The current economic downturn increases the likelihood of greater numbers living in extreme poverty and increases the financial pressures on developing country governments. As such, it is more pressing then ever to ensure that available resources are targeted to meet those most in need, and given in ways most likely to combat both short and long term poverty. This project aims to contribute to this ability by engaging in robust analysis of CCT programmes through a macro-level comparative study and more importantly, in-depth case study investigations. By reporting findings in ways that are accessible to policy makers as a framework to structure policy makers own evaluations of existing and nascent CCT programmes, this project will ensure findings are relevant and accessible to those engaged in policy targeted at poverty alleviation among the poorest in developing countries. Dissemination will also be aided by engaging with established policy networks in organisations such as the World Bank (Human Development and Safety Nets) and their client departments. Specifically, to better equip policy makers and academics to construct and adapt CCTs and external conditions so as to encourage effective targeting and poverty alleviation, this project will aim to do the following:

• Develop a robust empirical database on the relative effectiveness of existing CCTs in different institutional contexts in urban and rural areas by assessing heterogeneity in effectiveness in targeting and human capital gains associated with existing CCT programmes
• Test the validity of existing hypotheses on external variables affecting CCT effectiveness through case study analysis and thereby better understand the scalability and adaptability of CCT programmes.