Productivity and cash-for-work in Niger: GOAL's experience

In response to the developing food security crisis, GOAL began an emergency cash-for-work project in early June 2010 as part of a broader emergency intervention. Specific objectives included the clearance of culverts and drains before the onset of heavy rains. The overall goal of the project was to provide cash-for-work activities with public health benefits to vulnerable people in Zinder. A natural experiment arose which allowed the comparison of work on a daily paid basis with work on a piecework basis. Cash-for-work proved to be a convenient and efficient way of implementing quick-impact projects and providing paid employment in Zinder, where markets function effectively and can respond to increased demand. Applying a piecework approach and making team payments proved to be more efficient than paying individuals a daily wage, in terms of both completing the work and income transfer.