Ethiopia Productive Safety Net Programme
World Bank / Ethiopian Government · Ethiopia · 2008
Summary
Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme is one of the largest social protection programs in sub-Saharan Africa and among the most thoroughly evaluated. The quasi-experimental evaluation found meaningful improvements in food security, asset accumulation, and drought resilience — effects that are particularly important in a context where annual food insecurity affected tens of millions. The programme's combination of cash transfers with public works infrastructure (roads, water harvesting, soil conservation) addressed immediate consumption needs and created local productive assets simultaneously. The pipeline design allowed before-after and matched comparisons, though selection into early vs. late receipt limits causal inference. The programme became a template for social protection scale-up across the continent.
Research question
"Does a large-scale cash-and-food transfer with public works component improve food security, asset accumulation, and resilience for chronically food-insecure households?"
Methodology
Intervention
Chronically food-insecure households received cash or in-kind food transfers conditional on participation in public works (labor-capable adults) or unconditionally (labor-poor households); approximately 6–8 weeks per year of public works
Assignment
Quasi-experimental (pipeline rollout; matched comparison households in later-entry districts)
Sample size
Approximately 7 million beneficiaries in 262 woredas (districts)
Primary outcome
Household food security (dietary diversity, months of adequate food); asset accumulation; shock resilience
Effect estimate
Months of adequate food: +1.8 months/year; asset index: +0.14 SD; proportion selling assets in drought year: −9 pp; income diversification: improved
Decision
Programme continued and expanded; Ethiopia mainstreamed PSNP into national social protection system; World Bank and DFID used PSNP as model for large-scale safety net design in Africa
Result
Positive
Months of adequate food: +1.8 months/year; asset index: +0.14 SD; proportion selling assets in drought year: −9 pp; income diversification: improved
Evidence strength
Moderate
Quasi-experimental design; causal interpretation requires care.
Replication status
Partially replicated
Institution
World Bank / Ethiopian Government
Location
Ethiopia
Year
2008
Policy area
International Development
Mechanism
Cash transfer