Rationing, not targeting
“Will no-one rid me of this troublesome PMT?” [i] Anyone who has worked in social protection knows that the thorniest issue of all is that of “targeting”. The recent polemics on these pages about the inadequacy of the Proxy Means Test (PMT) as a “targeting” mechanism (including my last blog post: Poxy...
Is Nigeria’s Social Protection on the cusp of transformation?
Will the design of a direct cash transfer in Nigeria ensure its ongoing popularity and sustainability? Guest blogger Gbenga Shadare considers Nigeria’s social protection issues. Will community-based targeting of those in poverty provide a necessary safety net? In the course of the last presidential campaign in Nigeria, which saw the People’s Democratic Party overthrown...
Social protection in fragile contexts: the unique role of pensions
A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to attend the international conference on Social Protection in contexts of fragility and forced displacement. One of the recurring messages emerging from the conference was that the ultimate ambition in these contexts should be long-term, nationally-owned social protection systems. I was able to...
Are you designing social protection schemes from a charity or a citizenship paradigm?
Social protection is not always beneficial and popular. A way of predicting whether a programme will have positive impacts and be supported by voters is to identify whether it falls...
The Social Protection Flaw – or how not to win fiscal space for entitlements
The many disadvantages to poverty-targeted social protection include the fact that they never become entitlements that attract popular demand and the financial backing of governments, writes Nicholas Freeland, independent consultant. Freeland highlights...
How has national ownership of Uganda’s Senior Citizens’ Grant developed?
A visit by Ugandan MPs to London has thrown light on the political economy of social protection, including the circumstances in which a donor-supported programme gains national ownership, writes Alexandra Barrantes. The delegation of Ugandan MPs representing the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection participated in a visit organised by HelpAge International and Age International to the...
The two lives of social protection: the tale of cash transfers and social security
Here’s a curious tale about two very different forms of social protection: one is much loved by researchers, the media and donors, but its charms are debatable; the other is too often shunned by academia, commentators and funders despite holding greater promise and staying-power. We could call them ‘cash transfers’...
Pro-Poor or Anti-Poor?
Stephen Kidd considers the growing role of the World Bank and IMF in shaping national social protection policies as questions are being asked about their approach to the issue.
Role of IMF-backed elimination of universal social protection in protests
Widespread protests in Iran have followed continued decline in real incomes in the country. Like the ITUC, several media have identified declining living standards and plans that would further worsen these as the root cause of the protests. For example, a New York Times article stated: “The initial catalyst for the anger...
Training course sets out how to make the case for an inclusive social protection system
How to make the case for an inclusive social protection system in Uganda? What are some of the main considerations, from the political to the financial requirements, to the human...