Assessing the need and opportunities for improved linkages between conditional cash transfers and reproductive health programs in Latin America and the Caribbean

The objective of this project was to document the structure and functioning of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, to assess opportunities for improved linkages between CCTs and reproductive health programs, and to explore the role that operations research may have in the improvement of CCT programs. Activities were conducted in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Peru. Operational problems identified by CCT programs included the targeting and selection of beneficiaries, monitoring compliance with conditions for receiving cash transfers, the systems used to provide the transfers, and management weaknesses. Recommendations are made for operations research and other interventions to overcome the operational problems found with CCTs. These include conducting diagnostic research on the perceptions of the participants, using illiteracy as a criterion for eligibility in the program, testing interventions to improve scholastic achievement, and conditioning payments in other programs