Cash Transfers for Inclusive Societies

The latest title in the Behaviourally Informed Organizations series offers practical advice on how best to successfully design, deliver, and evaluate efficient cash transfer programs, with a view to alleviating poverty.

While much progress has been made in reducing poverty worldwide – especially in the pre-pandemic era – it is fair to say that an unacceptably large proportion of the world’s people still live in poverty. Cash Transfers for Inclusive Societies sheds light on the widely prevalent cash transfer programs. The book asks these central questions: What is the state of the art in the development of welfare programs? What do we know works in these programs and what does not? How can an understanding of behavioral science better inform the design, delivery, and evaluation of welfare programs?

The latest title in the Behaviourally Informed Organizations series, the book develops a nuanced framework for how governments, practitioners, and society in general should design cash transfer programs to improve inclusivity, reduce poverty, and improve equality. It draws on field experiments and case studies to showcase past successes, while also building frameworks and developing prescriptive advice that we can give to practitioners who are looking to design a behaviorally informed cash transfer program. With contributions from leading academics as well as seasoned practitioners, Cash Transfers for Inclusive Societies presents a new model to policymakers to study and shift the discourse on poverty alleviation from purely economic factors to also behavioral ones.

The latest title in the Behaviourally Informed Organizations series offers practical advice on how best to successfully design, deliver, and evaluate efficient cash transfer programs.

• Imprint: Rotman-UTP Publishing
• Published: October 2023
• Pages: 264

• epub: 9781487549473
• pdf: 9781487547851
• hardcover: 9781487545178

Jiaying Zhao is the Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Sustainability and an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia..

Saugato Datta is Senior Advisor, Global Development at ideas42, Co-Founder, and Principal at Venn Advisors, an applied behavioral science collective, and Professor of the Practice at Tufts University.

Dilip Soman is the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Behavioural Science and Economics, a professor at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and the director of Behavioural Economics in Action Research Centre at Rotman [BEAR].

"This timely book provides a wealth of information on the psychological and behavioral underpinnings of cash transfer policies, addressing key issues such as behavioral design, the role of administrative burden, and emerging evidence on effectiveness. With a fully global perspective, it will be an excellent resource for researchers and policy makers around the world working on the design and implementation of cash transfers and a range of related programs."

Liam Delaney, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics

"Cash Transfers for Inclusive Societies is a critically important collection of theoretically informed and empirically rich essays dedicated to understanding why and how cash transfers benefit those who need them the most. The book starts with an important observation – that despite well-intentioned cash transfer programs – potential beneficiaries confront several obstacles, many of them cognitive in nature, in taking-up such programs. This timely contribution offers a guide into how cash transfers can reach those who are the hardest to reach. It is a compelling read – a must for academics, practitioners, and policy makers."

Joseph Wong, Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto

"People don't respond to cash. They respond to how cash is represented in their minds. That is the main message of this groundbreaking and innovative book on the behavioral science of cash transfers, and their role in improving human wellbeing."

Varun Gauri, Princeton University, and formerly Head of the World Bank’s behavioral science team

"Through rigorous analysis and real-world case studies, this goundbreaking volume offers valuable guidance on the design, implementation, and impact of cash transfer programs, paving the way for evidence-based policies that promote social justice and human development. Full of insight and inspiration, it is a must-read for anyone interested in behavioral science, policy, development, organization, and business."

Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing and Nehru Professor of Indian Business & Enterprise, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge