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Profiles

Related Innocenti Project(s):

Bruno Martorano

Former Consultant (Former title)

Publications

How to Make ‘Cash Plus’ Work: Linking Cash Transfers to Services and Sectors
Publication

How to Make ‘Cash Plus’ Work: Linking Cash Transfers to Services and Sectors

The broad-ranging benefits of cash transfers are now widely recognized. However, the evidence base highlights that they often fall short in achieving longer-term and second-order impacts related to nutrition, learning outcomes and morbidity. In recognition of these limitations, several ‘cash plus’ initiatives have been introduced, whereby cash transfers are combined with one or more types of complementary support. This paper aims to identify key factors for successful implementation of these increasingly popular ‘cash plus’ programmes, based on (i) a review of the emerging evidence base of ‘cash plus’ interventions and (ii) an examination of three case studies, namely, Chile Solidario in Chile, IN-SCT in Ethiopia and LEAP in Ghana. The analysis was guided by a conceptual framework proposing a menu of ‘cash plus’ components. The assessment of three case studies indicated that effective implementation of ‘cash plus’ components has indeed contributed to greater impacts of the respective programmes. Such initiatives have thereby addressed some of the non-financial and structural barriers that poor people face and have reinforced the positive effects of cash transfer programmes. In design of such programmes, further attention should be paid to the constraints faced by the most vulnerable and how such constraints can be overcome. We conclude with recommendations regarding the provision of complementary support and cross-sectoral linkages based on lessons learned from the case studies. More research is still needed on the impact of the many variations of ‘cash plus’ programming, including evidence on the comparative roles of individual ‘plus’ components, as well as the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour pathways which influence these impacts.
Changes in Child Poverty in the OECD/EU during the Great Recession: An initial view
Publication

Changes in Child Poverty in the OECD/EU during the Great Recession: An initial view

This paper describes the evolution of child poverty in 41 OECD and/or European Union countries during the Great Recession. In 2012 there were around 76.5 million children living in poverty in the 41 OECD countries studied here. A League Table of the 50 US states, home to over a third of all children in the OECD shows that child poverty has increased in 34 out of 51 states.
Pre-crisis Conditions and Government Policy Responses: Chile and Mexico during the Great Recession
Publication

Pre-crisis Conditions and Government Policy Responses: Chile and Mexico during the Great Recession

Chile and Mexico experienced extraordinary economic and social improvements over the first decade of the twenty-first century. Nonetheless, the 2008–2009 international crisis dramatically affected these two economies via real channels. Both countries reacted to the external shock by implementing several measures.
Trends in Child Well-being in EU Countries during the Great Recession: A cross-country comparative perspective
Publication

Trends in Child Well-being in EU Countries during the Great Recession: A cross-country comparative perspective

The goal of this paper is to monitor the impact of the Great Recession on child well-being in countries of the European Union. Data from the EU-28 plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey is used to document the change in children’s well-being from 2007/8-2012/3. The authors classify countries into ‘least’, ’moderately’ and ‘most’ exposed to the global recession and document trends in well-being outcomes for each of the three groups.

Journal articles

Time Discounting and Credit Market Access in a Large-Scale Cash Transfer Programme
Journal Article

Time Discounting and Credit Market Access in a Large-Scale Cash Transfer Programme