Mongolia's Child Money Program

Mongolia's Child Money Program is a case study prepared by Lucas Beard for the Leadership Academy for Development as a basis for class discussion. This case is focused on the Child Money Program (CMP) that existed in Mongolia from January 2005 to 2010, when the program was abolished. The CMP began as a conditional cash transfer program that allocated cash benefits to families with children who lived below the country’s poverty line. In mid-2006, at the time the case takes place, the Mongolian Parliament was considering a proposal to significantly alter the Child Money Program by expanding both the number of beneficiaries and the amount of cash benefits. This proposal would open the transfer program to families with children regardless of income level. The decision maker, Sanjaasuren Oyun, the vice-speaker of the Mongolian Parliament, must decide whether the benefits of expanding the CMP outweigh the risks of stressing government resources while moving away from the CMP’s original goal of reducing poverty. 

Case studies are integral teaching tools for the Leadership Academy for Development workshops conducted around the world.