Public Works Program Research Articles

Cellfare: Delivering Self-Targeted Social Protection Using Mobile Phones

This article proposes a new form of self-targeted social protection scheme: beneficiaries carry out a series of small tasks on their mobile phones, each linked to a small payment. Key advantages over traditional public works include potentially large reductions in leakage, costs, and delays. The proposed scheme may also be suitable to wider demographics as it does not require physical labour and can be availed from home. A prototype implementation of a ‘cellfare’ scheme was tested in rural India, and 42 participants with experience of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, a large Indian public works programme, favourably compared the proposed scheme to the existing one.

The Effects of Integrated Conditional Cash Transfers and Public Works Programs on Household Income Generation in Rural Tanzania

The Effects of Integrated Conditional Cash Transfers and Public Works Programs on Household Income Generation in Rural Tanzania

Addressing Rural Poverty, Efficacy of MGNREGA and Migration Against Agricultural Productivity: Case of Kalahandi, India

ABSTRACT Poverty remains a major challenge for the countries of the global south. Decent employment opportunity, a crucial determinant of poverty reduction, is increasingly becoming elusive for those countries regardless of a decent rate of economic growth. There is a growing separation of economic growth and employment growth under the aegis of neo-liberal economic policies. Economic growth, instead of becoming inclusive, turns out to be “jobless” or “job loss.” Failing to reverse this trend, “Active Labour Market Policies” (ALMPs) in the form of “Public Works Programmes” (PWPs) have emerged as a major strategy to reduce unemployment and poverty. Secondly, rural–urban migration is very much relied upon for the same. Raising agricultural productivity, a crucial question of “agrarian transition,” well evident and verified across the globe, is, however, becoming oblivion in the fight against poverty. In this context, based on a primary survey of 300 households in the poorest regions of India, this paper endeavors to investigate the relative strength of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), rural–urban migration, and land productivity on poverty. The study suggests that an agrarian-centric intervention is more effective in dealing with poverty as compared to MGNREGA (ALMPs) and migration.

PARTICIPANTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME TO SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

Public Employment Programmes (PEPs), which include the South African Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), are widely recognised as important social protection tools that address the challenges of persistent unemployment and dire poverty. PEPs offer a ‘win-win’ policy option by creating jobs while simultaneously generating assets and delivering services. In South Africa, the impact of PEPs has primarily been evaluated based on employment opportunities, thus creating a gap in the comprehensive assessment of their contribution to the broader livelihood of participants beyond job creation. To address this gap, a qualitative research method was employed, utilising a snowball sampling strategy and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as the theoretical foundation for the investigation. The findings of this study underscore the positive contribution of the EPWP to the livelihoods of its participants. However, the study also uncovered various challenges confronting the programme, such as non-compliance with program regulations, such as payment below minimum wage rates and difficulties in meeting youth employment targets amidst escalating youth unemployment rates in South Africa. The research recommends introducing a national EPWP policy with enforcement mechanisms and youth-focused programmes while strengthening local institutions to provide services and processes to enhance the impact of these programs and create a conducive environment for beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods and escape poverty.

Critical Infrastructure in Historical Perspective: The Portuguese Railroad Network in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

In the 1850s, Portugal initiated an ambitious public works program spearheaded by railroads. In this article, I analyze how policymakers (congressmen, government officials, engineers, and military officers) debated and managed the construction and operation of the Portuguese railroad network using the theoretical framework of critical infrastructure. I show that railroads were deemed critical to modernize the country, draw it closer to the European core nations and further from the periphery, and to attract traffic to the Portuguese harbors. The absence of railroads was considered a vulnerability that could jeopardize Portugal as a nation and it fostered a sense of urgency that motivated policymakers to act, to a large extent, hastily. The construction of the network brought about other vulnerabilities that, for different motives, could threaten the future of the country. In a parallel way, the implementation of the system was marked by vulnerabilities that originated within or surrounding it, which limited its technical potential. Balancing between a literature review and the use of primary sources (parliamentary debates, technical reports, the press, and photography), I argue that the criticality associated with railroads, as a sociotechnical construction, was central to motivate their construction, but different vulnerabilities, inherent or external to the system, limited their influence and the advantages touted by its promoters.

The in-class experience of social work students based on their religious affiliation

ABSTRACT This quantitative study ascertained the association between the religious affiliation of social work students and their experience in social work classrooms. Students (n = 507) representing 30 accredited public social work programs across the United States responded to a survey. Primary independent variables included respondents’ religious affiliation and religious commitment. The survey contained Likert scale items assessing classroom experiences related to intersections with religion, which were combined into a composite score for each respondent to create the dependent variable, classroom experience (α = 0.853). ANOVA was used to test the relationship between the independent variables and classroom experience, finding that Christian students (F(2, 195) = 11.0, p < .001) and students highly committed to their faith (F(4, 55.3) = 4.05, p = .006) were more likely to report negative experiences related to religion in the classroom. Predictive variables on classroom experience were identified using Hierarchical Linear Regression. A student’s perception that their instructors and peers viewed their religious beliefs as incompatible with social work was the strongest predictor of negative experiences intersecting with religion in the classroom. The values of social work and the principles of critical pedagogy can provide a framework for social work instructors to create classroom environments that engage all students, including those with diverse religious beliefs and affiliations.

Why Guarantee Employment? Evidence from a Large Indian Public-Works Program

Why Guarantee Employment? Evidence from a Large Indian Public-Works Program

Who Uses Childcare Centers? Evidence from Burkina Faso

What determines childcare center use for low-income urban households? And how does subsidizing provision change access to childcare services? We study these questions using data from a randomized evaluation that subsidized childcare center use for women participating in a public works program in Burkina Faso. One quarter of eligible women use these childcare services, tripling childcare center use for zero-to six-year-olds in our sample. Household wealth significantly predicts childcare center use. However, the public works childcare centers increased access for disadvantaged households and young children. Women employed as childcare providers were also more likely to use the childcare centers.

Urban Public Works in Spatial Equilibrium: Experimental Evidence from Ethiopia

This paper evaluates a large urban public works program randomly rolled out across neighborhoods of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We find the program increased public employment and reduced private labor supply among beneficiaries and improved local amenities in treated locations. We then combine a spatial equilibrium model and unique commuting data to estimate the spillover effects of the program on private sector wages across neighborhoods: under full program rollout, wages increased by 18.6 percent. Using our model, we show that welfare gains to the poor are six times larger when we include the indirect effects on private wages and local amenities. (JEL H76, I38, J22, J31, O15, O18, R23)

Impact Assessment of Government Funding for Subsistence, Smallholder Farmers, Communities, and Households on Food Security: An Advice for Extension Services

This study examined the impact of government funding on food security for subsistence farming, communities, households, and smallholder farmers in Frances Baard Municipality. Food insecurity has been a global phenomenon that has been on the increase since 2015, and it is thought to be a result of growing conflict, pandemic, and climate-related shocks. The analysis methods employed in this study were mainly cluster and discriminant analysis (DA). Simple random sampling techniques were used to select 533 farmers. The cluster analysis results reveal that Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) occupies the highest rank, followed by a Poverty Relief Programme and Land Restitution programme. In contrast, discriminant analysis (DA) results show that an Agricultural Starter Pack Programme is highly likely to increase the impact of food security in households when other interventions are held constant. The study concludes that to improve the food security of the Frances Baard Municipal District, the government should consistently improve the performance of these programmes. To improve the performance of these programmes, it is therefore recommended that the following programmes be resourced: the Agricultural Starter Pack Programme, Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Poverty Relief Programme (PRP), and Food Parcel Scheme (FPS).

Managing under austerity: a qualitative study of management–union relations during attempts to cut labour costs in three South African public hospitals

PurposeIn this paper, the authors examine the strategies used to reduce labour costs in three public hospitals in South Africa, which were effective and why. In the democratic era, after the revelations of large-scale corruption, the authors ask whether their case studies provide lessons for how public service institutions might re-make themselves, under circumstances of austerity.Design/methodology/approachA comparative qualitative case study approach, collecting data using a combination of interviews with managers, focus group discussions and interviews with shop stewards and staff was used.FindingsManagement in two hospitals relied on their financial power, divisions between unions and employees' loyalty. They lacked the insight to manage different actors, and their efforts to outsource services and draw on the Extended Public Works Program failed. They failed to support staff when working beyond their scope of practice, reducing employees' willingness to take on extra responsibilities. In the remaining hospital, while previous management had been removed due to protests by the unions, the new CEO provided stability and union–management relations were collaborative. Her legitimate power enabled unions and management to agree on appropriate cost cutting strategies.Originality/valueFinding an appropriate balance between the new reality of reduced financial resources and the needs of staff and patients, requires competent unions and management, transparency and trust to develop legitimate power; managing in an authoritarian manner, without legitimate power, reduces organisational capacity. Ensuring a fair and orderly process to replace ineffective management is key, while South Africa grows cohorts of competent managers and builds managerial experience.

CALM: caring action leadership mindfulness: a college counseling practice-based education model

ABSTRACT College is a phase in life where many young people experience freedom to make decisions as they have never had before. They are living in a community where their education, work, professional, social, and living environment are all very closely entwined. In order to be successful, college students need to feel connected to the college campus, especially at larger public universities. In 2021 the authors surveyed public university social work programs located within the United States and found that many graduate social work students complete internships with the campus counseling center. Advanced social work students are engaged in the majority of these practice education placements. Over three-quarters of the graduate social work students in these internships facilitate student support groups and/or psycho-educational classes and groups on campus. However, just over one-third teach college students mindfulness practice and/or meditation. We suggest a practice-based education model [CALM: Caring Action Leadership Mindfulness] for designing a collaborative Social Work Internship at the campus counseling center that supports the promotion of student mental and physical health, mindfulness and persistence to achieve a college degree.

‘We need to stay alive’: ethnicisation and shortage of farm labour in Hungary

ABSTRACT This article fills a gap in the international academic literature, which has little to say on agricultural labour in Central and Eastern European countries and especially Hungary. The paper reveals factors that determine the ethnicisation and problematic availability of seasonal agricultural labourers in Hungary, made up mainly, but not exclusively of people of Roma ethnicity, largely Ukrainian or Romanian citizens from Hungarian minorities in Trans-Carpathia or Transylvania. The flexible oscillation of low-skilled labour across different economic sectors explains why a shortage peaked between 2016 and 2019 when, in addition to agriculture, the local states (through public works programmes) and industry (as post-crisis growth returned) competed for the same labour. The paper discusses findings from qualitative research, undertaken in an inner peripheral rural region, portraying the strategies and practices of local fruit-growing farmers to obtain labour, as well as diversify and mechanise. The study illustrates the mutual dependency of farmers and the local manual workforce. It is likely, however, that this mutuality will not last long: differentiation in farm structure will continue, some small orchards will disappear, large ones will become stronger and larger, and in doing so will not be able to avoid opting for migrant labour.

Overcoming Recession and Financial Instability in a Global Financialised Economy? The Contribution of the ‘Crank Heretic’ Robert Eisler

ABSTRACT Recurrent shocks — be it geopolitical instability, pandemics, financial crises or climate change and climate transition effects — pose difficulties to permanently ensure a prosperous economy. The writings of Robert Eisler represent an early attempt to design an economic system to permanently stabilise the price level, to solve unemployment and prevent economic crises. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression of the 1920s, Eisler proposed an extensive reform package including public work programmes financed by debt monetisation, the introduction of a parallel currency to level out price level fluctuations as well as instruments for exchange rate stabilisation. Eisler’s work demonstrates the seminal insights that national economies are embedded in a global financial system and that any attempts to reform financial systems require international cooperation in order to be effective. Notwithstanding, Eisler is largely ignored both by monetary reformers and conservative economists, who, if at all aware of his work, declared him a ‘monetary heretic’. This paper analyses Eisler’s entire set of reform ideas for the first time and positions it within current economic policy discourses on the limits to monetary policies, on effective demand and public work programmes and the need to consider international capital when drafting monetary reform proposals.

Social Protection and Foundational Cognitive Skills during Adolescence: Evidence from a Large Public Works Program.

Many low- and middle-income countries have introduced public works programs (PWPs) to fight poverty. This paper provides the first evidence that children from families who benefit from PWPs show increased foundational cognitive skills. The results, based on unique tablet-based data collected as part of a long-standing longitudinal survey, show positive associations between participation in the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) in Ethiopia during childhood with long-term memory and implicit learning, and suggestive evidence for working memory. These associations appear to be strongest for children whose households were still PSNP participants in the year of data collection. Evidence suggests that the association with implicit learning may be operating partially through children's time reallocation away from unpaid labor responsibilities, while the association with long-term memory may in part be due to the program's success in remediating nutritional deficits caused by early-life rainfall shocks.

Gender and public works intervention in rural Ghana: An empowerment framework perspective

Transformative social protection requires an understanding of how interventions affect women and men. Gender inequality remains pervasive in societies. However, mainstream social protection evaluations have seldom been informed by gender analysis beyond sex categorisation. This paper focuses on the Labour Intensive Public Works Programme in Wa West District of Ghana to discuss the gender dynamics in participation outcomes. We analysed data from ten in-depth interviews with district assembly's social welfare and LIPW project staff and eight focus group discussions with programme participants and nonparticipants. In-depth interviews with the key informant clearly show that though the programme implementers acknowledge differential labour demands among participants, it is carried out in a manner that sustains gender inequalities through the endorsement of social stereotypes. The analysis revealed that an increase in women's income did not augment their ability to bargain in household decision-making. The study draws on Longwe's Women Empowerment Framework to discuss the results. This paper explains why and how this new knowledge can be used to inform theoretical and future policy debates on social protection.

Public-private partnerships: pro-cyclical or counter-cyclical? an empirical study

The use of public works programs to combat economic recessions is a recurring issue. In this paper we conducted an empirical analysis covering 160 countries (out of which 43 were retained) over 30 years, to determine to what extent it has been possible in the past to deploy PPPs as part of a wider countercyclical policy. The main criterion used in the analyses performed is the comparison between numbers and values of PPP projects reaching financial close during recessions and those outside a recession. The results are disappointing: only a handful of European countries have been successful. The only sensible approach, that works only in some developed nations, would be increasing the number of PPP projects while maintaining project size. This research contributes to the understanding of PPP adoption during economic recessions, sheds light on the different strategies of developed and developing countries, and emphasizes the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing countercyclical PPP policies. These insights can inform policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in their decision-making processes and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of PPP project procurement and management.

How Electoral Cycles Shape the Implementation of Public Works Programs: Evidence From India

Why do public works programs in developing democracies often experience implementation failures at the local level? Building on the literature on political business cycles, our study sheds light on a key explanation. We argue that electoral cycles undermine the completion of public works projects because of incumbents’ difficulties in reaping electoral rewards for following through on projects proposed just prior to an election. Analyses based on project-level data from a nation-wide public program in India supports the argument. We find that projects proposed close to an upcoming election are less likely to be eventually completed than projects proposed at other times. We further find that incumbent turnover exacerbates the effect of electoral cycles and that this modifying effect is plausibly causal. The results suggest that new incumbents have reduced incentives to follow through on projects proposed by their predecessors due to the difficulties involved with claiming credit for such projects.

A job trial subsidy for youth: Cheap labour or a screening device?

AbstractThis paper evaluates a 90‐day hiring subsidy designed for young jobseekers aged below 25, introduced in Hungary in 2015 as part of the Youth Guarantee programme. The subsidy covers the total wage cost with no obligation to retain the new hire when the subsidy expires. The analysis is based on linked administrative data on registered unemployment, cognitive skills measured around age 15, healthcare, and social security records. The causal impact of the subsidy on subsequent employment is identified in comparison to participants of a uniquely large public works programme, using propensity score matching with exceptionally rich controls. The estimates indicate significant positive effects: participants spent 14–20 days more in employment within 6 months after the programme ended in the whole sample. The impact is weaker on the 12‐month horizon. We find that the subsidy works well as a screening device: the programme has the highest impact on youths who have very low levels of schooling (8 years of primary school or less), but scored high on cognitive skills tests. One potential explanation is that employers tend to retain those with better cognitive skills, irrespective of their formal qualifications. We also find some indication that the subsidy is (mis)used by some employers to hire short term, seasonal workers.

Reducing Delay in Payments in Welfare Programs: Experimental Evidence from an Information Dissemination Intervention

Abstract This paper assesses the impact of an information dissemination intervention on the local-level implementation of the rural public works program in India. One key feature of the intervention is to provide information to workers once their wages get credited into their accounts. Using administrative and survey data, its impact on delays in wage payments and days of work along with the awareness levels of the entitlements is evaluated. The findings indicate a substantial reduction in payment delays and in trips made for wage withdrawal, in addition to improvements in awareness. The decrease in the payment delays in the treated villages persists even beyond the intervention period. While a limited impact on work days is observed during the intervention, a significant increase in the post-intervention period is found. The findings substantiated through qualitative evidence provide a platform for an innovative and cost-effective intervention to improve the implementation of social protection programs.