Community-driven development decision tools for rural - IFAD

Box 17Lessons learned about targetingGeneral lessons• Targeting under demand-drivenmechanisms is challenging and requires acomprehensive and flexible approach.• Broad targeting measures are easierto apply and ultimately more effectivethan narrow measures based oneligibility criteria.• Defining a targeting strategy is importantbut should not be expected to beimplemented exactly as designed.• Poor people benefit, but less poor peopletend to benefit proportionally more.• Direct targeting of women is easy to setup, but building capacity, confidence andself esteem is necessary for them tobenefit equally.• Attention should be paid to “actual” versus“apparent” access to benefits.• Risks of benefit capture always exist butcan be minimized.Enabling and proactive measures• Enabling and proactive measures areintended to create a policy and institutionalenvironment which supports targeting.• Mainstreaming a pro-poor perspectivemight be necessary among project staffand government partners.Empowering measures• Communication support is essential.• The project provides information andpromotes communication.• Separate the roles of providing informationand providing services.• Intended beneficiaries must participate indefining their needs.• The criteria used to establish groupsare important.• Self-selection of members is not aguarantee against exclusion of the poor.Menu-based measures• A major factor in determining who willbenefit is the menu of goods and servicesthat will be potentially available and underwhat financial conditions.• The types of goods offered exert a strongerinfluence than the size of the grant.• The correspondence between providedgoods and services and the interests andlivelihoods of the intended beneficiariesis important.• Matching contributions can act againstincluding the poor.Source: IFAD. Innovative Approaches to Targeting in Demand-Driven Projects, November 2004.32