Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program

This paper contributes to the long-standing debate on the merits of decentralized beneficiary targeting in the administration of development programs, focusing on the large-scale Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program. Nationally-representative househol...

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Main Authors: Kilic, Talip, Whitney, Edward, Winters, Paul
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:
GDP
SAP
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/11/18560932/decentralized-beneficiary-targeting-large-scale-development-programs-insights-malawi-farm-input-subsidy-program
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16929
id okr-10986-16929
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ABSOLUTE POVERTY
ABSOLUTE TERMS
ACCESS TO IRRIGATION
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
AGRICULTURAL INPUTS
AGRICULTURAL LAND
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL SEASON
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
AGRICULTURE
ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM
ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION
BENEFICIARIES
BENEFICIARY HOUSEHOLDS
BENEFICIARY POPULATION
COMMON PROPERTY
COMMUNITY GROUPS
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
CONSUMPTION AGGREGATE
CONSUMPTION DATA
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA
CORRUPTION
COUPONS
CROP PRODUCTION
CROPLAND
CROWDING OUT
DECENTRALIZATION
DECISION MAKING
DECOMPOSITION METHODOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
DRY SEASON
FAMINE
FARM HOUSEHOLDS
FARM INCOME
FOOD CONSUMPTION
FOOD EXPENDITURES
FOOD INSECURITY
FOOD POLICY
FOOD PRICES
FOOD SECURITY
FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
FOOD-FOR-EDUCATION
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GINI COEFFICIENT
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
HIGHER INEQUALITY
HORIZONTAL EQUITY
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA
HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSING
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
INCOME
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME INEQUALITY
INEQUALITY
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
LAND DISTRIBUTION
LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND PRODUCTIVITY
LAND SIZE
LANDHOLDINGS
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
LIVING STANDARDS
MARGINAL PRODUCTIVITY
MARKET FAILURES
MEANS TESTS
MILK
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
NATIONAL POVERTY
NATIONAL POVERTY LINE
PARTICIPATION RATES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL ECONOMY OF TARGETING
POOR
POOR COUNTRIES
POOR DISTRICTS
POOR FAMILIES
POOR FARMERS
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POOR POPULATION
POOR SMALLHOLDER
POOR VILLAGES
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
POVERTY INCREASE
POVERTY INDICATOR
POVERTY INDICATORS
POVERTY LEVELS
POVERTY RATE
POVERTY RATES
POVERTY STATUS
PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
PROGRAMS
PUBLIC SPENDING
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
RURAL ASSET
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RURAL HOUSEHOLD
RURAL HOUSEHOLDS
RURAL POPULATION
RURAL POVERTY
RURAL TOWNS
SAFETY NET
SAP
SCHOOLING
SMALL-SCALE FARMING
SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL PROTECTION
SOCIAL SAFETY NETS
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
SUBSISTENCE
TARGETED TRANSFERS
TARGETING
TARGETING MECHANISMS
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
TRANSFER AMOUNTS
TRANSITION ECONOMY
VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT
VILLAGE LEVEL
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE RATES
WEALTH
WELFARE DISTRIBUTION
spellingShingle ABSOLUTE POVERTY
ABSOLUTE TERMS
ACCESS TO IRRIGATION
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
AGRICULTURAL INPUTS
AGRICULTURAL LAND
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
AGRICULTURAL SEASON
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
AGRICULTURE
ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM
ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION
BENEFICIARIES
BENEFICIARY HOUSEHOLDS
BENEFICIARY POPULATION
COMMON PROPERTY
COMMUNITY GROUPS
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
CONSUMPTION AGGREGATE
CONSUMPTION DATA
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA
CORRUPTION
COUPONS
CROP PRODUCTION
CROPLAND
CROWDING OUT
DECENTRALIZATION
DECISION MAKING
DECOMPOSITION METHODOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
DRY SEASON
FAMINE
FARM HOUSEHOLDS
FARM INCOME
FOOD CONSUMPTION
FOOD EXPENDITURES
FOOD INSECURITY
FOOD POLICY
FOOD PRICES
FOOD SECURITY
FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
FOOD-FOR-EDUCATION
FUTURE RESEARCH
GDP
GINI COEFFICIENT
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
HIGHER INEQUALITY
HORIZONTAL EQUITY
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA
HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY
HOUSEHOLD HEAD
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEY
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HOUSEHOLD WELFARE
HOUSING
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
INCOME
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
INCOME INEQUALITY
INEQUALITY
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
LAND DISTRIBUTION
LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND PRODUCTIVITY
LAND SIZE
LANDHOLDINGS
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
LIVING STANDARDS
MARGINAL PRODUCTIVITY
MARKET FAILURES
MEANS TESTS
MILK
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
NATIONAL POVERTY
NATIONAL POVERTY LINE
PARTICIPATION RATES
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POLITICAL ECONOMY OF TARGETING
POOR
POOR COUNTRIES
POOR DISTRICTS
POOR FAMILIES
POOR FARMERS
POOR HOUSEHOLDS
POOR POPULATION
POOR SMALLHOLDER
POOR VILLAGES
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
POVERTY INCREASE
POVERTY INDICATOR
POVERTY INDICATORS
POVERTY LEVELS
POVERTY RATE
POVERTY RATES
POVERTY STATUS
PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
PROGRAMS
PUBLIC SPENDING
RURAL
RURAL AREAS
RURAL ASSET
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RURAL HOUSEHOLD
RURAL HOUSEHOLDS
RURAL POPULATION
RURAL POVERTY
RURAL TOWNS
SAFETY NET
SAP
SCHOOLING
SMALL-SCALE FARMING
SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
SOCIAL CAPITAL
SOCIAL PROTECTION
SOCIAL SAFETY NETS
STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
SUBSISTENCE
TARGETED TRANSFERS
TARGETING
TARGETING MECHANISMS
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
TRANSFER AMOUNTS
TRANSITION ECONOMY
VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT
VILLAGE LEVEL
WAGE EMPLOYMENT
WAGE RATES
WEALTH
WELFARE DISTRIBUTION
Kilic, Talip
Whitney, Edward
Winters, Paul
Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program
geographic_facet Africa
Malawi
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6713
description This paper contributes to the long-standing debate on the merits of decentralized beneficiary targeting in the administration of development programs, focusing on the large-scale Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program. Nationally-representative household survey data are used to systematically analyze the decentralized targeting performance of the program during the 2009-2010 agricultural season. The analysis begins with a standard targeting assessment based on the rates of program participation and the benefit amounts among the eligible and non-eligible populations, and provides decompositions of the national targeting performance into the inter-district, intra-district inter-community, and intra-district intra-community components. This approach identifies the relative contributions of targeting at each level. The results show that the Farm Input Subsidy Program is not poverty targeted and that the national government, districts, and communities are nearly uniform in their failure to target the poor, with any minimal targeting (or mis-targeting) overwhelmingly materializing at the community level. The findings are robust to the choice of the eligibility indicator and the decomposition method. The multivariate analysis of household program participation reinforces these results and reveals that the relatively well-off, rather than the poor or the wealthiest, and the locally well-connected have a higher likelihood of program participation and, on average, receive a greater number of input coupons. Since a key program objective is to increase food security and income among resource-poor farmers, the lack of targeting is a concern and should underlie considerations of alternative targeting approaches that, in part or completely, rely on proxy means tests at the local level.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Kilic, Talip
Whitney, Edward
Winters, Paul
author_facet Kilic, Talip
Whitney, Edward
Winters, Paul
author_sort Kilic, Talip
title Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program
title_short Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program
title_full Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program
title_fullStr Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program
title_full_unstemmed Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program
title_sort decentralized beneficiary targeting in large-scale development programs : insights from the malawi farm input subsidy program
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2014
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/11/18560932/decentralized-beneficiary-targeting-large-scale-development-programs-insights-malawi-farm-input-subsidy-program
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16929
_version_ 1764434965056978944
spelling okr-10986-169292021-04-23T14:03:33Z Decentralized Beneficiary Targeting in Large-Scale Development Programs : Insights from the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program Kilic, Talip Whitney, Edward Winters, Paul ABSOLUTE POVERTY ABSOLUTE TERMS ACCESS TO IRRIGATION AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AGRICULTURAL LAND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AGRICULTURAL SEASON AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES AGRICULTURE ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAM ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION BENEFICIARIES BENEFICIARY HOUSEHOLDS BENEFICIARY POPULATION COMMON PROPERTY COMMUNITY GROUPS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION COMMUNITY RESOURCES CONSUMPTION AGGREGATE CONSUMPTION DATA CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA CORRUPTION COUPONS CROP PRODUCTION CROPLAND CROWDING OUT DECENTRALIZATION DECISION MAKING DECOMPOSITION METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DEVELOPMENT POLICY DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DRY SEASON FAMINE FARM HOUSEHOLDS FARM INCOME FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD EXPENDITURES FOOD INSECURITY FOOD POLICY FOOD PRICES FOOD SECURITY FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOOD-FOR-EDUCATION FUTURE RESEARCH GDP GINI COEFFICIENT GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT HIGHER INEQUALITY HORIZONTAL EQUITY HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY HOUSEHOLD HEAD HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX INCOME INCOME DISTRIBUTION INCOME INEQUALITY INEQUALITY INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY LAND DISTRIBUTION LAND MANAGEMENT LAND PRODUCTIVITY LAND SIZE LANDHOLDINGS LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION LIVING STANDARDS MARGINAL PRODUCTIVITY MARKET FAILURES MEANS TESTS MILK MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS NATIONAL POVERTY NATIONAL POVERTY LINE PARTICIPATION RATES PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION POLITICAL ECONOMY POLITICAL ECONOMY OF TARGETING POOR POOR COUNTRIES POOR DISTRICTS POOR FAMILIES POOR FARMERS POOR HOUSEHOLDS POOR POPULATION POOR SMALLHOLDER POOR VILLAGES POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY INCREASE POVERTY INDICATOR POVERTY INDICATORS POVERTY LEVELS POVERTY RATE POVERTY RATES POVERTY STATUS PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS PUBLIC SPENDING RURAL RURAL AREAS RURAL ASSET RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL HOUSEHOLD RURAL HOUSEHOLDS RURAL POPULATION RURAL POVERTY RURAL TOWNS SAFETY NET SAP SCHOOLING SMALL-SCALE FARMING SMALLHOLDER HOUSEHOLDS SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT SUBSISTENCE TARGETED TRANSFERS TARGETING TARGETING MECHANISMS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TRANSFER AMOUNTS TRANSITION ECONOMY VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT VILLAGE LEVEL WAGE EMPLOYMENT WAGE RATES WEALTH WELFARE DISTRIBUTION This paper contributes to the long-standing debate on the merits of decentralized beneficiary targeting in the administration of development programs, focusing on the large-scale Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Program. Nationally-representative household survey data are used to systematically analyze the decentralized targeting performance of the program during the 2009-2010 agricultural season. The analysis begins with a standard targeting assessment based on the rates of program participation and the benefit amounts among the eligible and non-eligible populations, and provides decompositions of the national targeting performance into the inter-district, intra-district inter-community, and intra-district intra-community components. This approach identifies the relative contributions of targeting at each level. The results show that the Farm Input Subsidy Program is not poverty targeted and that the national government, districts, and communities are nearly uniform in their failure to target the poor, with any minimal targeting (or mis-targeting) overwhelmingly materializing at the community level. The findings are robust to the choice of the eligibility indicator and the decomposition method. The multivariate analysis of household program participation reinforces these results and reveals that the relatively well-off, rather than the poor or the wealthiest, and the locally well-connected have a higher likelihood of program participation and, on average, receive a greater number of input coupons. Since a key program objective is to increase food security and income among resource-poor farmers, the lack of targeting is a concern and should underlie considerations of alternative targeting approaches that, in part or completely, rely on proxy means tests at the local level. 2014-02-05T16:36:21Z 2014-02-05T16:36:21Z 2013-11 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/11/18560932/decentralized-beneficiary-targeting-large-scale-development-programs-insights-malawi-farm-input-subsidy-program http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16929 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 6713 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research Africa Malawi