This article discusses whether activation policies have had a positive/neffect on benefi ciaries of minimum income protection in Catalonia/n(Spain). The article fi rst confi rms that social assistance benefi ciaries/nwith higher employability levels have greater chances of fi nding a job./nSecond, the article identifi es different profi les of benefi ciaries and examines/nthe characteristics of those who did not fi nd jobs in a favourable/neconomic context. The results suggest that it is personal problems/nthat act as barriers. Third, the article also examines to what extent/npublic management is responsible for the results. For this purpose, it/ncompares the performance of administrative units, controlling for the/ncharacteristics of their clients. Finally, the article discusses whether/nmaking social assistance dependent on activation is a good strategy for/nthe majority of benefi ciaries with particularly diffi cult profi les, and what/nadministrations can do.