Systematic review of the impact of employment guarantee schemes and cash transfers on the poor
This review identifies and synthesizes the available evidence to assess the impact of two social protection interventions on the poor; employment guarantee schemes (EGSs) and cash transfers (CTs).
This systematic review assesses the evidence on the impact of employment guarantee schemes and cash transfers on the poor. The poor are defined as people living below the nationally defined poverty line in low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs). The review identifies and synthesizes the available evidence to assess the impact of two social protection interventions on the poor; employment guarantee schemes (EGSs) and cash transfers (CTs). Both interventions can have a positive impact on the poor, primarily in terms of a direct impact on household income, the latter through the provision of a direct payment, and the former through the provision of a wage, and potentially also through indirect benefits accruing from the assets created and skills and experience acquisition.