1. UNICEF Social Protection Training Course
Summary of Day 5
Mark Davies
17th July 2009

2. Affordability and Growth
Social protection designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability sometimes forgotten
Evidence and debate focused on poverty and vulnerability impacts
Growth outcomes not directly the focus e.g. M&E
Also previously, claims social protection is detrimental to growth

3. Affordability and Growth
But now looking for and seeing impact of social protection on growth
Further how it is central – OECD countries SP sustaining growth – financial crisis
Not the magic bullet on its own but supporting growth is a big step

4. Links to previous sessions
What conditions in design and implementation can support growth linkages?
Order to maximise the effects on investment, social transfers need to be regular and reliable
The level of the transfer is important

5. Links to previous sessions
And avoid negative impact on growth:
Transfers should not include eligibility criteria as perverse as incentives for asset depletion – negative growth
E.g. Chicken for dinner tonight
Adverse incentives to work (public works instead of other productive work)

6. Is evidence on growth enough?
Hypothesis:
Evidence that social protection is central to economic growth will change political will
Model many programmes have followed and forms basis of argument to scale up
Where does rights/political contract come in this e.g. NREGA
I think we need to examine this hypothesis further

7. Pilots and Government Commitment
What do we mean by this?
What constitutes government commitment
Are we talking to the right people in government

8. Pilots and Government Commitment
What is SP up against?
Malawi – cash transfer vs fertilizer subsidy
Think what options government have on the table when them thinking about scaling up strategy
If they are pitched against each other ST will loose
But we have to think of how we make case for ST to support the fertilizer subsidy

9. Social protection: is it as good an offer as it seems?

10. The Week Ahead
We can start a more structured process of reflection, consideration and analysis
Use the conceptual knowledge and understanding of SP you have gained and apply it with your experience and your research
Create space, time and activities to support this

11. Hopes and Fears - Top 5 Hopes
1. Links between child protection and social protection
2. Clear understanding of social protection in UNICEF programming
3. Time for reflection and networking
4. To learn how to apply social protection in practice
4. Clarity on what social protection is and what it is not
5. Practical guidance to support social protection programs implementation

12. Hopes and Fears - Top 5 Fears
1. Diverse group - more experienced vs. less experienced staff in social protection
2. Little time for reflection
3. Too theoretical, not drawing on practical examples
4. Not enough new information - want to hear the latest on social protection - what's upcoming?
5. Do I have the right clothes in my suitcase?