Targeting Mechanisms and Exclusion Errors in Cash Transfer Programs in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico
In Latin America, public sector-led conditional cash transfer programs play a central role in national policy strategies for reducing poverty. First introduced in the 1990s, research has routinely demonstrated their effectiveness, leading most countries in the region to adopt cash transfer programs. However, “exclusion errors,” or failure to enroll eligible households, remain widespread, undermining the ability of these programs to achieve their intended large-scale poverty-reduction goals.
For example, our research in Colombia and Mexico estimates that 69% and 75% of eligible households are not receiving benefits.
This webinar presents the main findings of the study Improving Access to Cash Transfer Programs in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, funded by the AIR Opportunity Fund. Through a conversation with the research leads of each country's case study, the session offers an engaging discussion on who is being left out, why exclusion errors occur, and what practices can help build more accessible systems.
A valuable session for those working in social policy, research, or program design aimed at reaching those most in need.
Participants engaged with the project’s research to learn:
- How targeting mechanisms operate across different country contexts—and the tradeoffs involved in their design;
- Common barriers that prevent eligible households from accessing benefits; and
- Emerging practices that can strengthen enrollment processes and improve program performance for building more responsive and effective social protection systems.
This webinar was designed for policymakers, social protection practitioners, researchers, development partners, and others interested in understanding persisting barriers and strategies to strengthen access to social protection policies and programs.
*The event was hosted in Spanish, with English and Portuguese simultaneous interpretation available.
Project Director
Amanda Ortega
Senior Researcher
AIR
Moderator
Santiago Munévar
Senior Technical Advisor
AIR
Panelists
Dr. Humberto Falcão Martins
Tenured Professor
Dom Cabral Foundation
Dr. Sandra García Jaramillo
Tenured Professor, School of Government
Universidad de los Andes
Dr. Ana Razo
Professor and Researcher
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Xocimilco
About Our Research
Improving Access to Cash Transfers in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia examines exclusion errors through an analysis of three of the region’s largest and longest-standing programs: Bolsa Família, Familias en Acción, and Becas para el Bienestar Benito Juárez. The central objective was to understand how program design choices, Institutional implementation capacity, and implementation processes interact and contribute to the exclusion of individuals and households who meet eligibility criteria.
Reducing poverty is not only about expanding programs; it is about ensuring they effectively reach those they are designed to serve. Read the full case studies.
