Publication: Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries: Trends and Challenges
Loading...
Published
2015-04
ISSN
Date
2015-06-25
Editor(s)
Abstract
This study examines the role of social protection programming, and programming design and implementation features, that are prominent in fragile and conflict-affected states. The main objective is to build on existing, available information from a sample of fragile and conflict-affected countries and develop operational guidance that addresses policy, design, and implementation issues and offers operational solutions for social protection programming and policy making in different fragile settings. The analysis showcases the universe of social protection objectives that are evident in these countries as well as the programming trends, types, coverage, and expenditure patterns. The paper also examines dimensions specific to fragile and conflict-affected settings in implementing social protection and labor programs, such as social cohesion, the role of community-driven development, and postwar benefits. Finally, the study highlights social protection and labor program delivery in seven different country contexts, and discusses the country-specific programming options chosen to achieve the objectives and overcome capacity and operational constraints.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Ovadiya, Mirey; Kryeziu, Adea; Masood, Syeda; Zapatero, Eric. 2015. Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries: Trends and Challenges. Social protection and labor discussion paper,no. 1502;. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22077 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015)This discussion paper is the first output under the umbrella of the programmatic work on social protection in fragile and conflict-affected states. This work aims to develop operational guidance to teams on the likely determinants of effective social protection programming and policy making in fragile and conflict-affected settings. This paper elaborates on the role of social protection programming, and programming design and implementation features, that are prominent in fragile and conflict-affected states. In particular, the paper objectives in these countries, reflects on their revealed objectives, and discusses programming options chosen to achieve those objectives as well as how several countries have overcome particular operational and capacity constraints. This paper presents a methodology that has been devised to group countries based on income, capacity, and extent of enabling environment. Use of this methodology will aid in understanding trends, patterns, and key factors in policy making and programming choices, good and bad.Publication World Bank Support for Social Safety Nets 2007-2013 : A Review of Financing, Knowledge Services, and Results(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2014-06)This review examines World Bank support to social safety nets between FY2007-13, including both financing and knowledge services. During this time period World Bank financing for safety nets totaled just over United States (U.S.) 12 billion dollars, 273 financing activities in 93 countries, the World Bank spent approximately U.S. 118 million dollars on 281 safety net studies and supported approximately 129 credible safety net impact evaluations covering in 24 countries. Among the 93 countries represented in the portfolio, 42 received little or no safety net support from the World Bank prior to FY2007. The growth in Bank support is especially notable during the period of the food, fuel, and financial crises. The analysis delves into these trends by region, type of intervention, and instruments involved. Finally, it delineates implications and outlook for the future based on lessons learned, results measured, and evaluative evidence.Publication Cameroon : Social Safety Nets(Washington, DC, 2012-06)This report responds to the Government of Cameroon's strong interest in strengthening its social safety net system to support the poorest and most vulnerable households during crises. It is grounded in extensive discussions with government counterparts in a collaborative and inclusive process. The report incorporates detailed comments received from the government as well as important donors and partners through two participatory stakeholder workshops. In addition, it is a part of the World Bank's rapid social response program to support the Government of Cameroon in making its system of safety nets more comprehensive, flexible, and suitable to the country's economic and social conditions. In this context, the objective of this report is to lay the ground for a social safety net system that can address the needs of the poor in Cameroon. The high level of chronic poverty and high levels of malnutrition (especially in the northern regions of the country) call for targeted social safety net program. Therefore, the objective of this report is to: (i) assess the evolution and extent of poverty levels; (ii) provide a detailed, updated inventory of existing social safety net programs; (iii) identify their shortcomings; and (iv) propose suggestions, based on international experience, for improving the coverage, efficiency, relevance and financial sustainability of the most relevant programs to set the basis for a coherent safety net system.Publication Liberia : A Diagnostic of Social Protection(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-12)Safety Nets are limited in Liberia and, although as a share of GDP, expenditures are higher than the regional average, the average benefit amount is equal to only 7-20 percent of the poverty line. The current system focuses on the country s most vulnerable populations but that the system is fragmented. Food insecurity is mainly addressed through food transfers aimed at preventing starvation and malnutrition. Unemployed people, including the large portion of the population engaged in informal employment, are targeted primarily by public works. Scaling-up Liberia s safety nets would require significant investments, which are not viable at the moment given the country s financial constraints. Efforts should hence focus on improving the overall safety net system within the existing budget.Publication Cameroon Social Safety Nets(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-06)This report lays the groundwork for a safety net system that can address the needs of the poor in Cameroon. Cameroon does not have a coordinated system of safety nets; rather, small, isolated interventions which together do not address the needs. Moreover, food and fuel price subsidies which mainly benefit the rich cost around 2 percent of GDP/year much more than total safety net spending. There is a need for a social protection strategy and an effective safety net system to address chronic poverty and food insecurity in Cameroon. This strategy should identify risks and vulnerabilities so they can be addressed by appropriate programs. Investments in human capital and in geographic areas most affected by poverty the North and Far North should be priority.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Taxes, Spending, and Equity: International Patterns and Lessons for Developing Countries(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-17)Taxes and public spending underpin the basic administration of government and finance the human capital and infrastructure investments needed for economic growth. They can also have a significant and immediate impact on poverty and inequality. The question of how public finance can support longer-term growth objectives while promoting equity has become even more important in recent years, given the high fiscal deficits and debt levels most countries emerged with in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These included the increasing cost of debt and the need to restart environmentally sustainable growth while helping households address the learning losses and other social scars caused by the pandemic. This paper examines the global evidence on which households pay which taxes and who benefits from what spending, and critically, the net effect on different households across the income distribution. The aim is to identify the patterns and lessons that emerge for designing progressive fiscal policies. A global dataset of 96 countries is assembled, spanning all regions of the world and all national income levels, grounded in the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) approach to fiscal incidence.Publication Digital Public Infrastructure and Development(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-11)DPI is an approach to digitalization focused on creating “foundational, digital building blocks designed for the public benefit.” By providing essential digital functions at society scale that can be reused across sectors, DPIs enable public and private service providers to build on these systems, innovate, and roll out new services more quickly and efficiently. Common systems built as DPIs include digital identity and electronic signatures, digital payments, and data sharing. However, to provide DPI functionality, these systems must embed principles such as inclusion, openness, modularity, inclusivity, user-centricity, privacy-by-design, and strong governance. This paper provides a common framework and primer on DPI for policymakers, practitioners, WBG staff, and the broader development community, including: • DPI Concepts and Theory of Change: This includes a working definition of DPI and its core characteristics, including the role of the private sector, how DPI differs from past approaches to digitalization, and the relationship between core DPI systems, sector-specific systems, other digital technologies, and broader ecosystem enablers and safeguards. The paper also articulates the potential benefits of DPI across a range of public and private sector services, as well as risks and challenges for implementation and adoption. • Considerations for Implementation: Drawing on the experiences of a diverse set of countries across different regions, income levels, and DPI approaches, the paper identifies common trends for building, scaling, and using DPIs that are safe and inclusive. This includes identifying what we know (and do not yet know) around different DPI design choices and models, implementation strategies, procurement, issues around use case integration and sequencing of DPI, and more. • Principles and Practical Lessons: Finally, it summarizes key lessons from countries’ experiences with DPI to date, highlighting critical success factors and risk mitigation strategies for policymakers, practitioners, and development partners. A separate volume provides examples of DPI from countries around the globe. By leveraging the opportunities presented by DPI, countries can accelerate their digital transformation journeys and achieve more inclusive and sustainable development. The World Bank Group is committed to supporting this crucial endeavor. The WBG’s new Global DPI Program will address key knowledge gaps and support countries in building safe, inclusive, and transformative DPI.Publication Shock Waves(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2016)Ending poverty and stabilizing climate change will be two unprecedented global achievements and two major steps toward sustainable development. But the two objectives cannot be considered in isolation: they need to be jointly tackled through an integrated strategy. This report brings together those two objectives and explores how they can more easily be achieved if considered together. It examines the potential impact of climate change and climate policies on poverty reduction. It also provides guidance on how to create a “win-win” situation so that climate change policies contribute to poverty reduction and poverty-reduction policies contribute to climate change mitigation and resilience building. The key finding of the report is that climate change represents a significant obstacle to the sustained eradication of poverty, but future impacts on poverty are determined by policy choices: rapid, inclusive, and climate-informed development can prevent most short-term impacts whereas immediate pro-poor, emissions-reduction policies can drastically limit long-term ones.Publication Direct and Indirect Impacts of Transport Mobility on Access to Jobs: Evidence from South Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-12)Access to jobs is essential for economic growth. In Africa, unemployment rates are notably high. This paper reexamines the relationship between transport mobility and labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on the direct and indirect effects of transport connectivity. As predicted by theory, wages are influenced by the level of commuting deterrence. Generally, higher earnings are associated with longer commute times and/or higher commuting costs. Local accessibility is also important, especially for individuals with time constraints. Both direct and indirect impacts are found to be significant in South Africa, where job accessibility has been challenging since the end of apartheid. For the direct impact, the wage elasticity associated with commuting costs is significant. Returns on commute are particularly high for women. Local accessibility to socioeconomic facilities, such as shops and health services, is also found to have a significant impact, consistent with the concept of mobility of care. To enhance employment, therefore, it is crucial to connect people not only to job locations but also to various socioeconomic points of interest, such as markets and hospitals, in an integrated manner. This integration will enable individuals to spend more time working and commuting longer distances.Publication Digital Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13)All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.