Efficiency and Progressivity Evaluation of the Colombian School Feeding Program - PAE = Evaluación de la Eficiencia y Progresividad del Programa de Alimentación Escolar de Colombia - PAE

Colombia expanded its school feeding program (PAE) in 2013, aiming to offer free meals for all the students enrolled at public schools in the country. Along with the expansion, the government modified the primary goals of the program and transferred provision duties to local governments. At the same time, frequent media cover episodes emerged, denouncing corruption and mismanagement in the program. This document examines how the rapid expansion and transformations of the program ultimately affected the overall efficiency and progressivity understood as effective targeting. I construct a panel data from 2014 to 2018 of 95 local governments using administrative data. I also support the quantitative findings by reviewing international best practices, the program legislation, previous audits, and evaluations. This study finds that while expending increased 51.6% in real terms, absolute PAE coverage grew only 32.5%. The coverage rate is inelastic to the funds invested. In addition, the targeting criteria of the program fail to fully explain participation as local conditions become more relevant. Despite improvements in equitable distribution in recent years, middle-income municipalities still receive a larger proportion of SPF grants than entities with less local resources and a more vulnerable population. The Colombian government should redesign the PAE to respond to the needs of the education system and to increase the resources dedicated to serving the most vulnerable students. Resumen: Colombia expandió su programa de alimentación escolar (PAE) en 2013 con el objetivo de ofrecer alimentación gratis para todos los estudiantes matriculados en las escuelas públicas del país. Junto con la expansión, el gobierno modificó las principales metas del programa y transmitió obligaciones de provisión del servicio a los gobiernos locales. Al mismo tiempo, emergieron frecuentes episodios en los medios de comunicación denunciando corrupción y malos manejos en el programa. Este documento examina en qué medida la rápida ...