There 4 outcomes we can measure:• 1.Short term service use• attendance at school• number of health centre visits• 2.Final Outcomes• educational attainment• improved health
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – What is it?
• There 4 outcomes we can measure:• 3.Short term HH welfare• family income and expenditures
• 4. Long term HH welfare• child’s future income/wealth• mental well-being / happiness
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – Design Details• Aimed at five groups of individuals:• Women who are pregnant• Children 0-4• School children (Infant I – Form IV)• Elderly (over 60 years of age)• Physically disabled• Each group has to meet criteria for
payments
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST Features: Compliance
►Children: 0-4 follow Ministry of Health’s vaccination and health check calendar
►Children: 5-14 and 15-18 attend 85% of school Non-compliance: 1st month – half payment Non-compliance: 2nd month – no payment
►Elderly population: two health checks per year►Only education conditions are monitored now►Health: soft conditions
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Payment Structure [1]►Payments made to female if possible►Basic payment is BZ$44 ≡ US$22 a month► Increases by school level and sex
Max. payment is $82 for males & $75 for females
$5 F / $7 M
$5 F / $10 M
+$2+$2
+$2
+$5+$5
+$5
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Payment Structure [2]
•Why?•Males drop out of school…• At greater rates• At early levels
• Secondary school net enrolment data:• Males = 37%• Females = 44%
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST: Future…
►Monitor Health Conditions Data exchange with Ministry of Health pending
►Potential for other services offered to BOOST households: Parenting Course Financial planning (through Credit Unions) Skills building and training
►Managed expansion►Evaluation & Research : Impact on household
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – Program Impact
►Two levels of Impact: Beneficiaries Social Protection Sector
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Program Impact – Beneficiaries [1]
►No impact study conducted, but anecdotal evidence from process evaluation conducted by the World Bank (http://goo.gl/FN9EN, June 2012)
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Program Impact – Beneficiaries [2]
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Program Impact – SP System [1]►BOOST as a key driver of wider system reform;
intra- and inter-ministry by highlighting ‘opportunities’ in the SP system Difficulty in getting birth certificates / SS#s Lack of co-ordination between units /ministries
►Led to collaboration between Education Ministry [Truancy Unit] and MHDSTPA in collecting attendance data from schools
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Program Impact – SP System [2]
►Growing degree of appreciation for evidence based social policy across government
►Moving beyond quantifying the poor to actually targeting services by design…Only programme to use a transparent, objective eligibility criterion (PMT)
►Shown that Government can implement complex, modern and effective programs
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Program Impact – SP System [3]
►Positive feedback from multi-lateral donors ►Ministry profile raised (still a small ministry
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – Program Sustainability
►Wholly funded from GoB recurrent expenditure [very positive]
►High profile with politicians and public Prime Minister attributes some of last electoral
success to BOOST Good mention in local media
http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/78048http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/78045http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/66222
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
BOOST – Innovation
►Really was a new experience for Ministry in terms of implementing such a large, complex program…
► In-House MIS►Credit Union Accounts►Proxy Means Test (PMT)
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Innovations: In-House MIS [1]
►Started as series of Excel worksheets…►Now an Access DB & Website for case mgmt►Evolution of MIS was demand driven &
specifically for context►All built in-house – zero cost
(except for sleepless nights!)►Extensive use of Google functionality
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Innovations: In-House MIS [2]
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Innovations: In-House MIS [3]
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Innovations: Credit Unions
►Real emphasis on signing up beneficiaries to Credit Unions: Access to wider financial services Security [previously large amounts of cash being
paid] No transaction cost using CUs
►Currently 98% of beneficiaries paid through CUs
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Innovations: Proxy Means Test
► Isn’t so innovative in terms of other CCT program in region
►But was sharp change for MHDSTPA Technical assistance from another project team Difficulty in explaining results to officers and
public
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit
Replication & potential for exchange
►Evidence suggest CCTs are easy to replicate in different countries and contexts[vast number being implemented in over 30 countries]
►Some of design settings could be equally applicable to other Caribbean states
►Great potential for exchange
MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit