Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
5-2012
Abstract
Proper targeting of policy interventions requires reasonable estimates of the benefits of the alternative options. To inform such decisions, we develop an integrated approach stemming from the small-area estimation literature that estimates the marginal returns to a range of assets across geographically defined subpopulations. We create a series of maps that can be overlaid with traditional poverty maps to identify strong candidate areas for intervention, though an efficiency/equity tradeoff sometimes exists. We apply our method using recent Ugandan data. Results are consistent with independent empirical findings and suggest asset specific transfer schemes would improve with a spatially targeted strategy.
Citation/Publisher Attribution
“Targeting maps: An asset-based approach to geographic targeting” (with Chris Barrett and Felix Naschold), forthcoming in World Development
Terms of Use
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