Public works programmes (PWPs) are popular social protection instruments in the context of chronic
poverty but very little has been published in the way of implementation and outcomes of these
programmes. This paper presents a formative process and outcome evaluation of the recovery PWP in
Blantyre City, Malawi. The evaluation used longitudinal household survey data of PWP beneficiaries,
programme records and interview responses from programme staff and community leaders. Largely, the
process evaluation findings showed an agreement between actual and planned activities. The outcome
evaluation found indications that the PWP community assets offered some potential benefits to the
communities, and that PWP wages allowed the beneficiaries to purchase some food. This however, did
not translate into more meals per day, nor did the earnings prevent the decline in household assets as
expected. Given a plausible PWP theory and high implementation fidelity, the PWP wage rate or number
of days was either just enough to smooth participant income, or insufficient altogether, to enable
achievement of more distal outcomes.