How a nation can own its social protection strategy: the Case of Mozambique
In Mozambique, there are plans for substantial increases in cash transfers, as the government attempts to fulfil its progressive social protection strategy approved last year, writes Joe Hanlon. That strategy calls for expanding cash payments to most older people and small children. Under plans sent to Parliament, cash transfers to...
Extent of World Bank’s poverty-targeting demands laid bare in civil society analysis
The World Bank pushes for more poverty-targeting in most of its loan conditions on social protection even whilst acknowledging the downsides to this means of selecting beneficiaries, a new analysis...
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.
Has the World Bank admitted defeat on poverty-targeting?
The World Bank’s competition to develop a tool for poverty-targeting, with a top prize of US$6,000, comes after decades of work and millions of dollars of investment by the World Bank in designing poverty-targeting mechanisms. Many of their staff have dedicated their best years to the task – and yet success has...
Social Protection through the Looking Glass: Lewis Carroll’s parable for the unwary
What can a 19th Century work of literary nonsense teach us about global social protection debates? To mark April Fools’ Day, our guest blogger Nicholas Freeland suggests that Lewis Carroll’s work The Walrus and the Carpenter can tell us more more about prevailing dogmas in the sector than you might imagine! Lewis Carroll...
A magical use of evidence: the World Bank’s State of Social Safety Nets 2018 report
With great fanfare, the World Bank recently released its 2018 The State of Social Safety Nets report, writes Stephen Kidd. The big question was: could the Bank manage to put together a strong, evidence-based paper without straying into advocacy? More specifically, would the Bank continue its practice of using the report...
The meaning of ‘pro-poor’ (as understood by the World Bank)
How can social protection schemes that exclude the majority of the poorest in Kyrgyzstan and globally be described as ‘pro-poor’? Stephen Kidd investigates in a new blog for the New Year. Stephen Kidd A short while ago, I wrote a blog explaining how poverty-targeted social protection schemes are ‘pro-rich’ while...
World Bank shows support for universal transfers as a response to the COVID-19 crisis
In a recent post for the World Bank’s "Jobs and Development" blog series, Michal Rutkowski states that “COVID-19 highlights the importance of creating universal entitlements to health care and income support”.
Fake news: World Bank accuses Kenya’s old age pension of benefitting the rich!
Stephen Kidd We probably all know the story of the scorpion that was given a lift across a river by a frog. Halfway across, the scorpion stung the frog, condemning them both to death by drowning. As she was dying, the frog asked the scorpion why he’d done it and...
Smoke and mirrors: the role of World Bank and IMF in shaping social security policy in the MENA region
Written by Sarina D. Kidd for the Ford Foundation funded Inclusive Social Security Policy Forum, this working paper highlights how the international financial institutions (IFIs) shape social security policy in the MENA region.