Publication: Adequacy of Coverage, Targeting and Benefits of Social Protection Programs
Date
2021-09-07
ISSN
Published
2021-09-07
Author(s)
Sabbih, Mostafa Amir
Coudouel, Aline
Abstract
In Bangladesh, regular increases in
social protection budget have typically prioritized
increases in coverage over increases in benefit size or
amounts. To maximize the impact of social protection (SP)
programs, it is critical to: (1) align the allocation of
resources with national policies and strategies; (2) design
programs that are able to reach their intended beneficiaries
with adequate coverage and level of benefits; (3) ensure
efficiency in programming and financing; and (4) ensure
efficiency in the actual delivery of programs at the local
level. This policy note analyses point (2), the adequacy of
SP programs in Bangladesh, and highlights areas where
challenges remain and proposes policy reforms to address
those. It focuses on the three elements of the design of
social protection (SP) programs that are critical to maximum
impacts on poverty and vulnerability: (1) the extent to
which programs have the right size and coverage; (2) the
extent to which programs effectively reach or target the
right beneficiaries; and (3) the extent to which programs
provide these beneficiaries with the right benefits. The
optimal combination of these elements depends on programs’
policy objectives, the needs or demands of target population
groups, the types of beneficiaries or programs, and
available resources.
Citation
“Sabbih, Mostafa Amir; Coudouel, Aline. 2021. Adequacy of Coverage, Targeting and Benefits of Social Protection Programs. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36253 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”