Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP)

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Programme objectives

To reduce short-term poverty and develop long-term human capital.

References
Thorne, K., J.E. Taylor, J. Kagin, B. Davis, R. Darko Osei, and I. Osei. 2014. Local Economy-wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) of Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3814e.pdf>.
Country
Geographic area
Sub-Saharan Africa
Previous programme name (if any)
 
Start date
2008
References
Thorne, K., J.E. Taylor, J. Kagin, B. Davis, R. Darko Osei, and I. Osei. 2014. Local Economy-wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) of Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3814e.pdf>.
Programme type
Programme components
Conditionalities (if any)
The LEAP transfer is unconditional for people over 65 years old and people with disabilities. Conversely, households with orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) must adhere to conditionalities such as: school enrolment and attendance for children; birth registration of newborn babies and post-natal checks; vaccination of children under 5 years; and household commitment to avoid children undertaking labour activities.
References
Food and Agriculture Organization. 2013. Qualitative research and analyses of the economic impacts of cash transfer programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana Country Case Study Report. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/p2p/Publications/ Ghana_qualitative.pdf>.
Contribution type and amount
 
Targeting methods
Proxy Means Test
Categorical Targeting
Geographical Targeting
References
Food and Agriculture Organization. 2013. Qualitative research and analyses of the economic impacts of cash transfer programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana Country Case Study Report. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/p2p/Publications/ Ghana_qualitative.pdf>.
Targeted areas
About 165 districts
References
Food and Agriculture Organization. 2013. Qualitative research and analyses of the economic impacts of cash transfer programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana Country Case Study Report. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/p2p/Publications/ Ghana_qualitative.pdf>.
Target groups
Elderly people (over 65 years old), people with disabilities, OVC and pregnant women/children less than 1 year old.
References
Food and Agriculture Organization. 2013. Qualitative research and analyses of the economic impacts of cash transfer programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana Country Case Study Report. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/p2p/Publications/ Ghana_qualitative.pdf>.
Eligibility criteria
Households are eligible for LEAP if they are considered poor and have a household member who is: a single parent with an OVC; an elderly person (over 65 years old); a person with a disability and who is unable to work; a pregnant woman; or a child below 1 year of age.
References
Thorne, K., J.E. Taylor, J. Kagin, B. Davis, R. Darko Osei, and I. Osei. 2014. Local Economy-wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) of Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3814e.pdf>.
Eligibility reassessment (if any)
 
Type of benefits
Cash and health insurance.
Amount of benefits
The LEAP transfer ranges from a minimum of GHS32 per beneficiary per month to a maximum of GHS53 for four or more dependents per month.
Payment/delivery frequency
Bi-monthly
References
Food and Agriculture Organization. 2013. Qualitative research and analyses of the economic impacts of cash transfer programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana Country Case Study Report. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/p2p/Publications/ Ghana_qualitative.pdf>.
Benefit delivery mechanism
National postal service agency (Ghana Post)
Benefit recipients
Household caregiver
Minimum and maximum duration of benefits (if any)
 
Coverage
145,000 households (in December 2015)
Programme expenditure
GHS80 million (2015)
Institutions and agencies involved
Government of Ghana; UNICEF; World Bank; UK Department for International Development (DFID)
References
Thorne, K., J.E. Taylor, J. Kagin, B. Davis, R. Darko Osei, and I. Osei. 2014. Local Economy-wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) of Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. Rome: FAO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3814e.pdf>.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
Programme monitoring is conducted quarterly