Evidence on

Graduation in

Practice: Concern

Worldwide’s

Graduation

Programme in

Rwanda

Ricardo Sabates & Stephen Devereux

Paper presented at the conference

“Graduation and Social Protection”

Kigali, 6 – 8 May 2014

Overview

The Concern Worldwide–Rwanda Graduation Programme

The Research

Its Impact

The Next Phase

Concern Rwanda’s “Graduation Programme” Overall aim: Enable sustained exit from

extreme poverty of poor households

Launched in May 2011, runs to Dec 2015

Supports extremely poor households with: Cash transfer & enhanced savings

Skills development

Coaching and mentoring

Seed capital for investment in enterprise development

Huye

Nyaruguru

The Research Baseline information plus survey at 12

months (to assess immediate impacts).

After cash transfer: surveys at 18 & 31 months (to assess if impacts are sustained).

Two cohorts of beneficiaries & control group (to assess if changes are attributable).

Survey contains information on financial, social and human “key impact indicators”.

Quasi-experimental design: Difference in Differences

The Impact

1. Significant reductions in deprivation

Control Beneficiary0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

2.55 2.49

2.88

4.35

Baseline12 Months

2. Increased ownership of livestock Cows (+) Goats (+) Pigs (+) Chickens (+)

3. Increased ownership of productive assets Mobile phone (+) Radios (+) Registered land (+) Hoes (universal) Bicycle (no change)

4. Increased ownership of consumption assets

Control Beneficiary0

5

10

15

20

25

10

13

10

24

Baseline12 Months

Value of assets in USD

5. Increased savings

6. Increased investment in children’s education at secondary school level

7. Increased consumption of meat & vegetables

8. Use of preventative health measures & hygiene practices

9. Improved social cohesion

All participants get access to health insurance

“Before joining the programme I was

despised and looked down on. I was not

confident enough to engage with other

community members. I always felt

embarrassed because I lacked almost

everything. Now there is respect for me and

my family because of the change they have

seen in our lives.”

(Widow, programme beneficiary)

The Next Phase

Introduction of other components of the programme

Asset transfer for investment in enterprise development

Continued training & coaching in selected enterprises

Do we expect the programme to generate self-reliant livelihoods?

Thank you!

And thanks to the programme participants, Local

Authorities in target areas, implementing/

research partners, and sponsors of this research.