Dean Karlan presents results of Ultra Poor Graduation Pilot evaluation in Peru in joint conference with IPA, J-PAL, MEF and Plan International

Dissemination
Location:
Lima, Perú

On June 11, IPA founder and President, Dean Karlan, will present at Pacífico University in Lima, Peru results of the Ultra Poor Graduation Pilots, a six-country study, which shows how a comprehensive approach for the ultra-poor, the approximately one billion people who live on less than $1.25 a day,  boosted livelihoods, income, and health outcomes. Published in Science, the research tested the effectiveness of an approach known as the “Graduation model” in six countries, among them Peru, by following 21,000 of the world’s poorest people for three years.

The program included six components over a two-year period:

  • An asset to use to make a living, such as livestock or goods to start an informal store.
  • Training on how to manage the asset.
  • Basic food or cash support to reduce the need to sell their new asset in an emergency.
  • Frequent (usually weekly) coaching visits to reinforce skills, build confidence, and help participants handle any challenges.
  • Health education or access to healthcare to stay healthy and able to work.
  • A savings account to help put away money to invest or use in a future emergency.

Researchers found that the approach had long-lasting economic and self-employment impacts and that the long-run benefits, measured in terms of household expenditures, outweighed their up-front costs. 

The study will be presented in a conference co-organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Plan International, the organization implementing the graduation model in Peru. Professor Karlan will present the study results, with a focus on the Peru evaluation, while Plan international will discuss their experience in implementing the model, as well as, lessons and next steps from evaluation results. Following, Carolina Trivelli, Principal Researcher at the Institute of Peruvian Studies and former Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, will comment on the applicability of this results to the Peruvian contexts.