Geographic Targeting and Normative Frames: Revisiting the Equity of Conditional Cash Transfer Program Distribution in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Mathieu J P PoirierPublished in: International journal for equity in health (2020)
Both Peru and Ecuador have targeted programs to their poorest populations effectively, demonstrating that this is possible with both universal and geographic targeting. No clear evidence of clientelism was found, while the dominant normative frame underlying CCT program targeting decisions appears to be the relative SES of subregions, rather than absolute SES, prevalence of health outcomes, or health inequalities. To reduce the inequitable impacts of bounded rationality, policymakers can use simple predictive models to target CCT coverage effectively and without leaving behind the most vulnerable populations that happen to live in more affluent subregions.