Closing the Evaluation Gap on Conditional Cash Transfers - One day Workshop

What is the impact of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes on people’s health and education? When have CCTs worked and why? What are the lessons learned? The Centre for Global Development and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) will together attempt answers in their one day workshop ,“Closing the Evaluation Gap”, on May 4th in Washington D.C.

This workshop will mainly discuss the impact of CCTs on health, nutrition and education, and examine the evolution of policy and impact evaluation in the area. It will also analyse CCTs in particular contexts like Mexico, Nicaragua and Colombia.

"Have the millions of dollars spent on CCT programmes in Latin America and around the world been well-spent? These programmes have pioneered the use of rigorous impact evaluation methodologies and are now able to provide some answers to this question. In this event, we hope to draw lessons on how evaluation can influence policy and learn about why the programmes work or not," says Marie Gaarder, 3ie Deputy Director.

The workshop in Washington also marks the successful establishment of 3ie and the completion of its first year in operation. 3ie aims to increase development effectiveness through better use of evidence in developing countries and has to date announced funding for 47 high quality impact evaluations in open window grants.

“The question we ask today when we talk about development effectiveness is not whether development programmes have met their targets, but whether and how they have improved lives of people. Where the answer is yes, the programmes can be scaled up and replicated where appropriate. Where the answer is no, programmes should end or be re-designed,” says Howard White, 3ie Executive Director.

“We need development and policy leaders to call for reforms that focus development interventions in a more effective way. We need organizations like 3ie to fund more high quality impact evaluations to show cost effective solutions to critical development problems,” he adds