MAPPING IMPACT IN BURKINA FASO: Country-Level Impact of Adaptive Social Protection Programs in the Sahel EVIDENCE FROM THE REGION In the Sahel, Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) is a set of social protection policies, systems, and programs that promote human capital, productivity, and resilience of the poorest and strengthen their capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to shocks. Through the delivery of regular social safety nets, productive inclusion interventions, and shock-responsive programs, ASP has demonstrated strong positive impacts on various dimensions in the Sahel. For the poorest and most vulnerable, it has resulted in improvements in household welfare and food security, productivity, and resilience. More broadly, it has shown significant positive impacts on the economy, society, and future generations.1 1 Infographic on Impacts of Adaptive Social Protection in the Sahel – Evidence from rigorous impact evaluations of social safety nets, productive inclusion, shock response, and other social protection programs. More details on: www.worldbank.org/saspp MORE DETAILED EVIDENCE FROM BURKINA FASO Box 1. National Programs Burkina Faso has a long-standing practice of implementing social safety nets (SSN) to First phase of a Social Safety Nets Program protect the consumption of poor and vulnerable households and the human capital Started in 2008, in southern Burkina Faso, about 2,600 families in 60 villages in Nahouri province benefited from safety nets for 2 years. of future generations, investing in children’s Beneficiaries included families with children under 15 years who were health and education. Over more than a either orphans, living with a person who had HIV, or living below the decade, impact evaluations have shown the poverty line. Quarterly monetary transfers of approximately FCFA 3,500 impacts of these efforts. (~US$7) per month were provided. A first phase of safety nets in 2008 resulted in Scaled up Social Safety Net – Burkin Naong Sa Ya positive impacts on children’s education and In 2014, the PFS-BNS was launched on a large scale to protect the health as well as households’ socioeconomic consumption of poor households, help build resilience to shocks and climate conditions. A second, scaled up as the Burkin change and protect the human capital of future generations. For three years, households received monetary transfers of about FCFA 11,700 (around Naong Sa Ya (PFS-BNS) program, and US$19) per month, equivalent to 20% of their average monthly expenditure. implemented from 2014 to 2024, improved These transfers were distributed quarterly. The program also provided household income, asset ownership, savings, village-level sessions sharing good practices on early childhood nutrition and and child nutrition and educational outcomes development. As of 2024, the program covered 1,293,365 direct beneficiaries from poor and vulnerable households. About 54% of the of poor and vulnerable people. recipients were women. Additionally, productive inclusion measures Productive Inclusion measures provided under the PFS-BNS boosted incomes Productive inclusion measures were also provided to 21,265 beneficiaries, and assets of the beneficiaries, most of whom almost exclusively women, who were recipients of the PFS-BNS. This were women, and helped them diversify their package included savings and loan groups, business training and coaching, life skills training, community sessions on social norms, market access, and livelihoods, thus bridging gender gaps and a lump-sum business grant of FCFA 100,000 (~US$170). building resilience to climate shocks. IMPACT OF SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS AND ACCOMPANYING HUMAN CAPITAL MEASURES #1 | Safety nets resulted The evaluation of the PFS-BNS program found that households that received direct transfers along with monthly information sessions on health and nutrition, had higher in poor and vulnerable total income even 16 months after the program, driven by an increase in agricultural households increasing their income of 15%. Results indicate that beyond using the safety net to meet essential and income, which was sustained immediate consumption needs, households were able to boost their productivity and even after the end of the overall income, which can translate into better meeting future essential needs. The program. program demonstrated a potential for longer-term positive impacts on poor and climate- vulnerable households. #2 | The program further Households’ total assets increased by 32% as a result of direct transfers and monthly village information sessions. Only direct transfers (without information sessions) enabled households to increased participation in savings groups by 134%, household’s informal savings by 65%, accumulate more assets and and animal ownership by 11%. Increased savings and assets boost households’ resilience savings, thus boosting their against future shocks by mitigating negative coping strategies such as foregoing essential future productive capacity, consumption (food) and reducing investments in human capital (health and education). potential for income Accumulated assets and savings position households to invest further in productive diversification, and resilience activities, diversify their sources of livelihoods, and thus become more resilient to both to climate shocks and climate climate shocks and longer-term climate change that affects traditional agricultural change. livelihoods. The first phase of the SSN implemented in 2008 substantially increased school enrolment, #3 | Safety nets helped school attendance, and grade progression among young children in poor households. The poor households to invest in future generations by nutrition of children under 5 years improved, particularly during poor harvest years, protecting the health and indicating increased resilience by preventing negative coping strategies. Poor households education of children, also increased routine visits to health clinics for children under 5 years and reported fewer including during shocks. illnesses. Similarly, the nationally scaled-up PFS-BNS program continued to demonstrate positive impacts for children. The program improved children’s language skills , gross motor skills, and personal social skills. Nutrition of children under 5 years improved, as evidenced by medium-term anthropometric indicators. Among children ages 6 to 15 years, there was a 14.3% increase in school enrollment, 14.9% increase in years of schooling, 14.8% increase in the probability of completing any schooling, and a 16.4% increase in progression to next grade. #4 | Safety nets improved The first phase of safety nets demonstrated a 2.5-fold increase in beneficiaries’ sense of subjective social standing. At baseline, only 3% of beneficiaries felt they were better off participants’ sense of their than the average citizen of the country. After the program, 7.5% of beneficiaries held social standing. this perception. Beyond economic outcomes, the program improved a sense of social standing among the poorest and most vulnerable households. IMPACT OF PRODUCTIVE INCLUSION MEASURES Despite measures being implemented in the context of COVID-19 and increased #5 | Productive inclusion insecurity in the regions of program implementation, the program led to substantial measures layered on the PFS- improvements in beneficiaries’ income, productivity, and savings: increasing non- BNS safety net boosted young agricultural annual income of the women beneficiaries by 37% and the number of days women’s income, savings, and future productive capacity. they spent on off-farm income generating activities by 75%. The program also increased beneficiaries’ agricultural harvest value by 39 -43%, depending on the package of benefits provided. #6 | Productive inclusion Through boosting savings by 251%, increasing business assets by 94%, and raising measures strongly increased livestock value by 34%, the productive inclusion intervention significantly enhanced the resilience of women’s women's capacity for future productivity and livelihoods diversification beyond economic activities to shocks traditional agriculture, building resilience to climate change. Most women continued to and climate change, despite participate in savings groups even 12 months after the program ended, fostering a being implemented in the robust informal network of social insurance, and further improving resilience. These context of COVID-19 and gains were achieved amidst COVID-19 and heightened insecurity, underscoring the insecurity. protective effects even under challenging conditions. Program participants reported an increased capacity to mobilize financial support in the #7 | Beyond income and case of shocks. They also increased their involvement in local community activities, such assets, beneficiaries’ social networks and participation in as participating in village associations, donating, and volunteering. Further, mental community activities health and expectations for the future improved due to the program. The social and increased, which further mental health impacts, particularly in the context of insecurity and shocks, highlight the boosts both personal protective effects of the intervention and the enhanced capacity for future resilience. wellbeing and resilience. References: Akresh, R., de Walque, D., & Kazianga, H. (2016). Evidence from a randomized evaluation of the household welfare impacts of conditional and unconditional cash transfers given to mothers or fathers (Development Research Group Human Development and Public Services Team Working Paper 7730). World Bank. Akresh, R., de Walque, D., & Kazianga, H. Évaluation de l'impact du filet de sécurité et du développement de la petite enfance au Burkina Faso - Résultats préliminaires. Paper forthcoming. Bossuroy, Thomas, Dean Karlan, Harounan Kazianga, William Pariente, Patrick Premand, Christopher Udry, Julia Vaillant, Kelsey Wright. (2024). Impact of the productive inclusion measures of the Burkin Naong Sa Ya program (2019-2020). (Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program Technical Working Paper.) 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Acknowledgements The SASPP is a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank that supports the strengthening of adaptive social protection systems in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal) to enhance the resilience of poor and vulnerable households and communities to the impacts of climate change. The program is supported by Denmark, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.