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Experiencing sharing workshop on social cash transfers in sub Saharan Africa Maseru, Lesotho

An overview of social cash transfers in sub Saharan Africa Benjamin Davis Regional Social Policy Advisor UNICEF-ESARO. Experiencing sharing workshop on social cash transfers in sub Saharan Africa Maseru, Lesotho September 21-24, 2010.

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Experiencing sharing workshop on social cash transfers in sub Saharan Africa Maseru, Lesotho

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  1. An overview of social cash transfers in sub Saharan AfricaBenjamin DavisRegional Social Policy AdvisorUNICEF-ESARO Experiencing sharing workshop on social cash transfers in sub Saharan Africa Maseru, Lesotho September 21-24, 2010

  2. Social protection is big:Regional initiatives gathering steam • National commitment to Social Protection among 13 countries (2006), ie, the Livingston initiative • Social Policy Framework for Africa (2008) • Increased political commitment from AU on social protection • SADC, EAC, IGAD all forging ahead on social development/protection regional policy frameworks • Proliferation of workshops and conferences • Emerging consensus on cash transfers as central component of minimum package

  3. Mixed results at country level • Lot going on; much cross-country variation • Relationship between policy and programs not linear; • some countries have great policies, poor programs, and vice versa • A few countries have overarching social protection frameworks; development underway in about 11 countries of ESA • In middle of all this, an explosion in social cash transfers

  4. Social cash transfers:A veritable explosion % of population covered by social cash transfer program

  5. A wide variety of experiences (1) • Universal old age pensions • South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland • (and pilots in Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, …..) • Near universal child grants • South Africa (poverty), Namibia (OVC), pilot in Zambia

  6. A wide variety of experiences (2) • Poverty targeted (community) grants for OVC • Kenya, Lesotho • Poverty targeted (community) household grants • Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe • Ultra poor, labor constrained • Ethiopia, Rwanda • Direct assistance for labor constrained poor • Cash/food for work for non labor constrained poor • Graduation into productive activities • Mozambique • Incapacitated, primarily elderly • Ghana, Tanzania • Verification with proxy means • Experimenting with different options • Kenya HSNP • Community, dependency ratio, old age • Uganda • Community, old age

  7. What’s different about social cash transfers in SSA • Context • HIV/AIDS • Economic and social vulnerability • More diffuse nature of poverty • Continued reliance on subsistence agriculture • Exit path from poverty is not through the labor market • Less fiscal space---donors play a stronger role • Dependent on bilateral support • Weaker institutional capacity to implement programs • Weaker service supply • Program design • Universal old age pensions; near universal child grants • Unconditional • Prominent role of community in targeting • Focus on OVC and other specific vulnerabilities

  8. Challenges facing social cash transfers in SSA • Future is not assured • Assuring political and financial sustainability • How to better link with other components of social protection • Assuring efficient implementation • Targeting • MIS • Monitoring and evaluation • Building capacity and institutions • How to better share wealth of experiences across countries

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