This study is one of five undertaken by the FAO and the Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Centre… Read more of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa to understand the role of social protection programs’ design, outcomes and impacts on food system transformation. The country case of Peru focuses on the analysis of two public policy interventions and their interaction with the food systems’ elements, actors, and outcomes. The National Direct Support Program for the Poorest (JUNTOS) is a conditional cash transfer program implemented in 2005 to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty by providing the rural vulnerable population with access to essential goods and services. The second intervention, Haku Wiñay/Noa Jayatai (HW/NJ), is a program launched in 2012 to promote the economic inclusion of vulnerable groups in rural areas. The study is composed of a first part of literature review and data analysis on the current statistics of the policy interventions, and a second part of key key interviews with four country experts in social policy and rural development. Read less ...

This technical report presents findings from a quantitative profiling survey that was conducted on a sample of beneficiaries of three… Read more Social safety Net (SSN) programs in Bangladesh: The Widow, Deserted, and Destitute Women Allowance (WA), the Disability Allowance (DA), and the Income Support Program for the Poorest (ISPP). The objective of the survey is to better understand the profile of SSN beneficiaries and to guide the design of targeted services to alleviate their constraints. It presents descriptive statistics on the 11 modules that were included in the profiling questionnaire for each SSN beneficiary group, as well as for non-beneficiary households and individuals. Read less ...

In Bangladesh, economic inclusion programs are primarily  implemented by civil society organizations. Yet, the government has an opportunity to leverage… Read more its strong and expansive social safety net (SSN) system. This report examines three groups of SSN beneficiaries in Bangladesh - working-age widows, people with disabilities, and households with young children - to understand their potential to benefit from economic inclusion programming. Authors describes the socioeconomic characteristics of these three groups and identifies gaps in their access and coverage by main social protection programs; presents findings on their potential to benefit from economic inclusion programming; and examines the factors that need to be in place for economic inclusion programs to succeed. Finally, the report provides recommendations on how the government can build capacity to implement economic inclusion at scale in Bangladesh. Read less ...

Evidence from multiple contexts suggests that the Graduation Approach, which provides holistic livelihood support for ultra-poor households, has lasting positive… Read more impacts on a range of outcomes. However, Graduation programs are relatively expensive because of the intense level of support they offer. The costs pose a challenge for governments that want to implement the approach at scale. In Uganda, researchers worked with Innovations for Poverty Action to conduct a randomized evaluation to better understand the effectiveness of several variants of a Graduation program focused on improving nutrition and self-reliance among populations in and around a refugee settlement. The program had significant positive impacts for both program participants and their households on key outcomes, including food security, nutrition, and self-reliance. All variations of the program also had large positive returns on investment. Read less ...

A learning brief with insights from USAID's Nawiri’s approach to BOMA REAP Adaptations for Nutrition on how to incorporate positive… Read more nutrition outcomes into the graduation approach. Read less ...

Households living in poverty have a double burden when the adverse impact of natural disasters disrupts their livelihoods. Additionally, households… Read more relying on climate-sensitive sectors, such as agriculture and natural resources, have fewer resources to cope with climate change. Subsequently, external support, such as social protection, is needed to protect their assets and livelihoods. An example of social protection designed to strengthen the livelihoods of households living in poverty during disasters is the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) cash transfer program in Indonesia. This study analyzes how the PKH contributes to disaster management in Indonesia with two objectives: identifying whether the PKH program helps smallholder farm households (SFH) in developing coping strategies for climate change-related disasters and determining which factors of the PKH program enhance coping strategies among SFH. A mixed-method approach using a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was applied to a dataset created from SFH questionnaire samples, followed by in-depth interviews. According to the results, the PKH cash transfer program directly impacted the coping strategies and indirectly impacted the livelihood capital of SFH. Furthermore, the results indicated the key factors that support coping strategies, to which PKH contribute through counseling or mentoring sessions and provide access to other assistance and aid. Read less ...

Despite significant economic gains in recent decades, Bangladesh lags behind in child malnutrition, contributing to poor human capital development outcomes… Read more in the long run. While the National Social Security Strategy in Bangladesh prioritizes programs that address life-cycle risks, early childhood interventions are limited in coverage. Based on global and local evidence, comprehensive social protection programs can improve child development outcomes and improve their long-term economic potential in Bangladesh. This In Focus explores how drawing on global and local best practices, the Government of Bangladesh can design effective early childhood development interventions that improve the physical and cognitive development of children. Read less ...

The changing poverty landscape in Bangladesh and the COVID-19 pandemic have left marginalized populations, including widows, elderly, persons with disabilities,… Read more and ethnic minorities, even more vulnerable than before. This In Focus from the team Bangladesh, a PEI grantee, outlines the current policy framework considerations within the country, as well as the extent and inclusiveness of its primary social protection programs for marginalized groups, offering an analysis on how the Government can implement Economic Inclusion interventions that leverage its expansive social safety nets  Read less ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the socio-economic prospects for the youth in Bangladesh. In response, the Government of Bangladesh launched… Read more in 2021 the World Bank-financed Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) program. RAISE aims to provide services that can improve earning opportunities for 375,000 low-income urban youth, micro-entrepreneurs affected by COVID-19, and returning migrants. This policy note draws on lessons from global economic inclusion programs to illustrate the rationale and design considerations in the RAISE program. In addition, it provides recommendations on key areas to track in the impact evaluation, which will be critical in identifying the most effective approach for youth populations and providing lessons on cost-effectiveness for national scale. Read less ...

New to the Jordanian context, the graduation approach (GA or graduation) has gained traction as a promising methodology to life… Read more households in Jordan out of extreme poverty and into self-reliance. Graduation programs like the RYSE project are exploring ways to overcome these challenges, including through engagement with the private sector to develop complementary “pull strategies” that help to expand the quality and diversity of economic opportunities available. Notable opportunities within the tech-enabled and information and communications technology (ICT) sector and food processing and agribusiness have been identified as high-growth opportunities that would also be appropriate for women, youth, and Syrian refugees, who often face additional barriers to market engagement. This study, conducted by the Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) and the Resilient Youth, Socially and Economically Empowered (RYSE) project, examines the barriers and prospects for a successful application of the graduation model in Jordan. Read less ...