Social protection
Donor approaches to social protection
Donors have increasingly become interested in funding social protection programmes in recent years and have moved away from narrow approaches to social protection that just focus on safety nets after economic shocks. The major donors in this area are the World Bank and the ILO. Below are links to resources that explain more about the different approaches taken by key players in this field.
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Conway, T., de Haan, A. and Norton, A., 2000, ‘Social Protection: New Directions of Donor Agencies’, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London
Social protection is receiving renewed attention from development agencies. This report from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) was commissioned by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The aim was to promote dialogue between international agencies as a basis for coordination and consistency in global donor policy on social protection issues. The report presents edited versions of papers from ODI, the World Bank (WB), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as a summary of discussions at a related workshop. It argues that collaboration between agencies is essential for effective social protection.
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World Bank
The World Bank has developed an analytical tool called ‘Social Risk Management’ (SRM) in order to understand risks and potential responses. It is a useful approach in that it links social protection to broader poverty reduction aims and shifts the focus from risk coping to risk reduction and assessing vulnerability. There are three main areas of SRM: risk management strategies, risk management arrangements and actors in risk management. However, the approach has been criticised for not considering the social and political risks faced by the poor and for not recognising that the chronically poor are continuously subjected to stresses that gradually erode their assets. For more information see:
World Bank, 2003, ‘Social Risk Management: The World Bank’s Approach to Social Protection in a Globalising World’, Social Protection Department, World Bank, Washington
The World Bank’s rethinking of traditional Social Protection approaches has inspired a new conceptual framework named Social Risk Management (SRM). The focus of SRM is to replace unproductive coping strategies with advance planning and mechanisms to help households anticipate and insure against shocks. This requires redesigning traditional public interventions and substantial future work at the conceptual, empirical and policy level.
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ILO
The International Labour Organisation’s work on social protection covers both issues of social security and labour protection. They emphasise that social security is a basic human right. The ILO organises their agenda under the concept of ‘Decent Work’ which covers rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue. For more information see:
Bonilla Garcia, A. and Gruat, J., 2003, ‘Social Protection: A Life Cycle Continuum Investment for Social Justice, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development’, International Labour Organisation, Geneva
Globalisation and trends like changing employment patterns are leading to greater risk, insecurity and vulnerability. To address these changes, the scope of social protection needs to be expanded. This paper by the International Labour Organisation (ILO’s) presents a broader concept of social protection within the framework of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.
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DFID
A number of DFID publications can be found throughout this topic guide. DFID has produced a number of short briefing papers outlining their position on and work relating to social protection. These papers are listed below and, in general, they focus on social assistance, particularly social transfers.
DFID, 2006, ‘Social Protection in Poor Countries’, Social Protection Briefing Note Series no.1, UK Department for International Development, UK
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DFID, 2005, ‘Can Low-Income Countries in Africa Afford Social Transfers’, Social Protection Briefing Note Series no. 2, UK Department for International Development, UK
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DFID, 2006, ‘Using Social Transfers to Improve Human Development’, Social Protection Briefing Note Series no. 3, UK Department for International Development, UK
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DFID, 2006, ‘Social Protection and Economic Growth in Poor Countries’, Social Protection Briefing Note Series no. 4, UK Department for International Development, UK
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Asian Development Bank
New additions
Document library
Alternative Approaches to Employment-Based Social Protection
Towards a 'Generative' Model of Social Protection: Making the Links to Development Policy
The Case for Direct Cash Transfers to the Poor
