Design and rural context in antipoverty transfers: Implications for programme outcomes

The expansion of antipoverty transfers in low- and middle-income countries focuses on poverty reduction but it also raises important questions regarding their contribution to growth and development. The paper considers the role of design and context in programme outcomes. Distinguishing three main programmes types identified, the analysis relies on insights from theory and practice to identify rural context conditions capable of enhancing or undermining programme outcomes. It finds that context conditions are important and require careful consideration by programmers.