title: A formative evaluation of the recovery public works programme in Blantyre City, Malawi.
abstract: Public works programmes (PWPs) are popular social protection instruments in the context of chronic poverty but very little has been published in the way of implementation and outcomes of these programmes. This paper presents a formative process and outcome evaluation of the recovery PWP in Blantyre City, Malawi. The evaluation used longitudinal household survey data of PWP beneficiaries, programme records and interview responses from programme staff and community leaders. Largely, the process evaluation findings showed an agreement between actual and planned activities. The outcome evaluation found indications that the PWP community assets offered some potential benefits to the communities, and that PWP wages allowed the beneficiaries to purchase some food. This however, did not translate into more meals per day, nor did the earnings prevent the decline in household assets as expected. Given a plausible PWP theory and high implementation fidelity, the PWP wage rate or number of days was either just enough to smooth participant income, or insufficient altogether, to enable achievement of more distal outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Research, M&E Associates (REMA), Unit House, Victoria Avenue, P.O. Box 1792, Blantyre, Malawi. Electronic address: felixkhembo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khembo
authors.affiliation: The School of Management Studies, 4th Floor, Leslie Commerce Building, Engineering Mall Upper Campus, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7708, South Africa. Electronic address: s.kaschula@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Community assets; Outcome evaluation; Process evaluation; Programme theory; Public works programme