Abstract:
The Ethiopian productive safety net programme (PSNP) launched in 2005, has been found to be a
well-designed social safety net that has resulted in beneficial changes among the participant
households. The programme has been planned to contribute to the improved household food
security, nutrition and livelihoods and enhanced household and community resilience to shocks.
However, its impacts have not yet studied at district level in general and in Chiro district
specifically. This study was undertaken to analyze the impact of the Productive Safety Net Program
on the food security of rural households in Chiro Woreda, situated in the West Hararghe Zone of
the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The research utilized 190 samples in a multi-stage sampling
method by a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, gathering data through survey
questions, focus group discussions, and interviews with key informants. Descriptive statistics and
an econometric model, specifically propensity score matching, were employed to assess the effects
of the productive safety net program on household food security. A Logit model was used to analyze
the potential covariate variables that may affect household participation in the program. The
findings revealed that the educational status of households had a negative impact on their
participation in the productive safety net program, whereas access to loans had a positive effect on
their involvement in the program. The propensity score matching process successfully paired 50
control households with 35 treated households. This matching was based on outcome variables specifically food consumption score and annual income, among households that exhibited
comparable socio-economic characteristics prior to the intervention. The analysis of the average
treatment effect on the treated (ATT) indicated that non-beneficiary households had a higher mean
food consumption score (37.0833) than those participating in the PSNP (37.1488), although this
difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Additionally, non-PSNP households reported a
significantly greater mean annual income of 28,300 compared to 23,768.44 for PSNP households,
with this difference having a significant impact on daily meal frequency (p<0.05). Overall, the
findings suggest that the program did not lead to a significant change in the food security status of
participant households, as evidenced by the food consumption score and total annual income.
Consequently, it is recommended that development interventions focus on enhancing the benefits
provided to program beneficiaries
