Social protection

Project design and implementation

There are significant implementation issues which must be taken into account during the design and management of social protection projects to ensure that they are effective at reaching the poor.  The resources below consider some of the major challenges that all social protection projects face.

Page contents

• Where is a good place to start?
• Financing and affordability
• Targeting
• Gender
• Preventing exclusion

Where is a good place to start?

DFID, 2005, ‘Social Transfers and Chronic Poverty: Emerging Evidence and the Challenge Ahead’, Practice Paper, UK Department for International Development (DFID), London
Can social transfers play a role in tackling extreme poverty? This paper from the UK Department for International Development uses evidence from existing schemes across the world to suggest that social transfers could have a direct impact on poverty and enhance pro poor growth. When integrated within a wider national social protection system, social transfers could be an effective alternative to traditional humanitarian assistance.
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Financing and affordability

Social protection mechanisms can be financed by international donors, national governments, individuals, communities, the private sector or NGOs.  Current research is questioning the previously held belief that many developing countries cannot afford social security programmes and that the money spent on social transfers to the poor could be better spent promoting growth. 

The resources in this guide primarily deal with donor and government funded projects.  How affordable projects are on a long-term basis is a major concern to national governments, especially in resource-constrained environments with low taxation potential.  Donor funding to social protection projects should be reliable and long-term to encourage national government support. 

Barrientos, A., 2004, ‘Financing Social Protection’, Draft Theme Paper 2, report prepared for DFID, Institute of Development Policy Management (IDPM), Manchester
What is the role of international donors in financing social protection? This paper, prepared for the Department for International Development, examines the opportunities, constraints and options available to a bilateral donor in the financing of social protection. It also considers financing of social protection by governments. Donors can play a major role in financing social protection, through, for example, budget support and providing start-up funds for social protection programmes.
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Targeting

A major concern in the implementation of social protection schemes is how to ensure that they are well targeted i.e. that transfers reach the poorest households, without experiencing significant leakage into the hands of less vulnerable individuals.  For example, transfers can be targeted on the basis of geography, gender, age, disability, household size or other likely indicator of poverty.  There is a trade-off to consider in the programme design as leakage to the non-poor is costly, but so is the administrative burden created by narrowly targeting programmes. 

Van de Walle, D., 1998, ‘Targeting Revisited’, The World Bank Research Observer, vol 13, no 2
It is often claimed that narrow targeting of the poor will allow governments to reduce poverty more effectively and at a lower cost than broadly targeted social sector spending programmes aimed at alleviating poverty. What are the hidden costs and benefits of broad and narrow targeting to the poor? Compiled for The World Bank Research Observer, this paper reviews the issues surrounding targeted programs in the light of new research and also points to continuing deficiencies in our knowledge.
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Community-based targeting initiatives aim to involve the local community in identifying the poorest households on the assumption that local information and knowledge will improve targeting.  However, the success of community based targeting can be undermined as communities are not necessarily pro-poor, can be open to elite capture and can use the opportunity to replicate existing patterns of social exclusion. 

Conning, J and Kevane, M., 2000, ‘Community Based Targeting Mechanisms for Social Safety Nets’, World Bank, Washington
Does community involvement in social safety net programmes improve targeting to the poor? This paper from the World Bank reviews the effects of community involvement in selecting beneficiaries and delivering benefits for social safety nets. It suggests that community participation in social safety nets should be combined with national rules and targeting guidelines to ensure that resources are allocated to the poor and vulnerable.
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Chininga, B., 2005, ‘Targeting Safety Net Interventions in Developing Countries: Some Insights from a Qualitative Simulation Study from Malawi’, The European Journal of Development Research, vol 17, no 4, pp.706-734
What are the possible consequences of implementing targeted safety nets in Malawi? Is community-based targeting a feasible option? This paper published by the European Journal of Development Research presents the results of a study that simulated the implementation of targeted safety nets in Malawi. It finds that there is resistance to the concept of targeting in rural Malawi, but if required, communities can implement targeted safety nets.
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Gender

Gender roles and social norms play a key role in establishing an individual’s vulnerability, exposure to shocks and his/her access to social protection mechanisms.  It is therefore important to take gender into account in the design of social protection programmes.

Luttrell, C. and Moser, C., 2004, ‘Gender and Social Protection’, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London
How is gender relevant to social protection programmes? This paper by the Overseas Development Institute discusses the role of gender issues in social protection policies, programmes and strategies. Vulnerabilities to risk vary significantly by gender, and shocks affect men and women differently. These differences need to be taken into account when developing social protection policies and programmes.
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Ezemenari, K., Chaudhury, N. and Owens, J., 2002, ‘Gender and Risk in the Design of Social Protection Interventions’, Social Protection Discussion Paper Series 0231, World Bank, Washington
What are the gender dimensions of risk and its effects on individuals, households and vulnerable groups? How can gender considerations be incorporated in the design of social protection programmes? This paper from the World Bank documents the gender disaggregated impact of shocks, based on available empirical evidence, and reviews the gender issues specific to safety nets, pensions and unemployment programmes. It concludes that undue focus on the household or family when designing social protection programmes compromises their efficiency, equity and effectiveness.
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Preventing exclusion

Social protection can be provided formally by the state or the private sector, or it can be provided informally by local community groups or friendship / kin networks.  If an individual or household is suffering from social exclusion, they are also likely to be excluded from access to social protection mechanisms, particularly if these are informal.  Without careful monitoring, exclusion from state social protection mechanisms can be exacerbated by donor measures to encourage local participation, such as community based targeting or involvement of local organisations in project design.

Weinberger, K., and Jütting, P., 2005, ‘The Role of Local Organisations in Risk Management: Some Evidence from Chad’, paper presented at the International Conference on ‘Shared Growth in Africa’, 21st-22nd July, Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana
Why do rural households join local organisations? Can local organisations help rural households manage risks? This paper published by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, Ghana analyses the role of local organisations in Southern Chad in helping poor people deal with risk. Local organisations play an important role in risk management, but the middle classes tend to benefit the most from participation.
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Hogset, H., 2005, ‘Social Exclusion and Insurance Failure for the Poorest: On Informal Finance through Social Networks in Kenya’s Smallholder Sector’, Cornell University, New York
Social networks may be the most important source of informal finance for African smallholder farmers, who have limited access to formal financial markets. This paper published by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, Ghana examines informal finance through social networks in Kenya’s smallholder sector, exploring the patterns of economic transfers, the characteristics of the participants and the relationships between them. Participation in transfer networks (or networks in which people engage in borrowing and lending) depends on one’s resources. Consequently, the poorest are less active in these networks.
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