CAL2CAL is working with governments around the world and The World Bank for innovative applications of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the management of social safety net programs in various countries, particularly Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs.

What is CCT
Problems faced in administering a CCT program
Application of ICT in management of CCT
CAL2CAL and Social Safety Net Programs

What is CCT

Conditional Cash Transfer programs provide money to poor people conditional on them making investments in their children's human capital such as school attendance or regular use of preventive health care services. Such programs are relatively new, but have been adopted already in a number of countries. Evaluation results from the first generation of programs show that conditional cash transfer programs are an effective means for promoting human capital accumulation among poor households. There is clear evidence of success in increasing enrollment rates, improving preventive health care and raising household consumption. Despite this promising evidence there are concerns regarding constraints of the supply of social services, tradeoffs between social assistance and human capital formation goals, and the fit, effectiveness and appropriateness under different country conditions--especially for low-income/low-capacity countries.

Problems faced in administering a CCT program

CAL2CAL and Social Safety Net Programs

In particular CAL2CAL has worked on the following Social Safety Net programs in the recent past:

• Application of Information and Communication Technologies for improving governance and reducing irregularities in cash transfer programs in Bangladesh (March 2008) • “Feasibility Study for introducing Smart Cards into India’s Public Distribution System” in Maharsahtra and Gujrat in early 2008. The outcome of this study was presented to the Finance Ministry, Govt. of India before the 2008-09 budget session and was mentioned in the Union Budget speech by the Finance Minister.

• Gora Datta, CEO, CAL2CAL Corporation was invited by the Social Safety Net programs of the World Bank to the 3rd International Conditional Cash Transfers Conference in Istanbul, Turkey during June 26-30, 2006. At the conference he presented “Managing and monitoring CCTs: Paper and pencil or ICT”. The paper and conference proceedings are available at the following site. http://info.worldbank.org/etools/icct06/welcome.asp

• World Bank had appointed CAL2CAL in 2005 to research and publish a white paper on using Information & Communication Technologies for monitoring and review of CCT programs in low income countries. Following publication of this white paper, CAL2CAL was invited to a presentation on the applicability of ICT for administration, management and monitoring of CCT programs to government representatives from member countries.

The white paper referenced above is available at the following site:

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Safety-Nets-DP/0522.pdf