This paper asks what is meant by social protection, clarifying its meaning, purpose and scope. It draws on a series of related ODI theme papers on social protection - all prepared for the Africa Commission in 2005. These covered social protection and:  rights-based approaches, basic services, conflict, food security, financing, gender and the implications of Hiv/Aids.

This paper examines the potential for jointly funded long-term cash transfers to form part of social protection in unstable situations. It argues that there are three essential challenges:

    * Financing – how to provide longer term, more harmonised and predictable funding for social transfers in unstable situations;
    * Actors and delivery capacity – which actors or combinations of actors could deliver social transfers at scale (governments, NGOs, UN agencies, or the private sector);
    * Mechanisms – the form a social transfer should take (food or cash).

Negative perceptions of social protection transfers continue to influence national and international anti-poverty agendas. Most of the concerns raised are based on misconceptions. This briefing outlines evidence that demolishes some of the myths concerning social protection.

This brief addresses the question of how to support the livelihoods of rural people who have been affected by conflict. Specifically, it focuses on how international actors might move beyond conventional seeds and tools interventions to address vulnerability and support the agricultural component of rural livelihoods in countries emerging from conflict. It examines, both conceptually and practically, how agricultural rehabilitation can contribute to linking humanitarian assistance, social protection and longer-term development through the provision of effective support in ways that are consistent with core humanitarian principles as well as with livelihoods and rights-based approaches. The paper is based on lessons from Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, and draws its analysis from livelihoods work and social protection

This case study of cash and voucher programmes in Afghanistan focuses on the post-Taliban period, from the signature of the Bonn agreement on 5 December 2001 to the creation of the transitional government in October 2004. It forms part of wider research conducted by the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG), seeking to analyse recent experiences with cash- and voucher-based responses.

This brief is a summary of a three-year research project looking into when the option of giving people money instead of, or as well as, in-kind assistance is feasible and appropriate. A strong body of evidence is starting to emerge to indicate that providing people with cash or vouchers works. It is possible to target and distribute cash safely, and people spend money sensibly on basic essentials and on rebuilding livelihoods. What is more, cash transfers can provide a stimulus to local economies, and in some contexts can be more cost-effective than commodity-based alternatives.

Emerging evidence on the role of cash transfers in poverty reduction means that they are on the agenda in emergency and developmental contexts across the developing world. In a unique initiative Development Policy Review and Disasters have published simultaneous theme issues on cash transfers.

This synthesis assesses the effectiveness of unconditional cash transfers as an instrument to address acute food insecurity in Southern Africa in order to improve future response strategies and programming in the region.

This brief addresses the question of how to support the livelihoods of rural people who have been affected by conflict. Specifically, it focuses on how international actors might move beyond conventional seeds and tools interventions to address vulnerability and support the agricultural component of rural livelihoods in countries emerging from conflict. It examines, both conceptually and practically, how agricultural rehabilitation can contribute to linking humanitarian assistance, social protection and longer-term development through the provision of effective support in ways that are consistent with core humanitarian principles as well as with livelihoods and rights-based approaches. The paper is based on lessons from Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, and draws its analysis from livelihoods work and social protection

This case study of cash and voucher programmes in Afghanistan focuses on the post-Taliban period, from the signature of the Bonn agreement on 5 December 2001 to the creation of the transitional government in October 2004. It forms part of wider research conducted by the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG), seeking to analyse recent experiences with cash- and voucher-based responses.

This paper reviews early experience with a major new public works programme in India, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) passed by the Indian parliament in September 2005. The act built on a previous initiative in one Indian state — the Maharashtra Rural Employment Guarantee Programme1 — to ensure that a minimum amount of paid work would be available to those in rural areas who need it. As an act of parliament, it confers statutory rights — unlike a project, which could be prone to short-term changes. In specified districts (now more than half of the districts in the country), NREGA offers up to 100 days of employment per rural household per year on public works, at the prevailing minimum unskilled wage rate. The aim of the act is to boost the rural economy and enhance overall economic growth.

Agricultural productivity can be supported by well-designed social protection programmes

    * In relation to the productive sectors, social protection can enhance resilience in the face of threats, limit disinvestment, and, by reducing perceptions of high risk, promote investment by the poor.
    * Though some of the links between social protection and growth are specific to the agricultural sector, others are more generic.
    * Agriculture can be more socially protecting, and social protection more sensitive to impacts on production, if ministries of finance can leverage joined-up thinking and action.

This brief addresses the question of how to support the livelihoods of rural people who have been affected by conflict. Specifically, it focuses on how international actors might move beyond conventional seeds and tools interventions to address vulnerability and support the agricultural component of rural livelihoods in countries emerging from conflict. It examines, both conceptually and practically, how agricultural rehabilitation can contribute to linking humanitarian assistance, social protection and longer-term development through the provision of effective support in ways that are consistent with core humanitarian principles as well as with livelihoods and rights-based approaches. The paper is based on lessons from Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, and draws its analysis from livelihoods work and social protection

There has been a stark dichotomy between development approaches concerned with the productive sectors, usually focusing on enhancing the ‘supply side’, and those concerned with social protection, which have been widely regarded as a drain on public resources. This paper argues that the two are complementary and that social protection is less of a ‘drain’ than previously thought.

This paper argues that questions of how to operationalise the principles contained in the (modified) World Bank Social Risk Management approach are of crucial importance, but pose considerable challenges. Whilst “Rural Worlds 1, 2 and 3” provide a basis for this, a nuanced classification of rural space, people and institutions is needed if these challenges are to be met. Such nuancing is needed in order to identify, for instance, how to treat the chronically vulnerable (who cannot fully engage in productive activity), or how to treat those engaged in, for instance, labour markets which link across different Rural Worlds. The paper concludes by proposing a number of recommendations for donors, including recommendations on how the principles underpinning a modified SRM approach can be operationalised.

Social protection (SP) and livelihood promotion have conventionally been handled by different departments within governments and donor organisations. Taking the example of agriculture, this paper argues that the scope for synergy between them (when narrowly defined as ‘making the whole bigger than the sum of its parts’) is limited. However, there is substantial unexploited scope for introducing the perspectives of the one into the design and implementation of the other, i.e. for giving aspects of SP more of a growth-promoting dimension, and for designing agriculture initiatives in ways aiming to reduce risk and vulnerability.

Drawing on the findings of fieldwork with cash, food, cash and food beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries, this paper uses a comparative approach to explore the impact of cash transfers on gender relations.

Social protection is seen as a central pillar of growth in Zambia's National Development Plan, but its implementation remains a challenge. Enabling households to graduate from social protection support means building their assets and increasing their resilience to shocks and stresses. Existing strategies are hampered by lack of knowledge on the numbers and needs of poor households. This Project Briefing proposes a framework of protection, prevention and promotion as a tool to contribute to the graduation of low-capacity households from high vulnerability and poverty.

This Project Briefing discusses whether cash transfers are an appropriate, feasible and affordable tool to assist Sierra Leone’s post-conflict transition and contribute to reducing poverty levels.

This paper examines the potential for jointly funded long-term cash transfers to form part of social protection in unstable situations. It argues that there are three essential challenges:

    * Financing – how to provide longer term, more harmonised and predictable funding for social transfers in unstable situations;
    * Actors and delivery capacity – which actors or combinations of actors could deliver social transfers at scale (governments, NGOs, UN agencies, or the private sector);
    * Mechanisms – the form a social transfer should take (food or cash).

Social protection is seen as a central pillar of growth in Zambia's National Development Plan, but its implementation remains a challenge. Enabling households to graduate from social protection support means building their assets and increasing their resilience to shocks and stresses. Existing strategies are hampered by lack of knowledge on the numbers and needs of poor households. This Project Briefing proposes a framework of protection, prevention and promotion as a tool to contribute to the graduation of low-capacity households from high vulnerability and poverty.

This Project Briefing discusses whether cash transfers are an appropriate, feasible and affordable tool to assist Sierra Leone’s post-conflict transition and contribute to reducing poverty levels.

Defines a conceptual framework for cash transfers in social protection, that focuses on three spheres: institutions, politics and governance; capacity and implementation; and local economic and social impacts.

This paper examines the potential for jointly funded long-term cash transfers to form part of social protection in unstable situations. It argues that there are three essential challenges:

    * Financing – how to provide longer term, more harmonised and predictable funding for social transfers in unstable situations;
    * Actors and delivery capacity – which actors or combinations of actors could deliver social transfers at scale (governments, NGOs, UN agencies, or the private sector);
    * Mechanisms – the form a social transfer should take (food or cash).

This database aims to be a user-friendly tool to provide summary information on social assistance interventions in developing countries. The database aims to: provide a summary of the evidence available on the effectiveness of social assistance interventions in developing countries;focus on programmes seeking to combine the reduction and mitigation of poverty, with strengthening and facilitating household investments capable of preventing poverty and securing development in the longer term; select programmes for inclusion in the database on the basis of the availability of information on design features, evaluation, size, scope, or significance; provide summary information on each programme in a way that can be easily referenced by DFID staff and others with only a basic level of technical expertise.

This paper discusses the development and implementation of Juntos ('Together'), a cash transfer programme in Peru aimed at developing human capital and breaking inter-generational transfers of poverty. The paper is based on documentary analysis and fieldwork in Ayachucho Department, the first region in which the pilot phase of the programme was implemented. We selected two communities based on the following criteria: presence of Young Lives sites (given plans to follow up with longitudinal research about the effects of the programme over time), geographical accessibility; size of the population and the number of children enrolled in the programme. The analysis pays particular attention to the impacts of this social protection mechanism on women and children, the strengths and weaknesses of a conditional approach, and changes in family and community dynamics. It concludes by discussing future policy challenges and directions for research.

Effective social protection is vital to help chronically poor people and countries build assets, increase their capacity to withstand shocks and stresses, and thus escape from poverty; without it, they will continue to be trapped in poverty.Key elements of an effective ‘social protection package’ for chronically poor people are: a core of broad measures to enhance incomes, assets and security and increase access to services, and specific measures, such as nutritional support targeted at particular groups. Wider complementary policies promoting economic opportunities and political and social rights are also essential.

Emerging evidence on the role of cash transfers in poverty reduction means that they are on the agenda in emergency and developmental contexts across the developing world. In a unique initiative Development Policy Review and Disasters have published simultaneous theme issues on cash transfers.

Emerging evidence on the role of cash transfers in poverty reduction means that they are on the agenda in emergency and developmental contexts across the developing world. In a unique initiative Development Policy Review and Disasters have published simultaneous theme issues on cash transfers.

The Inter-Regional Inequality Facility was established in 2004 with the aim of promoting and sharing knowledge about the issue of inequality: how it affects development and how policy can address it. This overview paper outlines the work of the facility, and briefs produced by the facility which describe specific policy instruments used by governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America which address inequality.