Poverty and social protection

Leveraging our knowledge and understanding of poverty, vulnerability, and inequality dynamics, we collaborate with governments and development partners to design and implement effective, inclusive, and efficient social protection systems, which are nationally owned and contextually relevant.

Man on a vehicle in a market

Our teams

We support the evolution of effective social protection in low- and middle-income countries.  We draw on innovative poverty research, policy and institutional analysis, and insights from rigorous impact evaluations to tailor solutions to help countries to design and implement sustainable and socially inclusive poverty alleviation initiatives. Our team offers expertise and experience in the following:

  • Welfare measurement and analysis: We analyse and measure poverty, inequality, and vulnerability.
  • Policy and system assessment: We map and diagnose social protection policies and systems.
  • Strategy development: We assist the development of financially and politically feasible strategies for social assistance, social insurance, social services, and labour market policies.
  • Programme design: We help establish effective programmes, from pilots through to national scale-up.
  • Programme implementation: We support the strengthening of programme information systems, targeting, monitoring and evaluation, service standards, and institutional reform.
  • Shock-responsive social protection: We facilitate the evolution of social protection systems which can scale up rapidly and effectively in response to shocks.    
  • Monitoring and evaluation: We conduct independent assessments of social protection programmes and systems, addressing impact, process, and costs.
  • Capacity building: We enhance capacity through on-the-job training, mentoring, seminars, e-learning, tailored curricula, and online communities of practice.

Selected publications