Publication: Social Safety Nets in Iraq: Reform in a Time of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence
Loading...
Published
2016-11
ISSN
Date
2016-11-16
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Iraq, once a relatively skilled and economically prosperous society, has seen its development thwarted by decades of conflict and economic decline. Today it is an upper middle-income, resource-rich, yet fragile and conflict-riven country. Progress on the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity is inevitably an uphill struggle in such a context. Indeed, there has been no overall movement towards either poverty reduction or reduced income equality in Iraq since 2007; headcount poverty measured in 2014 has remained virtually unchanged at 22.5 percent. What limited gains in poverty reduction were achieved through 2012 had been reversed by 2014, as a result of a resurgence in violence and the worsening of the economic environment. More than four million Iraqis have been displaced by the country’s various conflicts.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Alkhoja, Ghassan; Neman, Ramzi; Hariz, Sara. 2016. Social Safety Nets in Iraq: Reform in a Time of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence. MENA Knowledge and Learning Quick Notes Series;No. 161. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25342 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Iraq : A Multi-country South-South Knowledge Exchange on Social Safety Nets(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-06)South-South knowledge exchanges are increasingly recognized as one of the most effective learning and development tools. While it is important to facilitate such exchange of first-hand experiences and lessons across developing countries, what is even more important is what is actually done with the outcomes of the learning and knowledge sharing that take place across boundaries. So in this Quick Note authors would like to take it a step further and share the Iraq country experience, which has recently benefitted from South-South knowledge exchange facilitated by the World Bank. In this case, the World Bank not only acted as a facilitator and convener, but also as a solution provider. The cash-based social safety net program administered by the Ministry of labor and social affairs has expanded to reach nearly one million families (based on categorical targeting), with a budget of about US$800 million. Overall, Iraq spends close to 10 percent of its gross domestic product on social safety net programs, of which 7.7 percent is spent on food and fuel subsidies.Publication Iraq and Turkey - South-South Knowledge Exchange on Social Safety Nets(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-04)South-South knowledge exchanges present an excellent model for knowledge sharing between countries, organizations, and individuals. They create opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and dialogue among policy makers, practitioners, and the broader community of Civil Society Organization (CSO), academics, etc. To this end an Iraqi delegation from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) visited the Social Assistance and Solidarity Fund (SASF) in Turkey in January 2012 to learn from the Turkish experience in developing social assistance programs and social safety nets. The World Bank's first annual report on knowledge identified three knowledge roles for the Bank: as producer, customizer, and connector. This quick note will focus on the role of the Bank as a connector and underlines the importance of this role. It also highlights the momentum that South-South knowledge exchanges are gaining and its role as an effective catalyst for capacity development.Publication Strengthening Governance of Social Safety Nets in ASEAN(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013)Several Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) member states, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, are expanding their social safety net programs. In many cases, existing delivery mechanisms for social assistance in the region tend to be basic, in line with the small size of programs. This paper is an analytical framework to systematically consider and include governance aspects in the design and analysis of modern social assistance programs. The underlying conceptual model is simple. Programs face a set of supply-side challenges that have to do with their institutional structure and the ways in which accountability and incentive relationships are shaped. However, both in the region and elsewhere in the world there are a number of experiences with diverse governance tools that countries can draw upon as they think how best to design and implement more sophisticated and comprehensive social safety net programs. Finally, administrative capacity is likely to represent a constraint as governments seek to deliver increasingly complex programs to a growing number of beneficiaries over a wide geographically dispersed area. While large investments in administrative capacity are unlikely, it is possible to think about context appropriate solutions that can contribute to reduce governance risk. This report is the first attempt to systematically apply a governance lens to Social Safety Net (SSN) programs in the region. An analytical framework and diagnostic resource to review governance dimensions of SSN programs in ASEAN, the report intends to document existing efforts and challenges and provide guidance to World Bank staff, donors and policy makers interested in strengthening program administration and mitigating potential governance risks within social assistance programs in the region.Publication Strengthening Governance of Social Safety Nets in East Asia(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-08)Several East Asian countries, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, are considering an expansion of their social safety net programs. In many cases, existing delivery mechanisms for social assistance in the region tend to be basic, in line with the small size of programs. In a context of coverage expansion and proliferation of new programs, the risk of creating increasingly complex systems characterized by cross-incentives is high. Lack of coordination, ambiguous criteria for identifying and selecting beneficiaries, low administrative capacity, lack of transparency and limited beneficiary participation pose risks for program effectiveness and can decrease accountability. Good governance can improve program outcomes through effective program coordination, stronger accountability arrangements, provider incentives and greater transparency and participation. This paper proposes an analytical framework to systematically identify governance risks and constraints which, if removed, could improve the outcomes of modern social assistance programs.Publication Albania : Social Safety Net Review(Washington, DC, 2004-12-29)In 1989, Albania's rigid political and socioeconomic structure shattered beyond repair. Turbulence soon invaded every domain of life. As the state imploded, so did the state-run economy. This review explores ongoing consequences of this difficult transformation that took place since 1989 and of policy initiatives to mitigate or ameliorate its effects. Albania has been much studied; the review addresses important information gaps. It establishes, from the representative 2002 Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS), which kinds of families receive public income transfers and private income flows in what amounts and from what sources. It estimates the impact that these public and private income flows have in mitigating pre-transfer and post-transfer poverty among households. It does this by type of family and source of income flow, for all Albanian households and for various subsets of them. This review analyzes the relative importance of pensions and social assistance in alleviating poverty among rural households with aged members. This review also documents and links data on expenditures under social programs with data on program beneficiaries for recent years and it identifies current tradeoffs among the multiple objectives of social safety net policies, including those relating to coverage, adequacy, work incentives, equity, and effective government spending. Finally, it suggests options for future development of social safety net policies, including ways to strengthen overall policy linkages and programmatic coordination among social programs.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Morocco Economic Update, Winter 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-03)Despite the drought causing a modest deceleration of overall GDP growth to 3.2 percent, the Moroccan economy has exhibited some encouraging trends in 2024. Non-agricultural growth has accelerated to an estimated 3.8 percent, driven by a revitalized industrial sector and a rebound in gross capital formation. Inflation has dropped below 1 percent, allowing Bank al-Maghrib to begin easing its monetary policy. While rural labor markets remain depressed, the economy has added close to 162,000 jobs in urban areas. Morocco’s external position remains strong overall, with a moderate current account deficit largely financed by growing foreign direct investment inflows, underpinned by solid investor confidence indicators. Despite significant spending pressures, the debt-to-GDP ratio is slowly declining.