what do we learn from multifaceted and single-sector interventions in the era of the sustainable development goals

This PhD thesis investigates poverty dynamics and the impact of multipronged and single sector development interventions in Northern Ghana and Benin through three empirical chapters.
The first substantive chapter analyses poverty trends in Northern Ghana villages without major international development programmes. Using household panel data from 2012 and 2016, applying both expenditure and asset-based metrics, the results show that poverty rates increased over time. The study also finds that about a quarter to a third of households remained chronically poor. The second chapter evaluates the impact of the Millennium Village Project as a multifaceted intervention in Northern Ghana. The findings indicate improvements in housing quality, landownership, livestock, and asset accumulation, though no significant change was observed in adult equivalent per capita expenditure. The third chapter examines the impact of the PAPVIRE-ABC as an agricultural resilience programme in Benin, using a randomized control trial where a standard extension service model was compared with an improved and intensive model. The results show that intensive support and free input provision led to a 24% increase in maize yields during the first agricultural season. However, this did not result in sustained adoption of improved seeds, as farmers reverted to traditional practices in subsequent seasons when the intervention elapsed.
Overall, the research demonstrates that while multifaceted and single sector development interventions can improve specific welfare indicators, challenges remain regarding the sustainability of positive changes they induce and the persistence of poverty despite the commitments and investments.