Empowering Regions: A Policymaker's Tailored Playbook for Cash Transfer Programs

Abstract

Over the last decade, unconditional and conditional cash transfer programs have become a widespread tool used by policymakers to alleviate poverty, strengthen diplomatic ties, and incentivize beneficial social practices. For cash transfer programs, there is a clear connection between the regional and situational context of the area of implementation and the type of program that is chosen to be executed. However, there is currently no outright indication or guide for policymakers to use in order to decide on a program best fit for their region of implementation. This paper strives to review pre-existing literature on examples of cash transfer programs and conduct a cross-country examination to identify general patterns found within the implementation of specific programs in respective areas. This will lead to a comparative analysis, which will synthesize the case studies detailed in the literature review to construct a step-by-step checklist to direct policymakers to a solution that will meet the criteria of the region they are working within. This guide, or “playbook,” will help policymakers save time and resources by providing them with clarity behind their decisions and holistically streamlining the implementation process, ultimately ensuring that a program is successful and sustainable.