What works for the poorest? : poverty reduction programmes for the world's extreme poor

Poverty reduction has become the central goal of development policies over the last decade but there is a growing realization that the poorest people rarely benefit from poverty reduction programmes. Microfinance programmes can help poor people improve their lives but generally such programmes do not reach the extremely poor and the chronic poor: casual labourers in remote rural areas, ethnic and indigenous minorities, older people, widows, migrants, bonded labourers and others.To counter this, governments, NGOs and donors have started to mount programmes explicitly targeting the poorest. This book is the first attempt to examine such initiatives and identify 'what works for the poorest'. It asks the questions: what are the characteristics of extreme poverty? how can we target the very poor? how can we ensure that women are not excluded? Through a set of carefully selected and well-integrated papers this book analyses innovative ultra-poor programmes from around the world and explores the lessons that emerge from this new and important body of knowledge.What Works for the Poorest? should be read by staff of donor agencies and NGOs, students of development studies and interested readers who are concerned about chronic poverty.

Author Notes

David Lawson is Lecturer in Development Economics, Institute for Development Policy and Management University of Manchester. He specializes in poverty dynamics in African countries.
David Hulme is Professor of Development Studies and founder-Director of the Chronic Poverty Research Centre and the Brooks world Poverty Institute, School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester.
Imran Matin is Research Director and Africa Programme Director, BRAC, Bangladesh. He has worked for the World Bank and specializes in designing and managing ultra-poor programmes in Bangladesh, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Karen Moore is Policy Analyst with the Education for All Global Monitoring Report team, UNESCO.

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This compilation of papers addresses ways to reduce poverty for the world's extreme poor, a group that has not been able to benefit from general antipoverty programs. Starting with a discussion of the methodology used to elicit knowledge about the poorest, the volume proceeds to issues of targeting the poorest. From various country case studies presented, the editors draw several conclusions as to what has worked for the poorest in developing countries. Policies range from direct cash transfers to the ultra poor to empowerment of minority groups, promotion of decent contract labor, and use of health equity funds in meeting health-related needs of the poorest. The summary chapter gives a promising outlook for the continuation and enhancement of poverty reduction programs for the poorest in developing countries. Though the papers differ in length and econometric rigor, the editors have done an excellent job of integrating them into a common theme of poverty programs for the poorest. The papers are clearly written and accessible to a large readership; they will be valuable reading for policy makers as well as researchers interested in improving the lot of the poorest in developing countries. Summing Up: Recommended. Students at all levels; researchers; professionals; general readers. M. Q. Dao Eastern Illinois University

Ravi KanburDavid Hulme and David LawsonUmar Serajuddin and Hassan Zaman and Ambar NarayanDavid LawsonNaila KabeerBinayak Sen and Sharifa BegumCarlos Alviar and Francisco Ayala and Sudhanshu HandaHilary Standing and Elizabeth KirkArmando BarrientosDavid Hulme and Karen MoorePeter ChaudhrySomnath Bandyopadhyay and Apoorva Oza and David NygaardRina Bhattacharya and Meera Pillai and Ratna SudarshanStephanie BarrientosChean Rithy Men and Maurits Van PeltSyed Hashemi and Malika AnandTony AddisonDavid Hulme and David Lawson

Figures	p. vii
Tables	p. ix
Boxes	p. xii
Preface	p. xiii
Foreword	p. xv
1 What works for the poorest?	p. 1
Part I Creating Knowledge About the Poorest
2 Pro-poorest growth: A national household survey approach	p. 25
3 A 'Q-Squared' approach to enhancing our understanding of the chronically poor	p. 45
4 Alternative accounts of chronic disadvantage: Income deficits versus food security	p. 59
Part II Targeting the Poorest
5 Identifying and targeting the extreme poor: A methodology for rural Bangladesh	p. 79
6 Testing combined targeting systems for cash transfer programmes: The case of the CT-OVC programme in Kenya	p. 97
7 Institutional issues in scaling-up programmes for meeting the health related needs of the very poor	p. 115
Part III Policies and Programmes for the Poorest: Case Studies
8 Eradicating extreme poverty: The Chile Solidario Programme	p. 137
9 Assisting the poorest in Bangladesh: Learning from BRAC's 'Targeting the Ultra Poor' Programme	p. 149
10 Unconditional cash transfers to the very poor in central Viet Nam: Is it enough to 'just give them the cash'?	p. 169
11 Exclusion to empowerment: Women of the Siddi community in Gujarat, India	p. 179
12 The NREGA and rural women in poverty: Entitlements, issues and emerging concerns	p. 195
13 Strategies for promoting decent contract labour: Experiences from South African and UK agriculture	p. 209
14 The role of health equity funds in meeting health-related needs of the poorest in urban areas of Cambodia	p. 223
Part IV Making it Work: Finding the Money and Spreading the Knowledge
15 Linking microfinance and safety net programmes: New pathways for the poorest	p. 243
16 Revenue mobilization for poverty reduction: What we know, what we need to know	p. 253
17 Making poverty reduction work for the poorest	p. 263
Index	p. 271

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