belize’s co-responsibility cash transfer program

MHDSTPA: Policy and Planning Unit

Belize’s Co-responsibilityCash Transfer Program

Building Opportunities for

Our Social Transformation

name


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


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


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


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


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


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


Payment Structure [2]

•Why?•Males drop out of school…• At greater rates• At early levels

• Secondary school net enrolment data:• Males = 37%• Females = 44%


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


BOOST – Program Impact

►Two levels of Impact: Beneficiaries Social Protection Sector


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)

http://goo.gl/FN9EN


Program Impact – Beneficiaries [2]


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


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


Program Impact – SP System [3]

►Positive feedback from multi-lateral donors ►Ministry profile raised (still a small ministry


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

http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/78048




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)


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


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


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


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

belize’s co-responsibility cash transfer program

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