Targeting Maps: An Asset-Based Approach to Geographic Targeting

33 Pages Posted: 18 May 2011 Last revised: 24 May 2011

See all articles by Corey Lang

Corey Lang

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Christopher B. Barrett

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management

Felix Naschold

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

Date Written: June 1, 2010

Abstract

Proper targeting of policy interventions requires reasonable estimates of the benefits of the alternative options. To inform such decisions, we develop an integrated approach that estimates the marginal returns to a range of assets across geographically defined sub-populations allowing returns to vary by household and location. We then create a series of maps illustrating the spatial distribution of estimated marginal benefits from increased holdings of a specific asset. These maps can then be overlaid with traditional poverty maps to identify areas that are strong candidates for a particular development intervention. In this paper, we develop a general method and demonstrate its potential with an application using Ugandan data. Although prospective endogeneity bias in estimated marginal returns is unavoidable, targeting maps deliver useful information that is consistent with recent empirical findings and fill an important void in current policy analysis tool kits.

Keywords: geographic targeting, assets, poverty maps, spatial variation, Uganda

JEL Classification: R12, O2, C15, I32

Suggested Citation

Lang, Corey and Barrett, Christopher B. and Naschold, Felix, Targeting Maps: An Asset-Based Approach to Geographic Targeting (June 1, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1844701 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1844701

Corey Lang

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Christopher B. Barrett (Contact Author)

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management ( email )

315 Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-7801
United States
607-255-4489 (Phone)
607-255-9984 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://aem.cornell.edu/faculty_sites/cbb2/

Felix Naschold

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management ( email )

Ithaca, NY
United States
607 254 1593 (Phone)