Can the Luck of the Draw Help Social Safety Nets?
Lottery, a simple random draw, has been used in selecting beneficiaries of public work programs in context as diverse as Argentina and the Central African Republic. However, despite a burgeoning literature on targeting, this approach has hardly bee...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/706381617603636255/Can-the-Luck-of-the-Draw-Help-Social-Safety-Nets http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35385 |
| Summary: | Lottery, a simple random draw, has been
used in selecting beneficiaries of public work programs in
context as diverse as Argentina and the Central African
Republic. However, despite a burgeoning literature on
targeting, this approach has hardly been studied. This
policy note discusses how lotteries compare against other
targeting methods in terms of efficiency, legitimacy, and
readiness; and if lotteries could be expanded beyond their
traditional use for public works to cash transfers. While
more research is needed, there is no immediate reason why
lotteries should not be used for targeting social safety net
interventions, especially when responding to emergencies in
ultra-poor and fragile settings. |
|---|