Development for the poor: Evaluating the multidimensional impact of development interventions with respect for the preferences of the poor.

There is a growing consensus in the literature that well-being is a multidimensional concept. Yet, many development programmes still rely on monetary measures of well-being to target beneficiaries and evaluate outcomes. Such measures remain blind to the differences in nonmonetary dimensions of well-being between individuals. A multidimensional framework is required to take these differences into account. The aim of this project is to develop a richer framework for assessing well-being outcomes in development projects. A key feature of this multidimensional framework is that it respects the individual opinions of the poor on the importance of different dimensions of well-being. The framework will be implemented by addressing three specific and policy-relevant questions in three different developing countries. First, the question will be investigated whether the consideration of a richer framework will have implications for the targeting of social programs in Colombia. This question will be addressed using ex ante simulation techniques. Second, the new framework will be used to study the impact of an unconditional cash transfer programme in Kenya, using an ex post difference-in-difference estimator. Finally, we will study to what extent preferences of the poor in Ethiopia can be estimated with new stated preference techniques such as a discrete choice experiment.

Keywords:WELFARE ECONOMICS

Disciplines:Applied sociology