Resources| Research| June 18, 2020

Economic Inclusion for the Poorest and COVID-19: Adaptation and Early Priorities for Medium- and Longer-Term Recovery

Economic inclusion programs for the poorest show strong potential as part of integrated policy responses focused on containing the pandemic, ensuring food security, and supporting medium-term recovery. 

This note considers initial adaptations and early priorities in economic inclusion programs to support medium- and longer-term recovery efforts. The note is intended to be a resource for policy makers and practitioners faced with the dual challenge of adapting existing programs in response to a pandemic and ensuring the readiness of existing or new programs as part of medium- and longer-term recovery efforts. 

This note defines economic inclusion programs as a multidimensional set of “bundled interventions” that support households and communities to increase their incomes and assets. These interventions are sometimes referred to as productive inclusion, graduation, or community-driven development programs. Common interventions include a combination of cash or in-kind transfers; skills training or coaching; access to finance; and linkages to market support.