This helpdesk report aims to outline the scope, impact and challenges associated with public works programmes (PWPs) in development and humanitarian contexts. PWPs have been implemented in a broad range of countries to help working aged poor people to cope with economic shocks or chronic poverty (McCord, 2012b). The majority of PWPs are effective in terms of increasing food consumption (Filipski et al., 2016; McCord, 2012b; Zimmermann, 2012). PWPs which run for a longer period are more likely to stimulate asset accumulation which helps the beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods (Gehrke & Hartwig, 2018; Subbarao, Del Ninno, Andrews, & Rodríguez-Alas, 2012).