IFPRI Evaluation of Mexico's PROGRESA: Norm, Mistake, or Exemplar?
Conditional cash transfer, Randomised-control trials, Meta-evaluation
Early in the implementation of the flagship anti-poverty program PROGRESA, Mexican officials hired evaluators from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). This article uses a science studies approach to examine the resulting evaluation's methodology, and uncovers a number of significant omissions and ambiguities.