MESFIN WOLDEMICHAEL, Bamlak Alamirew

The impact of Productive Safety Net Programs (PSNPs) on food security, poverty, and livelihoods has been examined in several studies. While some studies found positive impacts on food security and agricultural productivity, there are still gaps in understanding the long-term effects of these programs on poverty reduction and food security. This study aims to investigate the impact of PSNP on the livelihood of beneficiaries based on indicators including access to basic services, income, expenditure on food, adaptive capacity, and dietary diversity. The methodology used in this study was based on access to basic service, income, food expenditure, assets, adaptive capacity, and household dietary diversity. The analysis was conducted through regression adjustment and inverse probability weighing by propensity score matching. The results indicate no statistically significant impact of PSNP on access to basic services and income based on all three algorithms. However, there is a statistically significant negative impact of PSNP on food expenditure and assets based on all three algorithms. The null or mixed findings in this study may reflect the challenges of designing effective social protection programs that address the complex and multidimensional nature of poverty. The study suggests several interventions for policy-makers, such as reassessing the design and implementation of PSNP to effectively address poverty, considering context-specific factors, and implementing complementary programs to improve food security. Identifying effective approaches to social protection that can improve the income and well-being of vulnerable populations through further research and evaluation of existing programs is also recommended. Using more nuanced measures of impact and a longer timeframe may be necessary to fully assess the effectiveness of PSNP in Ethiopia.