Nicaraguan Social Safety Net Program or Red de Protección Social (RPS) is a program administered by the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua with the aim of promoting the accumulation of human capital in households living in extreme poverty.
Its specific objectives are to:- Supplement the income of households living in extreme poverty for a period of up to three years, in order to increase food expenditures.
- Increase the health care of children less than five years of age and of women of child-bearing age.
- Reduce school desertion during the first four years of primary school.
- Strengthen local institutional capacity to facilitate the program operation.
| The program includes both demand and supply side interventions, primarily in the form of cash transfers to households, and cash incentives to schools and health care providers. Household eligibility is conditional upon compliance with certain requirements such as participation in child growth monitoring and immunization programs, and regular attendance to training sessions on health and nutrition training sessions. |
The program was developed during two phases. Phase I (the pilot phase) was implemented from 2000 to 2002, and Phase II (the expansion phase) started in 2003. During the expansion phase, approximately 15,000 new households entered the program in addition to the 10,000 continuing beneficiaries from Phase I.
The pilot phase of the RPS was implemented in two stages. In the first, the program benefited all of the approximately 6,000 households in 21 census areas. The areas were selected from six municipalities in the northern part of the Central Region of Nicaragua. In the second stage, approximately 4,000 additional beneficiary households from different census areas, but within the same six municipalities, were selected using household-level targeting mechanisms. Only households with predicted per capita expenditures above the poverty line were invited to participate in the program.
Starting in 2000, IFPRI began an extensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the pilot phase. In late 2002, based in part on the positive findings of the evaluation, the Government of Nicaragua and the Inter-American Development Bank agreed to the expansion of the program.
Key findings:
- Most of the increase in family spending went toward purchasing more nutrient-dense foods, helping beneficiaries to improve their diets.
- School enrollment and attendance levels increased, and beneficiary children were able to attend classes with appropriate materials and clothing. However, some nonbeneficiary children were not able to purchase the same materials, causing some social stress among children.
- One of the most striking successes of the program was the dramatic decline in stunting among children under five.
- All beneficiaries agreed that their children’s health improved under the program. Despite wide distribution of iron and anti-parasite supplements, anemia, remains high among children under five. Mothers were found to be not giving children iron supplements because of taste and beliefs about negative health effects.
- The program is well targeted towards the poor. However, targeting mechanisms were not well understood at the local level, generating dissatisfaction where people felt they could not rectify errors and pointing to the need for a reliable appeals process.
The impacts achieved by RPS in the three component areas: income supplementation, health care of children, and schooling, lead to the conclusion that the pilot phase of the program was very successful in its first two years of operation. Not only were the minimum expected impacts met but, for most indicators, these impacts were duplicated.
Reports
- Impact evaluation of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program: the Nicaraguan Red de Protección Social.
Maluccio, J.A. and R. Flores. Research Report 141. Washington , D.C. : International Food Policy Research Institute. 2005.
- Sistema de Evaluación de la Red de Protección Social de Nicaragua: UN ANÁLISIS SOCIAL DE LA “RED DE PROTECCIÓN SOCIAL” (RPS) EN NICARAGUA.
Adato, M., and T. Roopnaraine. In Spanish. Report to the Red de Protección Social. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. 2004.
- Evaluation system for the pilot phase of Nicaraguan Red de Protección Social: Impact evaluation 2000-2002.
In Spanish. Unpublished Report to the Red de Protección Social. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. 2003.
Briefs
- Nicaragua: Red de Protección Social – Mi Familia: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty.
Maluccio, J. A., A. Michelle, and R. Flores, and T. Roopnaraine. International Food Policy Research Institute Issue Brief 34. 2005.Full-Text (PDF 231K) English | (PDF 322K) Espanol
Discussion Papers
- The cost of poverty alleviation transfer programs: A comparative analysis of three programs in Latin America.
Caldés, N., D. Coady, and J. A. Maluccio. Food Consumption and Nutrition Division Discussion Paper 174. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute. 2004.Full-Text (PDF 347K) | Brief (PDF 182K) - Impact evaluation of the pilot phase of the Nicaraguan Red de Protección Social.
Maluccio, J. A., and R. Flores. Food Consumption and Nutrition Division Discussion Paper 184. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute. 2004.Full-Text (PDF 538K) | Brief (PDF 202K)
Journal Articles
- The cost of conditional cash transfers.
Caldés, N., and J. A. Maluccio. Journal of International Development 17: 151−168. 2005.
To request reports, please e-mail ifpri-fcn@cgiar.org
- Emory University
- Inter-American Development Bank
- Government of Nicaragua
- Inter-American Development Bank
- Michelle Adato
Senior Research Fellow
Food Consumption and Nutrition Division
IFPRI
2033 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Email: m.adato@cgiar.org