http://www.gsdrc.org Academic and policy-relevant publications on governance and international development. en-uk Copyright © 2010 Governance and Social Development Resource Centre Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:12 GMT Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:12 GMT http://www.gsdrc.org/rss/open george@gsdrc.org george@gsdrc.org http://www.gsdrc.org/images/logos/logo_gsdrc.gif http://www.gsdrc.org 205 90 GSDRC logo Armando Barrientos and David Hulme The rapid rise of social protection can be considered a 'quiet revolution'. How has this happened and what is its future potential? This paper traces the contours of social protection, its diversity and the factors that constrain its expansion. It argues for the energetic continuation of this revolution to improve the prospects of the world's poor people and to strengthen national and international solidarity and security. Researchers and policymakers need to find ways of: (1) scaling up social protection coverage in low-income countries without turning it into an donor development fad which is later cast aside; and (2) extending social protection into fragile states and difficult environments. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3840&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3840&source=rss Social protection Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Armando Barrientos and David Hulme This section of a broader paper examines three important factors in the future of social protection: the role of external actors, the bottlenecks of sustainable finance and delivery capacity, and politics. It argues that the role of national governments in formulating and coordinating policies is important, and emphasises the need for political conditions that are conducive both to the initiation of social protection programmes and their sustainability. Donors should prioritise governments' capacity to fund social protection programmes and focus on creating a domestic political constituency to support social protection. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3839&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3839&source=rss Social protection Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Armando Barrientos and James Scott What effects may social transfers be expected to have on household-level growth in developing countries? This analysis of the available evidence finds very little to support concerns that social transfers have a negative impact on growth. Instead, there is some evidence to indicate that well-designed and well-implemented social transfers can facilitate micro-level growth by increasing the ability of poor households to invest in their productive capacity. Policymakers need to incorporate growth objectives into social transfer programmes to help build packages of interventions that promote sustainable, long-term improvements in well-being. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3838&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3838&source=rss Social protection Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Armando Barrientos and Leonith Hinojosa-Valencia This study reviews social protection trends and policy responses in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the last two decades, the region has seen reforms of social insurance pensions and health insurance and the rapid expansion of social assistance. These changes have re-shaped social protection in most countries in the region. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain. The implementation and delivery of social assistance programmes require long-term partnerships under the direction of secure and well-resourced public sector agencies. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3837&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3837&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Armando Barrientos and Stephanie Ware Barrientos How can social protection mechanisms address the increasing informalisation of work in the global economy? How can the contribution of all potential stakeholders be harnessed to increase support for informal workers? This paper uses a value chain approach and a social responsibility matrix to examine fruit exports from Chile and South Africa to the United Kingdom. It finds that horticultural workers are largely excluded from existing coverage or benefits, which favour those in more stable employment with stronger attachment to an individual employer. Community-based provision, linked to state and market provision, is one avenue through which social protection could be developed. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3836&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3836&source=rss Social protection Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT Armando Barrientos and Rachel Sabates-Wheeler How and to what extent have social cash transfer programmes affected the local economy? This paper reports on a study examining the incidence and significance of local economy effects of social transfers in rural Mexico. The study focused on changes in household consumption and asset holdings among households ineligible to participate in the PROGRESA targeted cash transfer programme. Evidence supports the presence of local economy effects. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3835&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3835&source=rss Social protection Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Mark Davies et al What can be learned from DFID-supported social protection and social transfer programmes? This review of 24 programmes in 16 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe finds that outcomes and impacts vary greatly relative to the unique conditions applied in specific contexts. A set of generalised findings can be identified, but these are not prescriptive policy options, and should be examined further in specific contexts. The effectiveness of social transfers is largely dependent on their level and regularity. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3833&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3833&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT International Labour Organisation (ILO) What are the required capacities and key indicators of a viable health microinsurance scheme (HMIS)? This guide provides a tool to help in overcoming the lack of evaluation data on health microinsurance schemes. In countries with low levels of health insurance coverage, many health microinsurance schemes designed to reach the poor are emerging. There is growing recognition that health microinsurance schemes constitute a complementary and valuable strategy in extending social security. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3832&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3832&source=rss Social protection Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT John Farrington, Rebecca Holmes and Rachel Slater How can social protection reduce shocks and stresses in productive environments as well as for households? What are the connections between social protection and agriculture in terms of concepts, approaches and contexts? This paper argues that in relation to agricultural production, a well-managed social protection programme will seek to reduce both actual shocks and stresses, and agriculturists' and labourers' perceptions of likely shocks and stresses. It can thus minimise the loss of productive assets and encourage farmers' engagement in new, potentially more productive, enterprises. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3831&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3831&source=rss Social protection Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT Sarah Cook and Naila Kabeer This paper draws on regional studies to provide an overview of the current field of social protection. It suggests that social protection needs to move beyond risk management and safety nets to support productive or developmental trajectories out of poverty that can strengthen citizenship rights and claims to security. Innovative, more developmental social protection approaches adapted to particular contexts are emerging around the world. However, greater attention should be paid to the political economy of redistributive policies, the challenge of financing such policies, and their implications for the social contract between state and citizens. The state has a key role in coordinating inclusive social protection provision. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3830&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3830&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Stephen Devereux and Rachel Cipryk How successfully is social protection being delivered in Africa? What challenges remain in the extension of social protection? This study explores how social protection strategies are being implemented by African governments, with support from bilateral and multilateral donors and international and local NGOs. The social protection debate in Africa now needs to move beyond social transfers to focus on social justice, including the mobilisation of civil society to claim entitlements and rights from the state. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3829&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3829&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Rachel Slater and John Farrington How can social transfers best be targeted to address financial poverty? How can decision-makers navigate trade-offs between different targeting choices? This note presents a 'targeting decision tree'. It outlines the minimum data and information requirements for good targeting and the questions requiring answers. Decisions should be based on whether targeting is appropriate, achievable and acceptable. Successful targeting is most likely if programmes have one realistic objective, and if they distinguish clearly between who should be eligible for support and how to identify the eligible. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3828&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3828&source=rss Social protection Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Emla Fitzsimons and Marcos Vera-Hernández How can the impact of labour market programmes in developing countries be credibly evaluated? This note outlines the main issues that need to be considered when planning an impact evaluation. It also covers the techniques used to estimate impacts. Knowledge of evaluation techniques is important even at the programme planning stage; the types of data that need to be collected will influence the optimal design of a programme pilot. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3827&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3827&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Rômulo Paes-Sousa and Leonor Maria Pacheco Santos Does Brazil's Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer programme reduce children's malnutrition and food insecurity? This study assesses the programme's impact on the nutritional status of zero to five year olds. Data on 22,375 children's height/age, weight/age and weight/height shows that the PBF does improve child nutrition. To ensure an increase in beneficiaries' health levels, families need greater access to goods and services which interact with improved nutrition. The provision of more and better basic services and initiatives for inclusion in the labour market would ensure the PBF's effectiveness. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3826&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3826&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT David A. Robalino et al. This study has developed a behavioural model to assess how changes in the rules of pensions and unemployment benefit systems could affect savings rates, the share of time that individuals spend outside of the formal sector, retirement decisions, and system costs. Key parameters are: (1) preferences regarding consumption and leisure; (2) preferences regarding formal versus informal work; (3) attitudes towards risks; (4) the rate of time preference; and (5) the distribution of an outside shock that affects movements in and out of the social insurance system, given individual decisions. Simulations suggest, among other findings, the importance of joint policy analysis of unemployment benefits and pension systems. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3825&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3825&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Sergei Soares What impact do conditional cash transfers (CCTs) have on inequality? This paper investigates the effects of CCTs in Brazil, Mexico and Chile. CCT programmes helped reduce inequality in all three countries between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s. They are a low-cost way of reducing inequality that can be replicated. However, the total amount transferred by these programmes is modest, and their expansion is limited by political, administrative and budget constraints. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3824&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3824&source=rss Social protection Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT James Darcy How can people's lives and livelihoods be protected during and after conflict? This paper examines a range of strategies and both state and non-state roles in social protection. In insecure environments, support to non-formal mechanisms provided by civil society may be most effective, as despite their limited capacity they have greater access than formal providers. Broad-based welfare provision in post-conflict environments might avoid the social and political tensions that targeted assistance could create. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3823&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3823&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT Praveen Jha and Sakti Golder What are the effects of labour market regulation on economic performance? Does enhanced labour market flexibility lead to improved economic outcomes? This paper examines the theoretical and empirical arguments regarding the causal connections between labour market reforms and economic performance, with a focus on India. It finds little evidence that labour market regulation is a major impediment to economic performance. It also argues that India should draw on current European debates on the need to balance flexibility and security, but within an adapted framework. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3822&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3822&source=rss Social protection Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Anna McCord How effective has South Africa been in reducing poverty and promoting employment through public works programmes (PWPs)? This study explores the contribution of PWPs to social protection in South Africa by examining the Gundo Lashu programme in Limpopo and the Zibambele programme in KwaZulu Natal. It argues that, for reasons of both design and scale, PWPs alone cannot adequately address the social protection gap facing the working-age unemployed. PWPs should be targeted to the poorest and linked to other development initiatives, such as microfinance. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3821&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3821&source=rss Social protection Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT Rebecca Holmes and Rachel Slater The Oportunidades programme aims to increase the human capabilities of poor households and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Oportunidades helps five million families to enhance their well-being through cash transfers to mothers and increased access to education, health and nutrition. The programme has increased both access to and equality of access to public services, but improved service quality may be needed. In order for the Oportunidades model to be transferable, there must be: (1) strong political commitment to the programme; (2) a high level of institutional capacity in terms of the number and skills of staff; and (3) a supply of accessible health and education services. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3820&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3820&source=rss Social protection Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT