The document summarizes research on Concern Worldwide's Graduation Programme in Rwanda, which aims to sustainably lift extremely poor households out of poverty. A baseline survey was conducted along with follow-up surveys at 12, 18, and 31 months to assess immediate and sustained impacts using a quasi-experimental design. The research found: 1. Significant reductions in deprivation levels among beneficiary households compared to the control group. 2. Increases in ownership of livestock, productive assets like phones and land, and consumption assets among beneficiary households. 3. Growth in savings, children's education investments, food consumption, and preventative health measures among beneficiary households. 4. Improved social

1. Evidence on Graduation
in Practice: Concern
Worldwide’s Graduation
Programme in Rwanda
Ricardo Sabates &
Stephen Devereux
Paper presented at the conference
“Graduation and Social Protection”
Kigali, 6 – 8 May 2014

2. Overview
 The Concern Worldwide–Rwanda
Graduation Programme
 The Research
 Its Impact
 The Next Phase

3. Concern Rwanda’s
“Graduation Programme”
 Overall aim: Enable sustained exit from
extreme poverty of poor households
 Launched in May 2011, runs to Dec 2015
 Supports extremely poor households with:
 Cash transfer & enhanced savings
 Skills development
 Coaching and mentoring
 Seed capital for investment in enterprise
development

4. Huye
Nyaruguru

6. The Research
 Baseline information plus survey at 12 months
(to assess immediate impacts).
 After cash transfer: surveys at 18 & 31 months
(to assess if impacts are sustained).
 Two cohorts of beneficiaries & control group
(to assess if changes are attributable).
 Survey contains information on financial, social
and human “key impact indicators”.
 Quasi-experimental design: Difference in
Differences

7. The Impact
1. Significant
reductions in
deprivation
2.55 2.49
2.88
4.35
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
Control Beneficiary
Baseline
12 Months

8. 2. Increased ownership of livestock
 Cows (+)
 Goats (+)
 Pigs (+)
 Chickens (+)
3. Increased ownership of productive assets
 Mobile phone (+)
 Radios (+)
 Registered land (+)
 Hoes (universal)
 Bicycle (no change)

9. 4. Increased ownership of consumption assets
10
13
10
24
0
5
10
15
20
25
Control Beneficiary
Baseline
12 Months
Value of assets in USD

10. 5. Increased savings
6. Increased investment in children’s
education at secondary school level
7. Increased consumption of meat & vegetables
8. Use of preventative
health measures &
hygiene practices
9. Improved social
cohesion
All participants get access
to health insurance

11. “Before joining the programme I was despised
and looked down on. I was not confident
enough to engage with other community
members. I always felt embarrassed because
I lacked almost everything. Now there is
respect for me and my family because of the
change they have seen in our lives.”
(Widow, programme beneficiary)

12. The Next Phase
 Introduction of other components of the
programme
 Asset transfer for investment in enterprise
development
 Continued training & coaching in
selected enterprises
 Do we expect the programme to
generate self-reliant livelihoods?

13. Thank you!
And thanks to the programme participants, Local
Authorities in target areas, implementing/ research
partners, and sponsors of this research.