United Nations              
Non-contributory Social Protection Programmes Database
Latin America and the Caribbean
Familias en Acción (Families in Action) (2001-)

 

 

Date: 2001-
Web: Official website of the programme
Description: Conditional transfer programme (CCT), which since 2006 is part of a joint system of various components of the public offer called "Red Unidos" (formerly "Red Juntos"). In 2007 the programme was expanded to all urban centers of the country,where conditions of access to health services and education of vulnerable populations are different from other municipalities, which is why the amounts of the subsidies changed. In addition, since 2007, the programme targeted indigenous communities in Colombia to be beneficiaries of these subsidies. As a complementary strategy , in 2008 the process of banking for families to be linked to the financial system began. In 2011, the programme redesigned the targeting criteria, transfers amounts by geographic zones and educational level, and the exit rules. The law 1,532 (2012) states that amounts and transfers assignation criterias will be reviewed anually, and will not be lower than the CPI of low incomes. Also creates the Monetary Subsidies Information System. The programme takes into account families displaced by violence.
   

Characteristics

Target population: Households in poverty and vulnerability situation (SISBEN level I), in condition of displacement or indigenous with children under 18 years old.
Geographic scale: National
Targeting method: 1) Geographic (applies only in cases when, because funding restrictions, all families at SISBEN- Level 1 are not covered)
2) Exclusion of areas with insufficient supply (banks, financial institutions and health and education infrastructure to meet new demand
3) Categorical: Displaced households, indigenous families, poor families
4) Proxy means test: Families at SISBEN Level 1.
Instrument of selection: 1) System for the Identification of Potential Social Programme Beneficiaries (SISBEN).
2) Unique Registry of Victims (RUV)
3) Census for indigenous population
Registry of recipients: Information System of Families in Action (SIFA)
Exit strategies or criteria: Loss of eligibility. Recertification every 4 years.
Comments: The beneficiaries that want to enter the program Social Income would receive COP $3,600,000, but must fulfill the corresponsabilities of Familias en Acción.
The Más Familias en Acción program operates as a gateway to the Red Unidos, which is a comprehensive and coordinated intervention strategy that provides family and community support to the families targeted by its intervention and facilitates the access of its beneficiaries to the offer of social services by the State.
   

Institutionality

Legal framework: Law 1,532 (2012)
Responsible organization(s): Presidency of the Republic. The National Department of Planning (DNP) is in charge of defining the System for the Identification of Potential Social Programme Beneficiaries (SISBEN) and guiding the municipalities for their implementation.
Executing organization(s): Department of Social Prosperity (DPS)
Responsible organization(s) for the registry of recipients: Department of Social Prosperity (DPS)
Source of funding: Government of Colombia, World Bank (WB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
   

1) Bono de nutrición (Nutrition subsidy)

Recipient(s): Children below 6 years old
Mode of transfer: Transfer according to recipients or households characteristics. The programme considers multiple poverty index level of the city or town of residence and age of children.
Mode of delivery: Savings account deposit (90% of families approx.), cash withdrawal and days of massive delivery of cash.
Periodicity of delivery: Bimonthly
Recipient of the transfer: Mother
Maximum per household: One transfer per family independent of the number of children in the household
Conditionalities: Health: all children in the household must have 100% attendance to growth and development controls planned by the health center to which they are affiliated.
Training and information: Mothers and members of beneficiary households, are committed to attend the meeting and training spaces and care conferences scheduled by the municipality.
Sanctions: In case of three continuous breaches or four during a year, the benefit will be suspended.
Comments: Depending on the region, the amount of the benefit and the age of elegibility varies. In most of the municipalities of the country, the benefit is given to children under 7 years old; in 16 big cities, the delivery is made to children up to 11 years old.
Amount : Between COP $63.525 and COP $74.100 /month per child in 2015. See selected figures

 

2) Bono de educación (Education subsidy)

Recipient(s): Children between 4 and 18 years old.
Mode of transfer: Transfer according to recipient's or household's characteristics. The programme considers the size of the city of residence and age of children.
Mode of delivery: Savings account deposit (90% of families approx.), cash withdrawal and days of massive delivery of cash.
Periodicity of delivery: Bimonthly (during 10 months,while the children attend the educational institutions).
Recipient of the transfer: Mother
Maximum per household: Maximum 3 children per family. The level of kinder is not considered for the ceiling payment and is delivered according to availability of supply.
Conditionalities: Education: Regular school attendance of the children (at least 80%). Children can not fail more than two school years.
Training and information: Mothers and members of beneficiary households, are committed to attend the meeting and training spaces and care conferences scheduled by the municipality.
Sanctions: In case of three continuous breaches or four during a year, the benefit will be suspended.
Comments: Depending on the region, the amount of the benefit and the age of elegibility varies. In most of the municipalities of the country, the benefit is given to children under 7 years old; in 16 big cities, the delivery is made to children up to 11 years old. In cases of school lag, 10th grade students can be between 18 and 19 years of age, and 11th grade students can be up to 20 years of age.
Amount : Minimum amount of COP $10.600 and maximum of COP $58.225 monthly in 2015. See data Excel format.

 

Do Conditional Cash Transfers Reinforce the Traditional Gendered Division of Labor?

Author: Marcillo E., Mullally C., Reimão M.E. and Useche P.
Date: 2021
Publication info: Working paper of the Social Science Research Network
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

"Cash and Ballots: Conditional Transfers, Political Participation and Voting Behavior"

Author: Conver, E., Zárate, R., Camacho, A. and Baez, J.
Date: 2018
Publication info: Economic Development and Cultural Change
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Long-Term Impacts of Conditional Cash Transfers: Review of the Evidence

Author: Millán, T. M., Barham, T., Macours, K., Maluccio, J. A., & Stampini, M.
Date: 2019
Publication info: The World Bank Research Observer, 34(1), 119–159
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation

 

Impacto de los subsidios estatales sobre el mercado laboral en Colombia

Author: Farné, S., Rodríguez, D. and Ríos, P.
Date: 2016
Publication info: Workbook, N° 17, Bogotá, Universidad Externado of Colombia
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Programa Familias en Acción: impactos en capital humano y evaluación beneficio-costo del programa

Author: DNP (Departament of National Planning)
Date: 2008
Publication info: Public policy evaluation, N° 6, Bogotá, january.
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Intrahousehold time allocation: an impact evaluation of conditional cash transfer programs

Author: Canavire-Bacarreza, G. and Ospina, M
Date: 2015
Publication info: Workbook: Economy and finance, N° 15-17, Medellín, Center of Economic and financial research (CIEF), august
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Antipoverty transfers and labour market outcomes: regression discontinuity design findings

Author: Barrientos, A. and Villa, J.
Date: 2015
Publication info: The Journal of Development Studies, vol. 51, N° 9, Abingdon, Taylor and Francis
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Children’s schooling and work in the presence of a conditional cash transfer program in rural Colombia

Author: Attanasio, O., Fitzsimons, E., Gomez, A., Gutierrez, M., Meghir, C. and Mesnard, A.
Date: 2010
Publication info: Economic Development and Cultural Change, vol. 58, N° 2, Chicago, University of Chicago, january
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information and impact evaluation

 

Conditional Cash Transfers: Do They Result in More Patient Choices and Increased Educational Aspirations?

Author: Contreras-Suarez, D. and Cameron, L.
Date: 2018
Publication info: Economic Development and Cultural Change
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation

 

Las transferencias condicionadas en Colombia: una historia del programa Familias en Acción (2001-2018)

Author: Urrutia M. and C. Robles Báez
Date: 2018
Publication info: Serie Documentos Cede, 2018-54 ISSN 1657-7191 Edición electrónica. Noviembre 2018
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information

 

Wealthier, Happier and More Self-Sufficient: When Anti-Poverty Programs Improve Economic and Subjective Wellbeing at a Reduced Cost to Taxpayers

Author: Galama, T., Morgan, R. and Saavedra, J.
Date: 2017
Publication info: NBER Working Paper No. 24090
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Integrating Early-Life Shocks and Human-Capital Investments on Children's Education

Author: Duque, V., Rosales-Rueda, M. and Sanchez, F.
Date: 2016
Publication info: Working paper N° 2016/06, CAF
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

What are the economic impacts of conditional cash transfer programmes? A systematic review of the evidence

Author: Kabeer, N., Piza, C. and Taylor, L.
Date: 2012
Publication info: Technical Report 2013, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPICentre)
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact Evaluation

 

Should cash transfers be conditional? Conditionality, preventive care, and health outcomes

Author: Attanasio, O., Oppedisano, V., and Vera-Hernandez, M.
Date: 2015
Publication info: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Vol. 7(2), pp. 35-52.
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation

 

Social Assistance and Informality: Examining the link in Colombia

Author: Ospina, M., and Saavedra, F.
Date: 2013
Publication info: Working papers No 13-24 of the Faculty of Economics and Finance. University EAFIT
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation

 

The Indirect Effects of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: An Empirical Analysis of Familias En Accion

Author: Ospina, M.
Date: 2010
Publication info: Dissertation, Georgia State University
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation

 

¿Cómo funciona Más Familias en Acción? Mejores prácticas en la implementación de Programas de Transferencias Monetarias Condicionadas en América Latina y el Caribe

Author: Medellín, N., and Sanchez, F.
Date: 2015
Publication info: Technical note of the division of Social Protection and Health of the IDB No. IDB-TN-884
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information

 

Cuatro lecciones aprendidas con la implementación del programa de transferencias monetarias condicionadas de Colombia

Author: Angulo, R.
Date: 2016
Publication info: Technical note of the division of Social Protection and Health of the IDB No. IDB-TN-958
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information

 

Violencia intrafamiliar y transferencias monetarias condicionadas. El impacto de Familias en Acción en Colombia

Author: Rodríguez, Catherine
Date: 2015
Publication info: Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. División de Capacidad Institucional del Estado. Documento de trabajo del BID NºIDB-WP-621 [en línea]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation on domestic violence

 

Evaluación del Programa Familias en Acción en grandes centros urbanos

Author: Nuñez, J.
Date: 2011
Publication info: Centro Nacional de Consultoría
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation on education and labour participation

 

Programa Familias en Acción. Impactos en capital humano y evaluación costo-beneficio del programa

Author: DNP (Departamento Nacional de Planeación)
Date: 2008
Publication info: Serie evaluación de políticas públicas n. 6
Link:
Topic:

 

Programa Familias en Acción: Impacto del programa a un año y medio de su ejecución

Author: DNP (Departamento Nacional de Planeación)
Date: 2006
Publication info: Serie evaluación de políticas públicas n. 4
Link:
Topic:

 

Assessing the Long-Term Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers on Human Capital: Evidence from Colombia

Author: Báez, J., and Camacho, A.
Date: 2011
Publication info: Policy Research Working Paper n. 5681
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation on education and child health

 

Old and new welfare: the relative effect on child nutrition

Author: Attanasio, O., Trias, J., and Vera-Hernandez, M.
Date: 2009
Publication info: Working Paper n. 8 of the Initiative of Latin America and the Caribbean without Hunger
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation on child nutrition

 

Child education and work choices in the presence of a conditional cash transfer programme in rural Colombia

Author: Attanasio, O., Fitzsimons, E., Gomez, A.,Lopez, D., Meghir, C. and Mesnard, A.
Date: 2006
Publication info: IFS Working Paper W06/01
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation on education and child labour

 

Evaluación del Impacto del programa Familias en Acción - Subsidios Condicionados de la Red de Apoyo Social. Primer informe integrado

Author: Attanasio, O., and Gómez, L.C.
Date: 2004
Publication info: IFS, Econometría and SEI
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation on education, labour supply, earnings, consumption, health, and child nutrition

 

Inclusión social e inclusión productiva de los beneficiarios del programa Más Familias en Acción. Estudio de caso de Colombia.

Author: Angulo, R. and Gómez, N.
Date: 2014
Publication info: ECLAC and EuroSocial
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information. Labour inclusion

 

Food and Cash Transfer: evidence from Colombia

Author: Attanasio, O., Battistin, E. and Mesnard, A.
Date: 2009
Publication info: IFS Working Paper W09/15 [on line]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: impact on food consumption

 

Evaluación del impacto del programa Familias en Acción - Subsidio Condicionado de la Red de Apoyo Social

Author: Institute for Fiscal Studies y Econometría S.A
Date: 2011
Publication info: Informe final [on line]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information/ impact evaluation

 

El Camino Recorrido - Diez Años de Familias en Acción

Author: Combariza Cruz, Rita; Garzón Marta, Nohora and Corral Strassman, Luis
Date: 2010
Publication info: Bogota, Colombia; July 2010; Acción Social Departamento Nacional de Planeación
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Development of the programme during the first ten years of execution

 

How effective are conditional cash transfers? Evidence from Colombia

Author: Attanasio, Orazio et. al.
Date: 2005
Publication info: Briefing Notes (54), Londres. The Institute for Fiscal Studies [online]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Impact evaluation

 

Informe a la banca multilateral. Último trimestral relativo a la ejecución del programa

Author: Acción Social
Date: 2006
Publication info: Bogota, Fondo de Inversión para la Paz/Red de Apoyo Social [online]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Annual report

 

Colombia: Programa Familias en Acción en E. Cohen y R. Franco (coords.) Transferencias con corresponsabilidad. Una mirada latinoamericana

Author: Nuñez, Jairo and Laura Cuesta
Date: 2006
Publication info: México, FLACSO/SEDESOL [online]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: General information

 

Avances y retos de la Política Social en Colombia

Author: Rentería, Carolina
Date: 2008
Publication info: Bogota, Departamento Nacional de Planeación (DNP), february [online]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Social policies in Colombia

 

Familias en Acción. Informe de estado de avance. Segundo semestre 2008

Author: Acción Social
Date: 2009
Publication info: Bogota, Presidencia de la República [online]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Annual report

 

Avances y retos de la Política Social en Colombia

Author: Rentería, Carolina
Date: 2009
Publication info: Bogota, Departamento Nacional de Planeación (DNP), february [online]
Link: See Webpage
Topic: Social Policies in Colombia

 

 

 

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