One out of ten: social cash transfer plots in Malawi and Zambia

An explicit objective of the current social cash transfer (SCT) pilots in Malawi and Zambia is to learn lessons.  Between them, these schemes, which are now operational in over ten districts, have unquestionably
provided a wealth of valuable information on how to implement cash transfer interventions in Southern
Africa. This commentary argues that they could, and should, also be providing important lessons in how not to operate such schemes - this ought to be recognised, and schemes' weaknesses should be broadcast as readily as strengths are proclaimed.

The authors argue the following:

• community-based targeting of the poorest does not work - it doesn’t work now, even in geographically-constrained pilot areas, where additional technical support and resources can be
  mobilised to support weak government and community institutions, so it will never work at more
  extended, less rigorously scrutinised national levels
• a major flaw with the current SCT model is that it is impractical, and unethical, to target SCTs at only 10% of a population in which some 60% are poor, and a further 20% or so are highly vulnerable to poverty
• new targeting approaches - such as categorical schemes (social pensions, child benefits and disability grants), or targeting for exclusion rather than inclusion - need to be tested
• beneficiary numbers need to be significantly raised to reflect national levels of poverty and  vulnerability, and transfer amounts need to be adjusted to levels where they do not cause some lucky beneficiaries to leapfrog the standard of living of non-beneficiaries in the same communities.