PROGRESS REPORT 2016–17 RAPID SOCIAL RESPONSE PROGRAM PROGRESS REPORT 2016–17 RAPID SOCIAL RESPONSE PROGRAM © 2018 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions of the work promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, http://www.copyright.com/. All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, e-mail pubrights@worldbank.org. Design/layout and editing: Nita Congress. Photo credits: cover: Ethiopia, © Donatella Venturi, used with permission; p. xi: Tanzania, Samantha Zaldivar Chimal, World Bank; p. 1: Philippines, Takiko Igarashi, World Bank; p. 18: Vietnam, Kari L. Hurt, World Bank; p. 22: Kenya, Monica Yanez Pagans, World Bank; p. 24: Bolivia, Maryam S J M Abdullah, World Bank; p. 30: Mozambique, © Andrea Borgarello/World Bank; p. 35: Côte d’Ivoire, Emrce Angel Djibril Coulibaly; p. 41: Nepal, Kari L. Hurt, World Bank; p. 44: Sudan, Maryam S J M Abdullah, World Bank; p. 52: Uganda, © Stephan Gladieu/World Bank; p. 56: Madagascar, © Mohamad Al-Arief, World Bank; p. 64: Namibia, Maryam S J M Abdullah, World Bank; p. 71: India, Ines Kudo, World Bank; p. 72: Sierra Leone, Andrea Martin, World Bank; p. 77: Iraq, Maryam S J M Abdullah, World Bank; p. 78: Indonesia, Iene Muliati, World Bank. TA BL E OF C ON T E N T S Acknowledgments.........................................................................v Task Team Leaders......................................................................vii Abbreviations................................................................................x 1. Summary of Progress............................................................... xii The RSR Today: Where It Is, How It Got Here, and Where It Is Headed................ 2 The RSR in Perspective............................................................................................ 7 RSR Coverage.........................................................................................................11 2. Country Highlights...................................................................18 Kenya...................................................................................................................... 20 iii Latin America and the Caribbean........................................................................... 24 Mozambique........................................................................................................... 29 FEATURE: Côte d’Ivoire: 2017 KNOWbel Award for client solutions.................... 32 Nepal...................................................................................................................... 40 South Sudan........................................................................................................... 43 Tanzania.................................................................................................................. 46 FEATURE: Uganda: 2017 KnowBEL Award for Learning from the Past ............... 50 3. Special Channels.....................................................................56 The RSR-DR Window............................................................................................. 58 The RSR-NS Window............................................................................................. 65 4. Financial Status.......................................................................72 Contributions by Development Partner.................................................................. 74 Program Activities.................................................................................................. 76 5. Supporting Tables....................................................................78 RSR Project Portfolio.............................................................................................. 80 Associated IDA Projects......................................................................................... 99 Results Framework...............................................................................................111 R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 References................................................................................ 114 Figures 1.1  Cumulative resource allocations and project count by region, end December 2016................................................................................................11 1.2  Cumulative resource allocations and project count by theme, end December 2016................................................................................................11 1.3  RSR results chain............................................................................................. 16 1.4  RSR results framework pyramid...................................................................... 17 3.1  Exposure to floods and drought worldwide..................................................... 59 4.1  RSR status as of October 23, 2017................................................................. 76 4.2  RSR cumulative grant approvals and disbursements as of October 23, 2017.................................................................................................... 76 4.3  RSR grant allocation by trust fund type........................................................... 76 Tables 1.1  Key facts about the RSR.................................................................................... 3 1.2  Expressions of interest submissions and approvals, cumulative as of end of calendar year................................................................................................. 8 1.3  Countries that have received direct assistance from the RSR.......................... 9 iv 1.4  RSR thematic typology.................................................................................... 12 1.5  RSR association with IDA and other resources............................................... 14 1.6  World Bank financing approved for SPJ activities, 2016–17............................ 15 1.7  SPJ coverage catalyzed by the RSR in IDA-supported projects (millions of individuals)............................................................................................ 16 3.1  RSR disaster-responsive projects approved in Round 10................................ 61 3.2  Current RSR-NS grant portfolio....................................................................... 67 4.1  Status of RSR contributions by trust fund, as of October 23, 2017 (million $)................................................................................................................ 75 4.2  Status of paid and unpaid contributions by development partner, as of October 23, 2017........................................................................................... 75 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS T he authors would like to offer particular gratitude for the generous support of the Rapid Social Response Program (RSR) as well as comments and inputs from the five RSR development partners—especially their representatives, Anna V. Valkova, Deputy Director, International Financial Relations Department, Russian Federation; Heather Kindness, Senior Policy Advisor, Department for Interna- tional Development (DFID), United Kingdom; Alf Håvard Vestrheim, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; Ulrika Lång, Senior Policy Advisor, Social Pro- tection and Institutional Development, Sweden; and Lisa Hannigan, Director, Poverty and Social Transfers, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia. We would also like to extend our gratitude for the support and partnership of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery—Francis Ghesquiere, Practice Manager; Luis Tineo, Deputy Manager; and Tafadzwa Irvine Dub, Disaster Risk Man- agement Specialist—who helped extend our leverage to their field by financing and guiding our RSR disaster risk window. The preparation of this report, as well as RSR operations, has significantly benefited v from the guidance, advice, and support of many managers and colleagues within the World Bank, including Michal Rutkowski, Social Protection and Jobs (SPJ) Senior Director; Steen Jorgensen and Lynne Sherburne-Benz, SPJ Directors; Margaret Grosh, SPJ Senior Adviser; Roberta Gatti, Chief Economist, Human Development; Jehan Arulpragasam, Anush Bezhanyan, Hana Brixi, Pablo Gottret, Cem Mete, Stefano Paternostro, Dena Ringold, and Iffath Sharif, SPJ Practice Managers; Kathy Lindert (Delivery Systems) Robert Palacios (Pensions and Social Insurance), Ruslan Yemtsov (Social Safety Nets), SPJ Global Leads; Leslie Elder, Senior Nutrition Specialist, Health, Nutrition and Population; Ugo Gentilini, SPJ Senior Protection Specialist; Tina George, SPJ Senior Public Sector Specialist; Mohamad Al-Arief, Senior Communications Officer; Lillian Foo and Svetlana Markova, Communications Officers; Vanessa Co, Online Communications Associate, External and Corporate Relations; Raiden Dillard, SPJ Knowledge Management Officer; Julia Komagaeva, Country Operations Officer, and Larisa Fugol, Consultant, Moscow World Bank Office. This report was authored by the RSR Core Team—Sándor Sipos, SPJ Partnerships Adviser and RSR Manager; Aaron Buchsbaum, Knowledge Management Officer; Adea Kryeziu, Social Protection Specialist; Amina Semlali, Human Development Specialist; Inas Ellaham, Operations Analyst; Shams ur Rehman, Program Analyst; and Vasumathi Anandan, Consultant. Shams ur Rehman also managed coordination of the report at all stages of the process, with administrative support from Francine Pagsibigan, Program Assistant. The authors are grateful for editorial guidance and R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 consistency of the report by Nita Congress, Book Designer/Editor. Finally, we all benefited from the leadership and foundational work of the previous RSR Manager, Hideki Mori. And especially, we would like to acknowledge the more than 157 RSR task team leaders listed beginning on the opposite page, as well as their many team members. It is due to their hard work, creativity, commitment to excellence, and dedication to their clients that the RSR has been catalytic and successful throughout the years. vi TASK T E A M L E A DE RS Pablo Ariel Acosta, Senior Economist Syud Amer Ahmed, Senior Economist Afrah Alawi Al-Ahmadi, Senior Social Protection Specialist Harold H. Alderman,* Lead Education Specialist Anastassia Alexandrova,* Senior Strategy and Operations Officer Colin Andrews, Senior Social Protection Specialist Philippe Auffret, Senior Social Protection Specialist Amparo Ballivian,* Lead Economist Sajitha Bashir,* Practice Manager Lucy Katherine Bassett,* Education Specialist Anush Bezhanyan, Practice Manager, Strategy and Operations Shrayana Bhattacharya, Senior Social Protection Economist John D. Blomquist,* Program Leader Caryn Bredenkamp, Senior Economist Lucilla Maria Bruni, Senior Economist Fadila Caillaud,* Program Leader vii Carmen Carpio, Senior Operations Officer Emily Weedon Chapman, Social Protection Specialist Robert S. Chase,* Manager Yoonyoung Cho, Senior Economist Sarah Coll-Black, Senior Social Protection Economist Aline Coudouel, Lead Economist Wendy Cunningham, Lead Economist Bénédicte Leroy de la Brière,* Lead Economist Carlo del Ninno, Lead Economist Gustavo C. Demarco, Program Leader Anastasiya Denisova, Economist Vyjayanti Tharmaratnam Desai,* Program Manager Halil Dundar,* Practice Manager Puja Vasudeva Dutta, Senior Economist John A. Elder, Operations Adviser Leslie K. Elder, Senior Nutrition Specialist Yasser El-Gammal,* Country Manager Hebatalla Abdelhamid Elgazzar, Senior Economist, Human Development Randa G. El-Rashidi, Social Protection Specialist Lire Ersado,* Program Leader Tazeen Fasih,* Lead Economist Anna Fruttero,* Senior Economist *Retired, no longer with the Bank, or now with another department within the World Bank Group. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Marito H. Garcia,* Lead Social Protection Specialist Yasuhiko Matsuda,* Program Leader Ugo Gentilini, Senior Social Protection Specialist Karla J. McEvoy, Senior Social Protection Specialist Tina George, Senior Public Sector Specialist Marie Chantal Messier,* Senior Nutrition Specialist Antonino Giuffrida,* Senior Economist (Health) Cem Mete, Practice Manager Elena E. Glinskaya, Program Leader Emma S. Mistiaen, Social Protection Specialist Margarita Puerto Gomez,* Senior Social Development Louise Victoria Monchuk, Senior Economist Specialist Matteo Morgandi, Senior Economist Sarah Berger Gonzalez,* Social Protection Specialist Anne Mossige, Social Protection Specialist Endashaw Tadesse Gossa, Senior Social Protection Wezi Marianne Msisha,* Senior Operations Officer Specialist Menno Mulder-Sibanda, Senior Nutrition Specialist Rebekka E. Grun, Senior Economist Patrick M. Mullen, Senior Health Specialist Nelson Gutierrez, Senior Social Protection Specialist Michael Mutemi Munavu, Senior Social Protection Specialist Melis Ufuk Guven, Senior Social Protection Economist Edmundo Murrugarra, Senior Social Protection Economist Matthew Liam Hobson,* Senior Social Development Somil Nagpal, Senior Health Specialist Specialist Suleiman Namara, Senior Social Protection Economist Maddalena Honorati, Senior Economist Maniza B. Naqvi, Senior Social Protection Specialist Ziauddin Hyder, Senior Nutrition Specialist Michelle J. Neuman,* Senior Education Specialist Keiko Inoue,* Program Leader Nga Nguyet Nguyen, Senior Economist Roberto F. Iunes, Senior Economist (Health) Philip B. O’Keefe, Practice Manager Oleksiy Ivaschenko, Senior Economist Foluso Okunmadewa, Lead Specialist Nedim Jaganjac, Senior Health Specialist Pedro Olinto,* Program Leader Kelly Johnson, Senior Social Protection Specialist Junko Onishi, Senior Social Protection Specialist Theresa Jones,* Lead Operations Officer Maria Beatriz Orlando,* Lead Social Development Specialist viii Ole Hagen Jorgensen,* Economist Azedine Ouerghi, Lead Social Protection Specialist Pierre Joseph Kamano,* Senior Education Specialist Mirey Ovadiya, Senior Social Protection Specialist Alex Kamurase, Senior Social Protection Specialist Robert J. Palacios, Team Leader Ashi Kohli Kathuria, Senior Nutrition Specialist Jyoti Maya Pandey, Social Protection Specialist Iqbal Kaur,* Senior Operations Officer Harry Anthony Patrinos,* Practice Manager Qaiser M. Khan, Lead Economist Snjezana Plevko, Senior Economist Stefanie Koettl-Brodmann, Senior Economist Lucian Bucur Pop, Senior Social Protection Specialist Antonia T. Koleva, Senior Operations Officer Menahem M. Prywes,* Senior Economist Pravesh Kumar, Senior Social Protection Economist Jumana N. Qamruddin, Senior Health Specialist Gerard Martin La Forgia,* Lead Health Specialist Tamer Samah Rabie, Lead Health Specialist Francesca Lamanna, Senior Economist Nina Rosas Raffo, Senior Economist Miriam Matilde Montenegro Lazo, Senior Social Protection Aneeka Rahman, Senior Social Protection Economist Specialist Jasmine Rajbhandary, Senior Social Protection Specialist Jessica Leigh Leino,* Social Protection Specialist Andrew Sunil Rajkumar, Senior Economist (Health) Phillippe Leite, Senior Social Protection Economist Laura B. Rawlings, Lead Social Protection Specialist Jose Antonio Cuesta Leiva, Senior Economist Setareh Razmara,* Lead Social Protection Specialist Michael M. Lokshin, Manager Joel E. Reyes,* Senior Institutional Development Specialist Maria Ana Lugo,* Senior Economist Iamele P. Rigolini, Lead Economist Mattias K. A. Lundberg, Senior Economist Dena Ringold, Practice Manager Muhammad Iftikhar Malik, Senior Social Protection Specialist Friederike Uta Rother, Senior Social Protection Specialist Erkin Mamadaliev, Senior Operations Officer Zurab Sajaia,* Senior Economist Ida Manjolo,* Sector Leader Manuel Salazar, Lead Social Protection Specialist Federica Marzo,* Senior Economist Maria Laura Sanchez Puerta, Senior Economist Tayyeb Masud, Senior Health Specialist Cristina Isabel Panasco Santos,* Program Leader  TASK TE AM LE ADERS Indhira Vanessa Santos, Senior Economist Maurizia Tovo,* Lead Social Protection Specialist Iffath Anwar Sharif, Lead Economist (Practice Manager Nithin Umapathi, Senior Economist Designate) Renos Vakis,* Lead Economist Meera Shekar, Lead Health Specialist John Van Dyck, Senior Social Protection Specialist Maheshwor Shrestha, Young Professional Thomas Walker, Lead Economist Joana C. G. Silva,* Senior Economist Ingo Wiederhofer,* Lead Social Development Specialist Oleksiy A. Sluchynskyy, Senior Economist Penelope Jane Aske Williams, Senior Social Protection Yuliya Smolyar, Senior Social Protection Specialist Specialist Verdon S. Staines,* Senior Economist William David Wiseman,* Program Leader Victoria Strokova, Economist Quentin T. Wodon,* Lead Economist Douglas Sumerfield,* Senior Operations Officer Sonya Woo,* Senior Operations Officer Changqing Sun, Senior Economist Andrea Vermehren, Lead Social Protection Specialist Cornelia M. Tesliuc, Senior Social Protection Specialist Abdo S. Yazbeck,* Lead Economist, Health Mauro Testaverde, Economist Ruslan G. Yemtsov, Lead Economist Erwin H. R. Tiongson, Social Protection Specialist Giuseppe Zampaglione, Lead Social Protection Specialist Fanta Toure, Social Protection Specialist Eric Zapatero Larrio, Senior Social Protection Specialist ix ABBRE V IAT IONS ASPIRE Atlas of Social Protection Indicators of Resilience and Equity DR disaster responsive DRM disaster risk management FY fiscal year GFDRR Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery GIZ German Agency for International Cooperation IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IDA International Development Association IFC International Finance Corporation MDTF multi-donor trust fund NS nutrition sensitive x NSPPF National Social Protection Policy Framework PSSN Productive Social Safety Net RSR Rapid Social Response RSRC RSR Catalyst Trust Fund SPJ social protection and jobs TASAF Tanzania Social Action Fund 1 SECTION Summary of Progress T his report covers Rapid Social Response Program (RSR) activities during calendar year 2016 (January–December 2016), which includes the fiscal years (FYs) 2016 and 2017. During this period, the RSR approved the Round 10 call for proposals, which is reflected in the information and data provided in this report. Round 11 was approved in 2017. The RSR Today: Where It Is, How It Got Here, and Where It Is Headed The RSR Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) program was established in 2009, in part- nership with the World Bank, to help the world’s poorest countries build effective social protection systems. The RSR MDTF is supported by Australia, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Since its inception, the RSR—in addition to becoming a widely recognized brand name associated with social protection and jobs (SPJ) systems building—has under- gone a number of changes consistent with development needs worldwide. Since Phase 1 (2009–12), which was originally launched to assist countries in addressing urgent social needs stemming from crises and helping them build the capacity and institutions to better respond to future crises, the RSR has developed in Phase 2 (2012 onwards) to support a broader agenda of SPJ systems building. Cross-sectoral 2 by nature, the RSR embraces both core SPJ areas as well as supports priorities that are easily linked to SPJ operations, including gender, nutrition, employment and jobs, graduation, and—more recently—disaster risk management. Today, the RSR is one of the main instruments for implementing the World Bank’s 2012–2022 Social Protection and Labor Strategy (World Bank 2012), primarily in countries eligible for International Development Association (IDA) support. It does so by providing small—relative to typical IDA/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) operations—but catalytic funding, averaging $530,143 as of December 2016, in support of social protection agendas worldwide. The RSR has demonstrated time and again that the grant amounts, while modest, can effectively support countries’ efforts in designing or strengthening their social protection sys- tems and reaching those most in need through policies, dialogue, and interventions. The catalytic nature of RSR support helps draw in other resources and partners. By the end of 2016, 80 RSR projects were associated with IDA operations, totaling $47.6 million. RSR funding has helped leverage an impressive amount of IDA financ- ing—approximately $7 billion, including additional financing, thus far. Seven years after RSR operationalization, the contributions the program has made are becoming more visible; many of these are captured in table 1.1 and expanded on in this section. Throughout 10 selection rounds to date—resulting in 178 projects in 81 countries worldwide—the RSR has been able to support the growing social protection agenda as a whole, either through supporting pilot programs in countries without prior SPJ experience, facilitating new dialogues and partnerships, or sup- porting knowledge exchanges between countries and globally. Moreover, financing S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress T A B L E 1 . 1   Key facts about the RSR Item 2013 2014 2015 2016 Russian Federation, Norway, Russian Federation, Norway, Development partners United Kingdom, Australia, United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden Sweden, GFDRR Programmable resources (cumulative)a $90,531,791 $100,135,891 $101,219,506 $110,013,648 Number of competitive selection rounds 6 8 9 10 Subprogram window Classic Classic, NS Classic, NS, DR Classic, NS, DR Number of proposals received (cumulative) 278 306 349 367 Number of projects approved (cumulative) 131 140 167 178 For Africa 59 65 83 89 Share of resources allocated to Africa 49.5% 50.2% 49.7% 51.0% Number of countries that have directly 63 67 79 79 benefited (cumulative) In Africa 31 34 37 38 Average RSR project financingb $571,747 $561,517 $575,457 $530,143 Largest RSR project financing $3,155,000 $3,155,000 $3,155,000 $3,155,000 Number of RSR projects associated with IDA 66 72 79 80 operations (cumulative) Amount of RSR financing (cumulative) $43,460,009 $45,983,509 $46,000,000 $47,612,530 3 Number of IDA operations associated with RSRc 54 67 81 90 Amount of IDA financingd $3.35 billion $4.15 billion $5.68 billion $7.09 billion IDA/RSR association ratio: project-to-project 77.1 90.2 123.5 148.8 average IDA/RSR association ratio: program as a whole 37.0 41.4 56.1 64.4 SPJ coverage of associated IDA operations 42.1 million 77.3 million 72.4 million 131.5 million Female 21.0 million 38.3 million 36.2 million 65.8 million Average RSR $ to catalyze incremental SPJ $2.15/person $1.30/person $1.40/person $0.84/person coverage Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). Note: DR = disaster responsive; GFDRR = Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery; NS = nutrition sensitive; SPJ = social pro- tection and jobs. “Classic” refers to the Phase 1 funding modality. a. Cumulative programmable resources do not take into account financing provided by the GFDRR, as that is an external financial channel. b. Average of projects that were approved excluding the grant allocated to project management. c. Number of IDA operations takes into account the number of IDA parent codes only and does not include additional IDA financing. d. Amount of IDA financing covers both the amount allocated to IDA parent projects and any associated IDA additional financing. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 through the RSR has helped establish and strengthen the core components of SPJ systems through designing new payment modalities; creating new targeting mech- anisms; strengthening management information systems; and coordinating with ministries, agencies, and subnational governments. T he World Bank’s International The most impressive RSR achievement to date has been the large increase in cover- Development Association, age of SPJ beneficiaries worldwide. As of December 2016, approximately 131 million established in 1960, helps the people worldwide are covered by IDA operations that are associated with RSR fund- world’s poorest countries by providing ing. As the ultimate goal of the RSR, this increase in SPJ coverage proves both the grants and low- to zero-interest loans importance of catalytic investment and that of continuous support in helping coun- tries establish their SPJ systems so as to better support their vulnerable populations. for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, The role of RSR in the global SPJ sphere continues to be well recognized. Notably and improve poor people’s lives. IDA and most recently, this role was highlighted at the Ministerial Roundtable meeting supports development work in 112 during the World Bank–International Monetary Fund 2017 spring meetings. The countries, and is one of the largest Ministerial Roundtable annually convenes high-level representatives (typically minis- sources of assistance for the world’s ters of economy and finance, development agency officials, and senior government 77 poorest countries. representatives) for a dialogue on safety nets. The RSR’s role, importance, and engagement have been evolving in response to new challenges in social protection. As new frontiers emerge in the development arena, the role of social protection is growing, along with expectations for it to become more innovative and collaborative, with new programs and systems that will be able to respond not only to shocks originating within an economy, but also to 4 outside shocks such as climate change, natural disasters, and displacements. Social protection systems are increasingly being used to improve opportunities for eco- nomic and social inclusion in rapidly changing societies. Crucial linkages with gradua- tion programs and jobs will shape the new portfolio as well, together with emphasis on nutrition-sensitive programs, disaster-responsive programs, and the like. Worldwide, progress has been made regarding the coverage of SPJ programs, which today are present in virtually every low- and middle-income country. But much remains to be done with respect to coverage of the most vulnerable populations, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which house most of the world’s poor. To make matters worse, the world is experiencing an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters, as well as continuous human-made crises—which usually lead to a reversal of development gains and have the potential to create new layers of transient poor. And these shocks affect the chronic poor in a disproportion- ate manner. Against this global backdrop, there is an urgent need to continue improv- ing and innovating SPJ systems, as well as build linkages between social protection and disaster risk management. The RSR is already adapting to changing development frontiers as well as client government needs, taking on a greater role in SPJ-related advances. While staying true to its core purpose of increasing SPJ coverage in the poorest and most vulner- able countries, the RSR portfolio will have to continue to evolve to support activities and dialogues that both bring SPJ to the forefront of development and help link it with other sectors to improve opportunities for economic and social inclusion. Going S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress forward, the RSR scope will need to be expanded to help programs become more adaptive, scalable, and sufficiently flexible to respond to a variety of shocks resulting from both human-made crises and natural disasters. EVOLUTION OF THE RSR Phase 1: Catalytic, Crisis Response From its operationalization in 2009 until 2012, the RSR’s main mandate was to help low-income countries cope with major crises such as the food, fuel, and financial cri- ses of 2008–10. Support was earmarked solely for IDA-eligible countries to protect the post-crisis poor populations of the most severely affected countries. While the RSR grants were relatively small, this seed money provided critical sup- port in the form of services and in-kind benefits to vulnerable and poor populations. Phase 1: Some of the pilot programs supported by the RSR led to full-fledged IDA operations Catalytic, as in Cameroon, Mozambique, and Rwanda. This initial phase also positioned the Crisis Response  RSR high in the social protection agenda, which allowed it to then move into new and more forward-looking spheres. A total of 80 activities were supported during this phase, with $61.8 million of programmable resources from two trust funds: the Ä RSR MDTF and the RSR Catalyst Trust Fund (RSRC). Phase 2: SPJ Systems Oriented 5 Following its successful and effective Phase 1, the RSR evolved into its second Phase 2: SPJ Systems phase, with a strong focus on building and strengthening social protection systems. Oriented In the fall of 2012, RSR development partners approved a five-year extension of the program from June 2013 to June 2018. This mandate—which marked the official inception of the new phase—was a response to the World Bank’s new 2012–2022 Social Protection and Labor Strategy (World Bank 2012), which called for the RSR’s continuous involvement in supporting low-income countries as well as global knowl- 4 edge sharing on SPJ systems through support of South-South learning forums and communities of practice. The development partners agreed on several aspects of the RSR business model and on a results framework (see figure 1.4 at the end of this section), while the focus on low-income countries in establishing or strengthening their core social protection systems remained unchanged. RSR support continued to be provided to activities in IDA-eligible countries for new or improved SPJ system components, platforms, and architecture for a specific country or countries (Theme 1) and to protect access to basic services in times of crisis for a specific country or countries (Theme 3). However, in contrast to the first phase, the inclusion of IBRD countries was made possible under a new theme (Theme 2), which encourages knowledge sharing across development levels so as to further boost social protection system agendas. In cumulative terms, Phase 2 expanded the RSR portfolio to include 62 countries and 131 projects altogether (excluding regional activities). R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 During Phase 2, an important subtheme emerged under Theme 2, with a particular focus on providing nutrition benefits, particularly for young children and pregnant/ nursing mothers. A nutrition-sensitive window, the RSR-NS, was therefore estab- T hree themes and several key lished under the RSR; more information on RSR-NS is provided in section 3. subthemes were introduced in Also during Phase 2, the RSR entered into a partnership with the Global Facility for Phase 2, which extended and Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), enabling it to support and link disaster expanded upon the RSR’s initial responsiveness to social protection. This new window, the RSR-DR, aims to help mandate. Notably, special channels build disaster readiness in countries’ SPJ systems; section 3 provides more informa- were created to supplement SPJ tion on activities undertaken through this partnership. strengthening with, respectively, Overall, the new programmable resources—which include funding from the RSR nutrition-sensitive and disaster MDTF, the RSR-NS, and the GFDRR—and the new mandate have enabled the RSR response considerations. to boost SPJ presence in the broader development agenda and increase the World Bank’s engagement in low-income countries. In this way, the RSR is focusing both the national and international SPJ agendas away from stand-alone projects and toward systems building. WHAT’S NE X T The RSR has become a renowned brand in development programs. It has managed to stay abreast of changing development landscapes and, through relatively small grants, has made a lasting imprint on SPJ coverage worldwide as well as on broader development agendas. 6 ◆◆ The RSR will continue building on the significant prog- ress achieved to date. It will do so by helping extend social safety nets and social protection delivery systems and make them more adaptable world- wide. The new adaptive social protection agenda has received increasing atten- tion, and the upcoming South-South learning forum supported by the RSR and the GFDRR, Building Resilience through Adaptive Social Protection, sheds light on the importance of this agenda. With GFDRR support, too, the RSR can help expand and enrich this topic through involvement in IBRD-eligible countries as well. ◆◆ The RSR will make use of new SPJ mandates and resources for better labor market and jobs outcomes. These include multisectoral, demand-side interventions related to migration and economic inclusion and with the overarching objective of helping client gov- ernments broaden and deepen their SPJ coverage and improve the economic opportunities of social protection beneficiaries. The focus will be on areas where SPJ policies and systems can make a significant difference, not only in maintain- ing the consumption of the poor and vulnerable, but also in empowering them— especially structurally disadvantaged groups, including women, migrants, and the internally displaced—to build their human capital and use it to achieve a better life for themselves and their families and communities through jobs and sustainable livelihoods. S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress ◆◆ Despite a remarkable increase worldwide, SPJ coverage remains low, particularly in low-income countries. Globally, some 131 million people are benefiting from SPJ programs through the catalytic nature of the RSR and linked IDA operations. However, as of 2015, only one in  five people received any SPJ benefits in low-income countries. The gap is more acute in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (World Bank 2015). ◆◆ Partnerships forged within and outside the World Bank Group have helped increase RSR visibility and momen- tum in the international SPJ field. Collaborations with the Human Development Practice Group within the World Bank on issues involving nutrition, gender, and jobs; the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for knowledge exchange, such as the South-South learning forums; and the GFDRR, for disaster-responsive SPJ, have opened the door to an increasing number of joint efforts. ◆◆ The 2017 Ministerial Roundtable meeting emphasized the need to build more inclusive and resilient programs and systems going forward. Central to this premise highlighted at the World Bank–International Monetary Fund spring meeting is the RSR’s role as both a catalyst of IDA support as well as a bridge between safety nets and disaster risk management measures in low- and middle-income countries. ◆◆ With changing global dynamics, there are new and con- 7 tinuous opportunities for SPJ and RSR involvement. Issues of fragility and conflict, internal and international waves of migration, increased linkages with the World Bank jobs agenda, and the productive economic inclusion of SPJ beneficiaries are among the challenges for which the RSR can chart new pathways for experimentation and learning. The RSR in Perspective SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS The RSR continues to be a popular program, with a global imprint on development agendas. While staying true to its core purpose of supporting SPJ systems building, the RSR has branched out to include nutrition-sensitive social protection and disaster-responsive social protection; and to support a variety of development agendas, including gender, urban social safety nets, and social protection for populations on the move. Since becoming operational in December 2009, the RSR has received a total of 367 expressions of interest and approved a total of 178 activities worldwide, amounting to about $93.8 million. During Round 10, a total of $5.07 million was allocated to 11 activities, including nutrition-sensitive and disaster-responsive social protection. The overall approval rate for expressions of interest submitted is 48.5 percent, with 35.7 percent of the funds requested actually being granted (table 1.2). R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 T A B L E 1 . 2   Expressions of interest submissions and approvals, cumulative as of end of calendar year 2013 2014 2015 2016 Number submitted 278 306 349 367 Total amount requested ($) 220,621,800 233,645,300 251,723,960 262,601,760 Number approved 131 140 167 178 Total amount approved ($) 74,898,847 78,612,347 88,682,307 93,755,107 Approval ratio, number of submissions (%) 47.1 45.8 47.9 48.5 Approval ratio, amount requested (%) 33.9 33.6 35.2 35.7 Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). The importance and impact of RSR support was acknowl- edged at the recent KNOWbel Awards. This year, two RSR-sup- ported SPJ projects won KNOWbel Awards, further solidifying RSR’s role in both SPJ systems building and in collaboration across sectors. The projects were based in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, respectively; they are further detailed in section 2. ◆◆ In Côte d’Ivoire, an RSR grant supported a unique public-private partnership approach for increasing social protection coverage, livelihoods, and financial inclu- sion among the poorest households. A collaborative effort between the World Bank’s SPJ Global Practice and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) led to innovative methods of service delivery, including mobile payments; and client 8 solutions, with transformative impacts on poor households (see feature beginning on page 32 for additional information). T he KNOWbel Awards are an International Finance Corporation ◆◆ In Uganda, the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Project (NUSAF III) is led by the SPJ Global Practice and aims to provide effective income support to (IFC) initiative and a World Bank and build the resilience of poor and vulnerable households in Northern Uganda Group–wide recognition program through labor-intensive public works and livelihood income support activities. It aimed at fostering a collaborative also includes a $12 million disaster risk financing component, which was recently knowledge-sharing culture. The most triggered to scale up the public works program for an additional 30,000 house- holds following a severe drought in the region. RSR support was instrumental outstanding, high-impact projects that in the design of a complementary IDA operation. Specifically, it funded a SPJ have managed to foster a collaborative sector review and initiated meaningful policy dialogue (see feature beginning on culture and increase efficiency while page 50 for additional information). learning from the past—and that, RSR financing has reached the majority of IDA-eligible most important, have supported client- countries worldwide. As envisaged by the original mandate of the RSR focused solutions—are presented MDTF of increasing SPJ coverage worldwide and the subsequent objective of sup- porting SPJ systems-building agendas, the RSR continues to be well aligned with its with the KNOWbel Award. purpose and is successful in assisting IDA countries around the world. In addition, IBRD-eligible countries can be added to the portfolio through nutrition-sensitive SPJ or disaster-responsive SPJ programs—primarily through South-South learning, communities of practice, and the building and testing of toolkits for analytical or operational purposes. As shown in table 1.3, RSR funding has been extended to 51 IDA-eligible countries. As of December 2016, only 11 IDA-eligible countries had not S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress T A B L E 1 . 3   Countries that have received direct assistance from the RSR Region Country Africa: Angola (1), Benin (1), Burkina Faso (1), Botswana (9), Burundi (6), Cameroon (1), Comoros (7), 38 countries Congo, Dem. Rep. (1), Congo, Rep. (6), Côte d’Ivoire (4), Ethiopia (1), Gambia, The (1), Ghana (1), Guinea (1), Guinea-Bissau (7), Kenya (1), Lesotho (1), Liberia (1), Madagascar (3), Malawi (1), Mali (1), Mauritania (5), Mozambique (2), Niger (3), Nigeria (3), Rwanda (1), São Tomé and Príncipe (6), Senegal (1), Sierra Leone (1), Somalia (9), South Sudan (9), Sudan (7), Swaziland (10), Tanzania (1), Togo (1), Uganda (1), Zambia (1), Zimbabwe (1) East Asia and the Cambodia (5), Fiji (9), Mongolia (1), Myanmar (5), Papua New Guinea (1), Philippines (9), Pacific: Timor-Leste (1), Tonga (9), Vanuatu (9), Vietnam (7) 10 countries Europe and Albania (1), Armenia (8), Kyrgyz Republic (1), Tajikistan (1), Uzbekistan (8) Central Asia: 5 countries Latin America and Antigua and Barbuda (4), Bolivia (3), Colombia (10), Dominica (3), Ecuador (9), El Salvador (3), the Caribbean: Grenada (3), Guyana (3), Haiti (1), Honduras (1), Jamaica (9), Mexico (8), Montserrat (4), Nica- 18 countries ragua (2), Peru (1), St. Kitts and Nevis (4), St. Lucia (3), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (3) Middle East and Djibouti (1), Yemen, Rep. (2) North Africa: 2 countries South Asia: Afghanistan (4), Bangladesh (1), Bhutan (5), India (1), Maldives (1), Nepal (1), Pakistan (3), 8 countries Sri Lanka (1) Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). Note: The numbers in parentheses indicate the first selection round in which RSR assistance was approved for the country. Countries in red are IBRD-only countries, approved through the RSR-NS (nutrition-sensitive) or RSR-DR (disaster-responsive) windows. Albania 9 graduated from IDA after receiving RSR assistance. Peru was included in a toolkit/knowledge-sharing project for which IBRD countries are eligible through the RSR Classic window. received direct assistance from the RSR: Cabo Verde, Chad, Eritrea, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micro- nesia, Moldova, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. While the RSR is present worldwide and reaches an increasing number of countries every round, the majority of support remains in the Africa region. The dominance of Africa in the RSR portfolio is due to both the region’s high number of uncovered people and increased demand in the face of natural and human-made crises. Altogether, without taking into account regional and global activities, the RSR has supported technical assistance—as well as small-scale pilot projects—in a total of 81 countries, as shown in table 1.3. During calendar year 2016, two new countries were added to the pool of RSR support: Colombia and Swaziland. The RSR has proven to be an impactful program, with concrete results and outcomes. As of December 2016, the RSR has, as noted above, supported 178 activities in 81 countries worldwide, reaching over 131 million people. This broad coverage has been made possible through the leveraging of IDA resources. RSR catalytic funding has also enabled new activities in countries previously without SPJ support; for those countries with existing support, it has enabled continued engagement. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Countries are finding the value added of RSR-supported SPJ systems to be much greater than anticipated in their initial expressions of interest. In Mozambique, for instance, the flexibil- ity of the RSR grant allowed for a rapid response, helped build a more robust social protection system, and helped the government pilot an approach that improved the lives of many thousands of people. Further, it enabled excluded groups—such as women and people with disabilities—to participate in innovative “soft” public works schemes. More important, the RSR grant leveraged $60 million through IDA opera- tions and additional financing. See the country case study beginning on page 29 for more detail. The RSR has not only helped leverage IDA resources, but has also informed the design of SPJ strategies and proj- ects. In Uganda, as noted earlier, RSR financing helped finalize the SPJ sector review under the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Project (NUSAF III) World Bank IDA operation. The findings from the consultative process held in preparation of the sector review also informed the social protection policy dialogue. The RSR has helped initiate new dialogues and engage- ment in countries without prior SPJ experience. The devel- opment community, both inside and outside the World Bank—as evidenced in the — increas- Bank’s spring meetings, learning forums, and on-the-ground operations­ ingly credits the RSR with building trust with government counterparts, allowing for international best practices to be shared and implemented, and enabling the building 10 of innovative and adaptive SPJ systems. Communities of practice and South-South learning forums have been widely popular and well accepted by govern- ment counterparts. These two mechanisms, which are the main knowl- edge-sharing initiatives of the RSR, have helped enhance the program’s visibility in both low- and middle-income countries. Communities of practice have been estab- lished around the world, including in West and East African countries. In addition to full-scale South-South learning forums—the next of which will be conducted in partnership with GIZ and the GFDRR—the RSR has sponsored several regional knowledge exchanges on adaptive SPJ and disaster-responsive SPJ systems, and workshops on coherent pension policy and improved pension delivery in Africa. These initiatives have made policy makers and practitioners more informed about the importance of building SPJ systems. Continuation of such activities will allow for more collaboration among IDA and IBRD countries and innovation in SPJ program- ming. S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress RSR Coverage F I G U R E 1 . 1   Cumulative resource allocations and project count by region, end December 2016 BY REGION Global 7% Regionally, across all rounds and all RSR windows (RSR Classic, RSR-DR, RSR-NS, SA MENA and RSRC), Africa accounts for the largest percentage of the RSR portfolio (fig- 13% ure 1.1). Given the design parameters of the RSRC and the RSR MDTF, a large share 3% AFR of RSR resources have been directed at Africa, which is where the largest number Resource allocations 51% of IDA-eligible countries are located. Total resources allocated to the Africa region LAC 14% by the end of 2016 represented 51 percent of all programmable resources, and ECA the number of projects in Africa is by far the largest—84 expression of interest, or 6% EAP almost 47 percent of the total count. This allocation trend has been fairly constant 6% since the program’s inception. 84 Number of projects BY THEME Since the Round 5 selection in June 2013, the RSR has used the thematic typol- ogy noted in table 1.4. Expressions of interest approved in earlier selection rounds 26 21 21 have been retroactively recoded to reflect this typology. The following observa- 14 12 2 tions include all rounds and all RSR windows (RSR Classic, RSR-DR, and RSR-NS). AFR SA Global LAC EAP ECA MENA Figure 1.2 shows the number of projects supported per theme, as well as resource Source: SAP (World Bank internal allocation shares as of the end of December 2016. system). 11 Theme 1: New or improved SPJ system components, plat- forms, and architecture for a specific country or countries F I G U R E 1 . 2   Cumulative resource continues to command the dominant share of projects, accounting for 74 percent of allocations and project count by both the total number of projects as well as of total resources allocated between cal- theme, end December 2016 endar years 2010 and 2016. In all, total resources allocated to Theme 1 have exceeded $69 million. The breakdown and share of subthemes within Theme 1 is as follows. Theme 3 WLD Theme 2 9% ◆◆ Subtheme 1.a.1, Systems diagnostics, analysis, and stocktaking, including the application of Inter-Agency Social Protection Assessment (ISPA) tools, rep- 17% resents the largest share of activities in the RSR portfolio, with 95 expressions of interest listing it as a subtheme—or 62 percent of the total theme count associ- Resource allocations 74% ated with approved expressions of interest under Theme 1. ◆◆ The second highest share is represented by Subtheme 1.b.2, Improving processes for determination of eligibility, with 59 approved expressions of interest Theme 1 citing it as a subtheme, or 39 percent of the total count associated with activities approved under Theme 1. 153 ◆◆ Subtheme 1.c.2, Integration of individual programs into coordinated, Number of projects national systems through harmonization and use of common components, plat- forms, or architecture, is represented by 57 projects; Subtheme 1.a.2, Iden- 34 tification or development of effective options, and Subtheme 1.b.1, Building 18 systems for robust identification of beneficiaries and development of registries, Theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 3 are addressed in 52 and 54 projects, respectively. Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 T A B L E 1 . 4   RSR thematic typology a. Systems diagnostics, analysis, and stocktaking 1. Diagnostic studies, stocktaking notes and mapping of SPJ programs, beneficiaries, or data collection practices 2. Identification or development of effective options by comparing the existing programs, their performance, cost-efficiency with programs in similar circumstances in other countries b. Specific elements of system components, platforms, and architecture, including: 1. Building systems for robust identification of beneficiaries and development of registries Theme 1: New 2. Improving processes for determination of eligibility or improved SPJ system 3. Developing effective appeals and grievances procedures components, 4. Streamlining payment systems to minimize the risk for error, fraud, and corruption and platforms, and increase efficiency architecture for a specific 5. Setting up appropriate evaluation arrangements country or countries 6. Establishing practices for communication and outreach 7. Building information systems for better service management 8. Improving administrative processes and clarifying rules c. Interministerial program harmonization of policies, programs and administrative arrange- ments 12 1. Coordination of legal and policy level frameworks 2. Integration of individual programs into coordinated, national systems through harmo- nization and use of common components, platforms, or architecture (from the list b.1–8 above) Theme 2: Increased • South-South and peer-to-peer learning cross-national learning and • Communities of practice knowledge sharing for SPJ • Analytical and operational toolkit service delivery Theme 3: Protection of • Provision of nutrition benefits—particularly for young children and pregnant/lactating mothers access to basic services in • Provision of other forms of social assistance benefits—cash transfers (conditional and times of crisis unconditional), in-kind transfers, public works, waivers for school fees and health costs, for a specific protection of particularly vulnerable groups (e.g., protection from gender-based violence) country or and required administrative support countries S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress As of the end of calendar year 2016, the cumulative count of projects and resources allocated for Theme 2: Increased cross-national learning and knowledge sharing for SPJ service delivery, were 34 and $8.9 mil- lion, respectively. The number of projects and the share of resources dedicated to Theme 3: Pro- tection of access to basic services in times of crisis for a specific country or countries did not increase since the last reporting period, remaining at 18 and $14.6 million, respectively. Theme 3 activities are recip- ient-executed emergency projects that actually distribute cash and in-kind benefits to poor and vulnerable populations to mitigate the severe impact of major crises. For this reason, expressions of interest that include Theme 3 activities are not approved unless the application of World Bank Operational Policy 8.00, Rapid Response to Crises and Emergencies, has been declared for the intended beneficiary country. ASSOCIATION WITH IDA AND OTHER BANK OPERATIONS By the end of December 2016, the RSR—including the RSR MDTF, the RSRC, the RSR-DR, and the RSR-NS—had received $110.0 million in programmable resources from its five development partners (Australia, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and the GFDRR (table 1.5). Of this total amount, approximately $47.6 million, funded by the RSR MDTF and the RSRC, was associ- ated with large-scale national programs/projects supported by World Bank opera- 13 tions—that is, IBRD loans, IDA credits/grants, and trust funds other than the RSR. These World Bank operations accounted for a total of about $7.09 billion in IDA cred- its/grants and additional IDA financing—a $1.41 billion increase compared to the last reporting period—$50 million in IBRD loans, and $484 million in non–RSR trust fund resources for RSR MDTF and IDA associated projects. The cumulative total financing from Bank operations reached $14.59 billion. Client governments mobilized $6.97 bil- lion in total, or approximately 48 percent of total World Bank operations financing. For each dollar of RSR programmable resources, there is an associated $64.40 in IDA financing. If total World Bank and national government financing is considered, every dollar of RSR programmable resources leverages an associated $132.60. And when only those projects that are directly associated with World Bank operations are taken into account, $306.50 in total associated financing is leveraged for every dollar of RSR financing. During calendar year 2016, associated national government counterpart financing is estimated to be approximately $1.5 billion (table 1.6). R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 T A B L E 1 . 5   RSR association with IDA and other resources Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 Resources ($) Total programmable RSR resources 90,531,791 100,135,891 101,219,506 110,013,684 Associated with WBG operations 43,460,009 45,983,509 46,036,580 47,612,530 Total amount of WBG operations financing 3,599,000,000 4,398,180,000 6,186,000,000 7,621,000,000 IDA credits and grants 3,352,500,000 4,146,680,000 5,681,000,000 7,087,000,000 IBRD loans 50,000,000 50,000,000 50,000,000.00 50,000,000 Non-RSR trust funds 196,500,000 201,500,000 455,000,000 484,000,000 Amount of government financing 5,088,230,000 5,710,100,000 6,877,000,000 6,972,000,000 WBG + government financing 8,687,230,000 10,108,280,000 13,063,000,000 14,593,000,000 Association ratios WBG/RSR per total programmable RSR resource 39.8 43.9 61.1 69.3 WBG/RSR per RSR financing directly associated 82.8 95.6 134.4 160.1 IDA/RSR per total programmable RSR resource 37.0 41.4 56.1 64.4 IDA/RSR per RSR financing directly associated 77.1 90.2 123.4 148.8 National budget/RSR per total programmable 56.2 57.0 67.9 63.4 RSR resource 14 National budget/RSR per RSR financing directly 117.1 124.2 149.4 146.4 associated Total associated resources/RSR per total 96.0 100.9 129.1 132.6 programmable RSR resource Total associated resources/RSR per RSR 199.9 219.8 283.8 306.5 financing directly associated Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). Note: WBG = World Bank Group. Note that the IDA figures were dominated by a single country (Bangladesh). IDA is the sole financier for most projects, with the following notable exceptions: • IDA provides 18 percent ($500 million) of the total cost of Bangladesh’s Safety Net Systems for the Poorest Project (P132634; July 2013); the rest ($2.2 billion) is provided by the government. • IDA provides 75 percent ($300 million) of support to Nigeria’s Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (P126964; March 2013); the remaining $100 million is provided by the government. • IDA provides 27 percent ($500 million) of support to Nigeria’s Social Protection Project (P151488; June 2016); the remaining $1.33 billion is provided by the government. • IDA provides $220 million to Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Net project (P124045; March 2012); the remainder is provided by the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) ($16 million), the government ($4 million), and Spain ($0.9 million). S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress T A B L E 1 . 6   World Bank financing approved for SPJ activities, 2016–17 IDA Government Region Country Project title Approved (million $) (million $) Africa Burundi Social Safety Nets (Merankabandi) 12/15/2016 40 0 Africa Chad Chad Safety Nets Project 9/1/2016 5 0 Africa Djibouti Djibouti Social Safety Net Second 5/31/2016 4 0 Additional Financing Africa Ethiopia Productive Safety Net Project (PSNP 4) 6/30/2016 100 110 Additional Financing Africa Guinea Additional Financing Productive Social 5/31/2016 12 0 Safety Nets Project Africa Guinea- Second Additional Financing to Rural 5/10/2016 10 0 Bissau Community-Driven Development Project Africa India Tejaswini: Socioeconomic Empower- 6/21/2016 63 27 ment of Adolescent Girls & Youth Africa Kenya Kenya Youth Employment and 5/20/2016 150 0 Opportunities Africa Lesotho Social Assistance Project 6/3/2016 20 7 Africa Lesotho Additional Financing to Social 12/6/2016 20 0 Assistance Project - CRW Fund Africa Liberia Liberia Social Safety Nets Project 4/28/2016 10 0 15 Africa Madagascar AF Social Safety Net Drought Response 11/10/2016 35 0 Africa Malawi Second AF for Strengthening Safety 11/8/2016 70 0 Nets Systems Project MASA Africa Nepal Strengthening Systems for Social 12/2/2016 150 0 Protection and Civil Registry Africa Niger Adaptive Social Safety Nets Project 4/7/2016 22.5 0 Africa Nigeria National Social Safety Nets Project 6/7/2016 500 1,333 Africa Nigeria Community and Social Development 6/7/2016 75 0 AF-2 Africa Nigeria Nigeria Youth Employment and Social 6/7/2016 100 0 Support AF Africa Rwanda Third Social Protection System Support 10/31/2016 95 0 (SPS-3) Africa Tanzania TZ-PSSN Additional Financing 6/16/2016 200 0 South Asia Sri Lanka Social Safety Nets Project 12/2/2016 75 0 Middle East & Yemen, Yemen Emergency Crisis Response 7/19/2016 50 0 North Africa Rep. Project Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 F I G U R E 1 . 3   RSR results chain S PJ C O V E R A G E C ATA LY Z E D B Y T H E R S R The RSR results chain is straightforward. The RSR provides a small amount of The RSR funding to facilitate SPJ system building and strengthening of activities in IDA-el- funds a small amount igible countries. Many of those efforts mobilize and facilitate the preparation of a for building/ full-fledged IDA-funded project. In turn, the IDA projects provide the needed SPJ strengthening coverage (figure 1.3). SPJ systems As of end December 2016, approximately 131 million people were estimated to be under the SPJ coverage of IDA-funded operations catalyzed by the RSR. Half of those are estimated to be women (table 1.7). Full- fledged IDA Given that the total programmable resources during calendar year 2016 were roughly operations mobilize and $110.0 million, it can be estimated that $0.84 in additional RSR resources leads to leverage the expansion of SPJ coverage for one additional person. This marginal cost to the resources RSR of SPJ coverage has become much more economical over time; the December 2015 estimate was $1.40. In-country ASPIRE COVERAGE projects expand IDA ASPIRE (Atlas of Social Protection Indicators of Resilience and Equity) is an ongo- operations ing program funded in part by the RSR that aims to improve SPJ data quality, through global comparability, and availability to better inform SPJ policies and programs. Its portal partnerships (http://datatopics. worldbank.org/aspire/) generates harmonized indicators to assess 16 the performance of social assistance, social insurance, and labor market programs based on nationally representative household survey data. Most indicators are esti- mated by program type, for the entire population and by quintiles, of both pre- and post-transfer welfare distribution. ASPIRE coverage has increased significantly over T A B L E 1 . 7   SPJ coverage time. At the end of the present reporting period (December 2016), its database con- catalyzed by the RSR in IDA- tained data for 122 countries (including 216 surveys), compared to 57 in 2013. supported projects (millions of individuals) Both Females K E Y RE SULTS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Year sexes only Figure 1.4 illustrates the RSR results framework. The framework is articulated 2013 42.1 21.0 around three levels of results: (1) impacts, (2) outcomes, and (3) outputs. Outputs 2014 77.3 38.3 are what the implementation agency can exert the most control over, while out- comes and impacts tend to be more contingent on a variety of contextual and 2015 72.4 36.2 exogenous factors. 2016 131.5 65.8 Source: Implementation status and results reports and implementation completion reports of IDA operations associated with the RSR. S ection 1 :   S u mmar y of P rogress F I G U R E 1 . 4   RSR results framework pyramid REDUCED POVERTY AND INEQUALITY Impact MORE POOR PEOPLE COVERED BY SPJ SYSTEMS Indicator SPJ coverage in IDA-supported projects (total number, by country, gender) Outcome ENHANCED CAPACITY OF SPJ SYSTEMS TO PROTECT POOR AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE Time and • Increased resource • Increased resource allocation • Global SPJ data complexity Indicators allocation to SPJ to SPJ overall budget – domestic accessible (# of new through IDA (million $) and other funding (million $) countries in ASPIRE/ISPA) Outputs NEW/IMPROVED SPJ SYSTEMS INCREASED AWARENESS OF PROTECTION OF AND COMPONENTS SPJ OPTIONS ACCESS TO BASIC SERVICES DURING • System diagnostic and stocktaking • South-South learning events CRISES (2 sub-output dimensions, # and $) (# participants, # countries represented) Indicators • Component design and development • Participation in community of practice (# of • Number of direct (8 sub-output dimensions, and $) • Interagency program harmonization countries, # countries represented) beneficiaries 17 (2 sub-output dimensions, # and $) • Toolkit users (# downloads, # training • Customer feedback participants) (# client governments interviewed) Themes SPJ SYSTEMS LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE ACCESS TO BASIC SERVICES DURING CRISES • Diagnostics • South-South Forum Activities • Components • Community of Practice • Safety net benefits for nutrition • Harmonization • Toolkits • Other forms of safety nets 2 SECTION Country Highlights R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 KENYA Support to developing and strengthening the country’s social protection system A s the government of Kenya struggled with a fragmented social protection system, RSR-funded activities directly contributed to the development of a more comprehensive national social protection and labor system by enhancing the capabilities of a single registry, developing common program targeting mechanisms, and designing program graduation mechanisms. The grant was critical in advancing reforms to consolidate Kenya’s major cash transfer programs and contributed to improved program delivery and a reduction in inefficiencies and duplication of efforts. Moreover, the grant ensured increased investments in the area of youth employment and informed the design of the $150 million IDA-funded Kenya S Youth Employment Opportunities Project. ocial protection has long been an important part of the Kenyan government’s strategy to fight poverty and Challenge promote equitable economic Economic growth not matched by proportional poverty growth and social inclusion. The reduction. The country’s economic growth during the past decade has not yet 20 country’s constitution asserts the led to the realization of the goal of “a prosperous society for all.” The benefits of “right for every person to social economic advances have accrued to the elite, as the top 10 percent garners about security and binds the state to 40 percent of the nation’s income. Poverty remains rampant. Four out of 10 Kenyans lives in poverty, as economic growth has not translated into expected improvements provide appropriate social security in development outcomes. One consequence of the uneven distribution of the coun- to persons who are unable to try’s wealth is that many of the poorest children suffer from low cognitive develop- support themselves and their ment stemming from poor nutrition. dependents.” Governance: a major brake on growth and development, despite improvements. Overlapping or uncoordinated government agen- cies, weak implementation, and misuse of state resources are hampering develop- ment potential in many sectors. Efforts to improve oversight and accountability by strengthening the demand side of governance are under way—albeit challenging to fully embed. Youth employment: an opportunity behind the challenge. Growth, while solid, has been constrained by low investment and productivity. The rising number of youth in the working population represents a tremendous opportu- nity for faster economic growth, but only if the demographic dividend can be produc- tively exploited. Among other things, youth will need to acquire relevant labor market skills and find the pathways to employment. Fragmented social protection. At the time the RSR grant was made, Kenya’s safety net sector was composed mainly of four cash transfer programs. S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights These were fragmented and uncoordinated, as they were implemented through different departments using different targeting approaches, payment mechanisms, monitoring frameworks, and complaints and grievance mechanisms. ASSOCIATED IDA PROJECTS The need: a comprehensive social protection approach that goes beyond safety nets. Kenya’s National Safety Net Program The RSR grant-funded ac- was established in response to the fragmentation challenge, creating an effective, tivities in Kenya supported efficient, and coherent framework within which to place the four main cash trans- three IDA projects: fer programs. It was also understood that social protection services in the country ◆◆ Enhanced the delivery would need to move beyond safety nets toward more integrated and comprehensive of the National Safety social services that promote economic inclusion and jobs. Poor Kenyan households Net Program for need to strengthen their resilience, improve their welfare, and enhance their capaci- Results (P131305) a ties and assets in order to be able to graduate out of poverty. $250 million project aimed at supporting the Kenyan government Approach in establishing an effective national safety net program for poor/ The RSR grant aimed to support and enhance delivery of Kenya’s National Safety vulnerable households Net Program for results and contribute to a system that would move beyond social safety nets to cover labor market programs as well. The approach consisted of three ◆◆ Supported the components: Additional Financing for Cash Transfers ◆◆ Enhancing the functionalities of the existing single for Orphans and registry so that it could serve as a database for safety Vulnerable Children 21 nets beneficiary information. The registry is linked to the Integrated Project (P146161), which Population Registration System (IPRS). The enhancements enabled information was partially financed through a $10 million to be shared across Kenya’s four cash transfer programs, thus allowing program IDA commitment and implementers to verify beneficiary information against the IPRS. In this way, seeks to increase social implementers can confirm that beneficiaries meet eligibility criteria, flag cases of safety net access for beneficiary “double dipping,” and allow for provision of complementary services orphans and vulnerable to eligible beneficiaries (e.g., health insurance to orphans). children in extremely poor households ◆◆ Improving targeting and recertification. Technical assistance through effective was provided to develop and implement a consolidation strategy and a harmo- program expansion nized targeting mechanism across the four cash transfer programs to improve coordination within a single coherent framework. Among other issues, the activ- ◆◆ Informed the ities undertaken aimed to bring coherence to the daily management of the cash design of the Kenya Youth Employment transfer programs—including transfer of payments, handing of complaints and Opportunities Project grievances, monitoring and evaluation, and consolidation of the program man- (P151831), a $150 agement information systems. Adoption and implementation of this strategy was million IDA project expected to lead to significant efficiency gains in program delivery and to con- aimed at increasing solidate capacity, better allowing the government to link cash transfers and other employment and related social protection programs. earnings opportunities for targeted youth ◆◆ Creating linkages with safety net and graduation pro- grams and productive services. These linkages involved harmonized targeting mechanisms and identifying gaps in programing. Technical assistance was provided to better understand existing programs, particularly within the youth R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 22 employment area. This provided both the client and the World Bank with good scope to define clear links and pathways between the various safety net pro- grams and labor market programs. Accomplishments and Results The $415,250 RSR grant helped the government of Kenya accomplish much—includ- ing developing a comprehensive social protection system that also covered labor market programs. Specific accomplishments follow. ◆◆ Developed the Consolidation Strategy. —— RSR-funded activities played a critical role in the creation of a coordinating body, the Social Assistance Unit, which was a notable achievement given the difficult political economic context within the government. Three of the four cash transfer programs, which were housed within the Ministry of East African Community, Labor and Social Protection, were consolidated under this new S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights unit. The fourth program remains with the National Drought Management Authority because of its focus on drought-affected counties, but its implemen- tation is closely coordinated with the Social Assistance Unit. —— Greatly improved the delivery of government programs, including harmoniza- tion of the payment mechanism and—for the first time—ensured timeliness of A WORD FROM THE payments for all four programs. PROJEC T TASK TE AM LE ADER… T —— Harmonized monitoring and evaluation frameworks and consolidation of he RSR grant was critical in management information systems (ongoing), and complaints and grievance advancing dialogue and reforms in arrangements at the national level (efforts are ongoing at the local level). the Kenyan safety nets sector. The ◆◆ Produced a harmonized targeting methodology and tool, grant-funded activities helped bring further contributing to the consolidation of Kenya’s about more coherence and efficiency in cash transfer programs. The RSR grant supported development of program delivery, and it improved the an improved unified targeting methodology and common operational targeting procedures and guidelines; these helped in avoiding confusion and contradictions linkages between the social protection on the ground emerging from different targeting approaches and timings. The tool and jobs sectors. is expected to contribute to increased efficiency and improved targeting/coverage —Cornelia M. Tesliuc of the National Safety Net Program. ◆◆ Conducted Kenya’s first attempt to profile working-age vulnerable populations through diagnostic labor market studies. The provision of technical assistance and analytical work initiated engagement with the government and guided dialogue around youth employment 23 activities (see box below). ◆◆ Conducted youth consultations aimed at informing pol- icy decisions. Consultations were undertaken with young people to better understand their needs and desires, options and views, in terms of most appropri- ate social services. Kenya Youth Jobs Diagnostic As part of a Youth Jobs Diagnostic, 12 youth profiles were defined based on labor market conditions and demographic variables from the 2005 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey. Based on these profiles, which identify specific youth employability and social barriers, activation recommendations were drafted to ◆◆ Increase the employability of those actively seeking work; ◆◆ Equip those who are considered inactive but able to work with education and experience to enter the labor market; ◆◆ Improve upward mobility among those in low-productivity/low-paid jobs. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Strengthening SPJ systems in low-capacity countries in Latin America and the Caribbean F our countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region—Bolivia, Grenada, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which are among the region’s poorest nations—ben- efited from RSR grant-funded activities which build on government efforts to reform their social protection systems, as well as ongoing Bank efforts in this regard. These activities contributed to increasing the evidence and knowledge of SPJ programs, provided a pivotal public good, and built government capacity. The activities conducted under the grant strengthened country engagement by support- ing and informing policy decisions. 24 S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights Challenge Bolivia: after impressive poverty and inequality reduction, progress is stagnating with slower growth. Bolivia has achieved strong progress in reducing poverty and inequality rates since 2002, outperforming most other Latin American countries. The poverty rate decreased from 63 percent of the population in 2002 to 39 percent in 2013, and extreme poverty from 37 percent ASSOCIATED IDA in 2002 to 19 percent in 2013. Poverty reduction was accompanied by a large decline PROJECTS in income inequality. However, due to a less favorable economic context, with growth decreasing from 6.8 percent in 2013 to 4 percent in 2016, progress toward The RSR grant comple- reducing poverty and inequality has stagnated. mented activities imple- mented by IDA resources in Despite large investments in SPJ, coverage and quality in all four countries: Bolivia remain problematic. Even with the cushions accumulated during ◆◆ Bolivia: Improving the period the economy was thriving, public spending efficiency must be improved Employability and Labor to ensure it increases the coverage and quality of public services and protects the Income of Youth Project most vulnerable groups. The government has increased investments in social trans- (P143995) fer programs (mostly categorically targeted or universal). A universal social pension guaranteeing a basic pension for all people over the age of 60 was introduced in ◆◆ Grenada Safety Net 2008, and the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Provision has strength- Advancement Project (P123128) ened its active labor market programs. The country’s two conditional cash transfer programs promote the use of health services by pregnant women and children under ◆◆ Honduras Social age two and promote basic education among school-aged children. Protection and Its 25 Additional Financing Grenada: high unemployment and vulnerability persist, (P115592) despite economic recovery acceleration. Although Grenada’s eco- nomic recovery accelerated in 2014, unemployment remained high at about 29 per- ◆◆ Nicaragua Social Protection (P121779) cent, with youth unemployment reaching about 45 percent in 2014. The country ranks high on the UN Human Development Index, compared to other countries at similar income levels, but is highly vulnerable to external economic shocks (including changes in terms of trade and declines in tourism) and natural disasters. Grenada’s social safety nets feature poor targeting, frag- mentation, and duplication. A 2009 assessment found that Grenada’s safety net needed improvement in several areas. Existing social assistance programs are fragmented and duplicative, with poor targeting, a lack of operational manuals and reliable management information systems to track beneficiaries and payments, and scant monitoring and evaluation. Also, better linkages are needed to positive behavioral change, such as increased school attendance among poor children. With World Bank support, the government undertook a reform of its social assistance programs, which entails strengthening the basic architecture of the consolidated conditional cash transfer program, increasing coverage of poor households receiving cash transfers, and improving the education outcomes of poor children and health monitoring of vulnerable households. Honduras faces the highest level of economic inequality in Latin America, along with high poverty and rampant crime. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Since the 2008–09 global economic crisis, Honduras has experienced a moderate recovery: 3.7 percent growth in 2016, with the same expected for 2017. Despite the more favorable economic outlook, recent progress toward poverty reduction has been disappointing, with nearly one in five Hondurans living on less than $1.90 a day. According to official data, more than 66 percent of the population was living in poverty A WORD FROM THE in 2016. Another major challenge in the country is rampant crime and violence; Hondu- PROJEC T TASK TE AM LE ADER… ras has one of the highest murder rates in the world (59 murders per 100,000 inhabi- G tants in 2016). Additionally, Honduras is highly vulnerable to adverse natural events. iven the fluid environment task teams work in, the flexible nature A dire need exists to improve the implementation of SPJ of the RSR trust fund helped teams programs. The Honduran government has developed a conditional cash transfer program to provide income support to households in poverty and promote invest- take advantage of opportunities to the ments in human capital. The secretary of Social Development developed a unique fullest extent as they appeared—and registry of beneficiaries; since 2015, the conditional cash transfer program has allowed the team to maintain and revised its targeting formula to focus on only the extreme poor. The World Bank and IDB are helping improve program implementation through the development of trans- deepen engagement with the targeted parent mechanisms and instruments for targeting program beneficiaries, monitoring countries while being responsive to the compliance with program co-responsibilities, and making payments to program government’s requests. beneficiaries. —Junko Onishi Nicaragua has seen notable advances in poverty reduc- tion, despite its being the poorest country in Central America. Despite a per capita gross national income (GNI) of only $1,870, Nicaragua nonetheless saw a 13 percent drop in general poverty between 2009 and 26 2014—from about 43 percent to about 30 percent. Over the same period, extreme poverty dropped 6 percent, from about 15 to about 8 percent. The country ranks among the most vulnerable in terms of natural disasters and extreme climate. Access to basic services remains a challenge in Nicara- gua despite advances. Within the National System of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Children has played an important role in responding to the needs of the extremely poor. In 2009, it launched the Family and Community Attention Model, whose objective was to improve social welfare conditions focusing on the family with a life-cycle approach. The flagship program, Programa Amor, aims to improve beneficiaries’ social welfare conditions covering the different stages of the life cycle. While there have been advances in education and health, there are still gaps in extremely poor families’ use of social services that need to be addressed. Across the four countries, the coverage and public spend- ing of social protection programs should be assessed. In all four countries, it was deemed necessary and highly relevant to analyze the effective- ness and efficiency of spending on social protection programs. Such assessments are particularly effective when put in comparative terms with other countries in similar stages of economic development. Through the data collected and the capacity-build- ing activities conducted under this RSR-funded activity, Bolivia, Grenada, Honduras, and Nicaragua are now able to identify program areas that require further investment or reduced spending, within the respective social protection reforms. S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights Approach The overall objective was to increase evidence and knowledge of the scope and performance of existing SPJ programs so as to help inform SPJ policy, as well as to provide an important public good contributing to several regional and global knowl- edge initiatives. Given the limited capacity for collecting and analyzing SPJ data in these countries, the RSR grant-funded activities also aimed to improve government capacity for monitoring and evaluation of SPJ indicators. The specific activities under- taken included stocktaking and mapping of SPJ programs through data collection and analysis, estimating key indicators (expenditure, number of beneficiaries, and performance), capacity building, and contributing to analytical work to enhance policy dialogue. Component 1: Data collection and SPJ system components mapping. Activities undertaken in this component include the following: ◆◆ Reviewed reports, policy, and research notes to identify existing information about SPJ programs in the countries. ◆◆ Collected detailed information on each program, including annual budget amounts, annual spending amounts, annual average benefits, and annual average number of beneficiaries disaggregated by sex. ◆◆ Collected information on program design features—e.g., starting/ending year, eli- 27 gibility criteria and targeting mechanism description, and relevant laws—in order to develop a better understanding of how these programs operate. T he training undertaken under ◆◆ Classified the collected data and information for consistency and compatibility component 2 was highly with the ASPIRE database. appreciated by the public officials Component 2: Capacity building. The team worked with key stake- and participants praised the immediate holders in the line ministries on the data collection and analytical activities with the applicability to their day-to-day tasks. goal of improving capacity for sustained monitoring and evaluation of SPJ system performance. Workshops and training were tailored to maximize impact and syner- gies with ongoing projects and analytical activities. Component 3: Stocktaking and dissemination. This component originally envisioned the development of policy notes. However, as implementation proceeded, it was deemed more appropriate, given some data collection delays and the timing of ongoing activities, to support country-level analytical work already under way. Accomplishments and Results The activities funded through the $150,000 RSR grant contributed to increasing the evidence and knowledge of SPJ programs, informed policy in each country, provided R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 a pivotal public good, and built government capacity. Specific accomplishments follow. ◆◆ Informed policy decisions. All activities conducted under this task strengthened country engagement by supporting and informing policy decisions. ◆◆ Contributed to a comprehensive mapping of SPJ pro- grams as well as compilation of information on their design. There was extensive collection of administrative data on spending and numbers of beneficiaries in Bolivia, Grenada, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The infor- mation has been compiled into the region’s ASPIRE database, and will be part of the global ASPIRE database (see box below). ◆◆ Improved government capacity to assess existing SPJ programs. In particular, the RSR grant-funded activities filled important knowledge gaps about spending and performance, and strengthened the respec- tive government’s technical capacity for future monitoring and evaluation of SPJ indicators. As capacity building through regular engagements by the task teams was difficult to capture and document through a regional task, the team planned and conducted discrete capacity-building activities in Grenada, Honduras, and Nicaragua focused on training technical staff on concrete analytical skills, tailored to the needs and data availability of the countries. ◆◆ Strengthened the data analysis skills of government 28 counterparts in all four countries supported by the grant. This strengthening in turn facilitates knowledge exchange as the techni- cal staff are more appreciative of the Bank’s technical and analytical contributions and are able to produce and analyze data more appropriately for and in policy making. The Atlas of Social Protection Indicators of Resilience and Equity (ASPIRE) Initiative T he RSR grant Assessing Social Protection Systems contributed to the expansion of the ASPIRE database and has strengthened its significance as a global public good. Activities built on the LAC regional team’s expe- rience in collecting SPJ program administrative data to contribute to the ASPIRE initiative. Prior to this, the LAC social protection database contained mostly larger, middle-income countries with higher capacity. Now LAC data for ASPIRE provides benchmarks for lower-income countries in the region as well. The LAC region has invested in building a comprehensive database on government spending on social assis- tance and labor market programs in the region. The resulting database includes information on expenditure, number of beneficiaries, and SPJ program design aspects for 10 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. This knowledge platform provides tools—including standard definitions, classifications, and templates—that counterparts in low-income settings can apply and thereby organize their data collection and reporting. It also provides data on SPJ program benchmark spending and coverage, available to inform the design of future SPJ systems. S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights MOZAMBIQUE Building gender-sensitive SPJ delivery systems T he RSR helped Mozambique establish a comprehensive, robust social protec- tion system. Through the piloting of an innovative “soft” public works scheme, female-headed household participation in public works increased, and much- needed social and community services were expanded to reach vulnerable households. Concurrently, coordination between the relevant sectors improved. Challenge Mozambique, a struggling shooting star. Over the past two decades, Mozambique was often referred to as “Africa’s fastest rising star,” a country well known for its rapid economic growth. What is less known is that half of the country’s population remains poor amid growing inequalities. Mozambique’s eco- nomic growth did not translate into poverty reduction or proportional improvements in development outcomes. Growth was also accompanied by very little sustained formal employment. Women in particular struggle to find stable sources of income, and female-headed households experience higher concentrations of poverty. 29 Social protection, but not yet for all. Although the government of Mozambique has made considerable progress in building a social protection sys- tem in recent years, the inclusion and coverage of women and the most vulnerable groups remains low. The chronically ill, people with disabilities, the elderly, and chil- dren in particular often lack protection and access to social services all together. More than two out of five children under the age of five suffer from chronic undernutrition. Public works: not only a “man’s world.” Public works programs can reduce current poverty through participants’ labor earnings by making the assets cre- ated valuable to the poor. The Productive Social Action Program (an IDA operation) was designed as part of an effort to expand Mozambique’s social protection sys- tem. The program’s aim was to provide employment to the chronically poor through labor-intensive public works. Poor households with at least one member capable of working were targeted. After two years, female participation remained low due to a lack of appropriate activities, the absence of child care options for beneficiaries, and sociocultural constraints. The need: gender-sensitive SPJ delivery systems. More gender-sensitive design features in the existing public works program were clearly needed. Equality of opportunity in participation had to be ensured, and female biases in project choices reversed. The specific challenges to address were (1) the low inclusion of women as well as persons with mild disabilities in labor-intensive public works schemes; (2) weak access to social and community services, and (3) weak institutional coordination among the sectors relevant to a strong social protection system. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Approach Necessity, the mother of invention. Since the challenges were com- 30 plex and touched the lives of an enormous number of people living in highly vulner- able situations, an “outside-the-box” approach was required. Coverage of public works programs had to be expanded to traditionally excluded households, while social and community services had to be expanded to better reach poor households. The team came up with a way to meet these two needs with one deed. They sought to reinvent public works programs in a model of “for the people by the people,” hiring and training community members to provide needed community services in exchange for monthly pay. This new approach to public works was piloted—the Building Gender-Sensitive Social Protection and Labor Systems—with the aim of helping the government improve its social protection systems through increased coverage of female-headed households in public works. The project accordingly designed and implemented the following “soft” public works: ◆◆ Offering temporary employment opportunities to women and people with disabilities in social and com- munity service delivery public works. These projects are less physically demanding than traditional basic infrastructure public works. Flexible working hours and results-based, rather than time-based, work were imple- mented to facilitate female participation while encouraging productivity. ◆◆ Providing social and community services particularly needed by vulnerable populations. At the district and munic- ipal levels, a set of social and community services were identified (and their S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights programmatic and operational potential analyzed) that could be implemented under a public works scheme within the frame of the government’s Productive Social Action Program. ◆◆ Strengthening the social protection system through improved coordination. Coordination among participating sectors (social assistance, education, and health) was improved through close cross-sec- toral collaboration in developing materials, delivering training, and supervising service provision. Sensitization and training activities were also conducted to ensure that implementing agencies at the local level were fully engaged with the A WORD FROM THE approach and operation of inclusive public works. PROJEC T TASK TE AM LE ADER… Accomplishments and Results T he flexibility of the RSR grant allowed for a rapid response and The RSR grant helped the government create a more comprehensive and robust helped build a more robust social social protection system in Mozambique while leveraging $10 million in additional protection system in Mozambique. IDA financing. Specific accomplishments include the following: It helped the government pilot an ◆◆ Expanded coverage and inclusion while increasing approach that improved the lives equality. The grant provided employment in inclusive public works at the local of many thousands and enabled level to historically excluded target groups. excluded groups—women and people with disabilities—to participate ◆◆ Increase in female-headed household participation in 31 public works schemes. Participation by females increased by 95 percent. in innovative “soft” public works schemes. A scaling-up at the national ◆◆ High degree of empowerment of female beneficiaries. A qualitative survey found that one of the project’s most appreciated outcomes was level is currently in the making. related to beneficiaries’ self-esteem, as beneficiaries providing services in their —Eric Zapatero Larrio communities felt much more respected. ◆◆ Improved sector coordination. Mozambique’s social protection, health, and education sectors worked together closely in developing materials, delivering training, and supervising the provision of services; this resulted in improved coordination. ◆◆ Identified inclusive public works. The project successfully informed the government of potential alternatives to increase the coverage of its public works program by identifying inclusive public works that would promote the inclusion of previously excluded groups. ◆◆ Support for additional poor households. The grant activities contributed to increasing the beneficiaries of social safety net programs by sup- porting an additional 12,032 households through public works. ◆◆ Expanded coverage of social and community services. Households and vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, people with HIV, and chronically ill individuals, benefited from access to social services. CÔTE D’IVOIRE: 2017 KNOWBEL AWARD FOR CLIENT SOLUTIONS RSR-funded digital benefits transfer project pushes the limits of innovation to improve social protection and livelihoods I f you are munching on a handful of cashew nuts or a piece of dark chocolate, or sipping a cup of aromatic espresso, there is a good chance that the raw materials for the delicacies you are enjoying come from Côte d’Ivoire—the world’s largest producer of cocoa and Robusta coffee beans, and its second-largest cashew FEATURE producer. Côte d’Ivoire has seen significant economic growth, primarily driven by agriculture, since the resolution of its civil war in 2011. Nonetheless, poverty remains high, and most farmers live below the poverty line, while vulnerable populations in remote areas lack access to markets and basic social services. The good news is that the country is seeing an increased focus on livelihoods, social protection, and financial inclusion as a means to address poverty. This is due in large 32 part to World Bank Group project collaborations, such as the 2017 KNOWbel Award winner highlighted here. The Creating Markets: Digitizing Government-to-Person Transfers for Social Protection in Côte d’Ivoire project team is drawn from the Bank’s SPJ Global Practice and IFC’s Digital Financial Services Practice and Partnership for Financial Inclusion, including ID4D for Africa, the SPJ Global Solutions Group for Delivery Systems, and the Jobs Group. The team coordinates closely with private and public sector partners as well as with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP). The project takes an ingenious approach to modernizing Côte d’Ivoire’s social protection delivery system while improving linkages between the country’s social protection and jobs sectors. It is jointly led by Heba Elgazzar, a Senior Economist in the World Bank, and Meritxell Martinez, an IFC Operations Officer. We spoke with Heba about her experiences working on the project, the persistence and patience required to cultivate a strong public-private partnership, and the bene- fits of institutional collaboration for client-focused solutions and greater impact. Heba also shared her thoughts on how a comparatively small grant ($417,000) from the RSR became the most important driver in mobilizing $100 million in additional IDA financing for scale-up. ◆◆◆ Q. Congratulations to you and the team on winning the 2017 KNOWbel award! Can you tell us about the innovative aspects of this project and some of its accomplishments? T hank you! First and foremost I would like to say that I accepted this award on behalf of our team, including the IFC lead, Meritxell Martinez, based in the field. Each and every member was indispensable and whatever success was achieved was thanks to this joint effort and the dedication of our counterparts back in Côte d’Ivoire. We are all very grateful that KNOWbel has acknowledged our project through this award. When it comes to our work in Côte d’Ivoire, I’ll begin by saying that the many years of destructive civil conflict, worsening employment prospects, and increasing poverty had hampered whatever social protection existed. In fact, large parts of the population were excluded from all social benefits, with per- FEATURE haps school feeding programs being the only exception. There was a major challenge to social protection delivery, as well as employ- ment support, and that was that a vast number of households—especially in hard-to-reach rural areas—had not even been identified by the social protec- tion system and were not part of a registry of any kind. In short, a large part of the population was basically missing! The urgency of finding new ways of expanding social protection was clear and thanks to funding from the RSR, we could launch the Creating Markets: 33 Digitizing Government-to-Person Transfers for Social Protection project. We leveraged core expertise from across disciplines and identified solutions that were then iterated with the government to ensure that a tailor-made approach for the local context was chosen. The main innovation was that we helped improve and leverage the country’s digital foundation so that it could be used to deliver social benefits—in the form of cash transfers—to even the most remote households. This meant that we could identify people who had previously been completely invisible in the social protec- tion and labor system. Through a public-private We helped improve partnership, we worked with mobile money operators to first find a way to provide these and leverage the vulnerable households with mobile accounts. Once the households had been identified and country’s digital the accounts set up, it became a form of identi- fication. foundation so it could We then set up a routine schedule for transfer- be used to deliver ring social benefits to areas that are very diffi- cult for social workers to reach—thereby circum- cash transfers to venting significant infrastructural weaknesses due to the long conflict, while ensuring financial even the most inclusion and the redistribution of the spoils of economic growth to the most vulnerable. remote households. Côte d’Ivoire has For the first time in Côte d’Ivoire, vulnerable households have received cash transfers from actually become the government through mobile money tech- nology—including beneficiaries from local one of the fastest- cooperatives who have started to leverage the technology for improving livelihoods. The growing digital approach represents a significant innovation for government-to-person payments in Côte d’Ivo- finance markets ire through the government’s Productive Social Safety Net Program. in the world. In just the very first phases of the program, a vast number of people in remote areas have been reached. Approximately 210,000 poor individuals from 35,000 previously unreached households have benefited from mobile money accounts and FEATURE e-cash transfers as of the end of December 2017. In addition, some 600,000 individuals from nearly 100,000 households are now registered with the social registry system, although not all of them are mobile account/e-transfer bene- ficiaries. The program has also been instrumental in mobilizing additional IDA financing for future scale-up. I should also mention that the project has helped open up whole new mar- kets and the country’s telecommunications network is expanding rapidly: it has actually become one of the fastest-growing digital finance markets in the 34 world.  Q. Let’s talk a bit about digital payments and their benefits in the context of social protection programs. Have you been able to see a reduction in transac- tion costs? T he payment delivery mechanism represents a significant element of the administrative budget of most social protection programs. A shift to digital payments can help reduce transaction costs by improving transparency and reducing leakage while opening the door for vulnerable households to benefit from access to the financial system. We have managed to reduce the transaction costs, and there are multiple aspects to our savings. First, we believe that the financial savings have been substantial. The fee the mobile money operators charge is around 1 percent (at the most 3 percent) of the cash transfer payment itself. Whether hiring a secure financial agent to deliver cash transfers to the beneficiaries, or opening new bank branches—the labor, transportation, and additional security would certainly be much costlier than that 1 percent. Moreover, recipients of cash payments in rural areas often have to travel considerable distances to desig- nated locations, incurring high travel costs. The second aspect, which is not quantifiable, is the time factor. Here we have made substantive savings for both beneficiaries and providers, with one small caveat: With a project like this you have to put in the time upfront to make sure the system works from an accountability perspective. Finally, in Côte d’Ivoire, many families get around on foot, and they can be physically vulnerable to street crime and theft when picking up regular cash payments, often at publicly known times. By using digital payments, the risks and costs associated with potential crime can be reduced. Q. Have you noticed whether the digitization has had a particular impact on women? D igital payments can be an introduction to the formal economy and help increase women’s economic empowerment. We know that it can help women gain greater control over household incomes, and budget deci- sions. In many cases, it’s the first account a woman has in her own name, and it can be a critical first step for a budding entrepreneur—and perhaps lead to the formalization of her small business. We have anecdotal information about three main areas pertaining to the women’s dimension (once our data come in, we will have more information). First of all, we have observed that women are becoming increasingly active in farming and income-generating activities—specifically, in the cooperatives. Second, we have seen an early effect with regard to savings, and these savings tend to be driven by women in the households. Through the data we collect via the mobile providers, we have learned that women have taken on a prominent role savings-wise. Women often hold back in terms of withdrawing their entire amount and will leave an amount as savings when possible. 35 Third, with digitization, there has been an uptake in requests for birth certifi- cates and identification of children. We believe it is the mothers who drive this. Q. How did this project help lay the foundation for an efficient public-private partnership? W hen it came to our work with the private sector and developing a contract between the mobile money operators and public entities, I can say that it initially was far from easy. It required persistence and patience, as the public and private sectors had not worked closely together before. We there- fore had to begin by cultivating a trusted relationship. The government did not have a system set up for contracting out services—especially not social safety net services—and it took a lot of work, time, and patience to ensure that the contract was set up correctly and that it was working well. But let me empha- size, the time spent upfront was well worth it. FEATURE The initial challenge we had to circumvent was that the mobile money opera- tors were used to being able to charge much more when dealing with private clients. After much negotiation, we managed to convince the private sector to charge less for the sake of poverty reduction—which we saw as a tremendous achievement. Among other things, we developed a framework for the mobile operators to ensure they would be reliable and follow through. We also developed a novel 36 system that ensured the mobile operators collected additional behavioral data and information—which they would not normally do—in order for us to better understand the behavioral dimensions of the project. The mobile operators provided the project beneficiary households with free handheld phones. This not only benefited the households in numerous ways, but it also benefited the private sector, as the operators acquired new mobile customers—customers who will likely be tap- We managed to ping into additional digital financial services down the road. In short, a whole new market convince the private opened up for the private sector. At the same time, the government is now able sector to charge to monitor and reach its citizens, increasing transparency and leading to cost savings. less for the sake of Another innovative aspect of the project was the introduction of reporting and accountability, poverty reduction… which was new for both the government and the private sector. [subsequently] a Proof that it has gone well is that the govern- whole new market ment is scaling up to additional households and will be working with the same mobile providers, has opened up for continuing the new positive relationship that has been established. the private sector. Q. I learned that a positive side effect was that project beneficiaries spon- taneously began organizing themselves in cooperatives to improve their livelihoods. Can you tell us more? Y es! And this links to the upcoming work that the Bank’s Jobs Group will be leading to help take the project to the next level. What we saw very soon after the digital injection was quite remarkable. We observed small-scale farmers coming together and spontaneously organizing themselves in local cooperatives. Farmers who had not previously been orga- Very soon after the nized in groups suddenly showed a disposition to work together. Needless to say, being able digital injection, to communicate with each other more easily through the mobile phones they received is we saw small- what facilitated the formation of new, mainly FEATURE agricultural, cooperatives. scale farmers This anecdotal behavior change is not yet so much about pulling knowledge and cash spontaneously together, but more about working collectively— at least at this initial stage. Equally important, organizing we observed that with the formation of coop- eratives there was also an increase in activity themselves in local and productivity during the hours farmers spent in the field (although we do not yet have the cooperatives. 37 concrete quantitative data). Even the minister himself—Minister of Employment and Social Protection Jean-Claude Kouassi— was quite impressed with these developments. This is very encouraging, as dynamic cooperative approaches play a critical role in farming, as a lot has to do with scale and market. Value chains work best when their actors cooperate to produce higher-quality products and gen- erate more income for all participants along the chain. The Jobs Group will therefore be looking at how these farmers and cooper- atives can add value to and improve their products while helping them climb higher up along the value chain—but also investigating how this digitization can further spur growth in related sectors in services and commerce. The govern- ment has expressed excitement about the possibilities this may bring about. Q. How do you think this project contributed to the mobilization of addi- tional IDA financing? O ur RSR-funded activities complemented and improved an existing IDA-fi- nanced project, Productive Social Safety Net ($50 million), and it was the impressive project results that were instrumental in leveraging and pre- paring the ground for additional future IDA financing. These additional funds will be used for scale-up of the Productive Social Safety Nets project and expand beneficiary coverage. In fact, this past April, the World Bank Group’s vice president for Africa, Makhtar Diop, announced to the government that the World Bank Group will be doubling the current amount of the loan! Without the RSR grant, the original program would not have had the tremen- dous impact it had on the ground. Also, it was the $450,000 RSR grant that was the most important driver behind the mobilization of $100 million in the forth- coming additional IDA financing for future scale-up—showing that relatively little can go a long way! I believe that additional IDA financing would not have happened without the RSR-funded activities, which contributed to the project along several dimen- sions—dimensions that were not only nice to have, but were in fact essential for the success of the project. For starters, the RSR funding allowed us to recruit critical in-country expertise on local delivery system aspects—exper- tise needed to take the original project to the next level. FEATURE Without the RSR, in-country special- Without the RSR grant, ists could not have been hired and the diagnostic would be lacking. In order to the original program understand the entire social protection system and internal dynamics, we had to would not have had the look at multiple dimensions such as how the pensions and information systems tremendous impact it worked, and of course assess the existing 38 livelihoods and delivery/social assistance had on the ground. payment systems to be able to set up reporting. The above-mentioned components can be entirely attributed to the RSR and were absolutely essential for the success of the project. Without it, the pro- gram would not have worked and had the same impact; without it, we would not have seen the concrete results, with approximately 210,000 highly vulner- able and poor individuals benefiting from cash transfers; and without it, we certainly wouldn’t have been able to attract the additional IDA financing. Q. This project is a wonderful example of institutional fusion—with the SPJ Global Practice, the IFC, the Jobs Group, and the private and public sectors working collaboratively to achieve better social protection, jobs, and sustain- able livelihood outcomes. What advice would you give other teams wanting to collaborate? F irst and foremost, the development challenges that we are trying to tackle in this day and age are of such immense magnitude and complexity, cut- ting across disciplines and sectors, that we simply can’t go about it on our own. We must first begin by trying to understand the problem at hand—which requires looking at it from all angles—since if we do not accurately diagnose a problem, subsequent efforts will either fail or not be as impactful, sustainable, or scalable. In our case, what spurred the collabora- tion was precisely this: a realization and The development acknowledgment early on that the multi- faceted challenges—infrastructure, insti- challenges we are tutional, financial—to program implemen- tation could only be addressed through trying to tackle in this multifaceted thinking and by leveraging respective comparative advantages. day and age are of such The skills, talents, experiences, and con- immense magnitude nections that one side lacked, the other side possessed. For example, the IFC and complexity that brought critical private sector development expertise, experience, and connections to we simply can’t go the table; while the World Bank came in about it on our own. FEATURE with over 30 years of experience focused on poor consumers and was able to help all parties better understand how to meet the needs of the economically disadvantaged. World Bank involvement also brings political support, which in turn can help mitigate risk. In our case, a joint business approach to the client was a win-win proposition. If I were to give some concrete advice for a successful collaboration, I would say: ◆◆ Take the time to get to know each other early on; do not wait. 39 ◆◆ Try to learn each other’s language and understand the expectations of the respective institutions: why colleagues from other institutions behave in certain ways—how staff and institutions need to prioritize and how they are incentivized; measurement and clearance requirements, etc. Many misunderstandings can be avoided this way. ◆◆ Be very clear about roles and responsibilities upfront—that was the key to our collaboration success. ◆◆ Keep the main thing the main thing. Agree on a couple of essentials and try to see eye to eye on the rest. Understand the need for trade-offs and accept that there are some differences—and that that’s fine! ◆◆ Embrace any creative tension. ◆◆ Forget about instant gratification and try to overcome the resistance to making choices that involve paying upfront for gains that may accrue later. ◆◆ Look at the bigger picture. When staff understand that the collabora- tion is worth the extra effort for the sake of the beneficiaries and a more impactful project, then it’s easier to remain incentivized. ◆◆ And finally, the client sees us as one, so we must act as one. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 NEPAL Technical assistance in building the social safety net system A n RSR grant of $450,000 helped lay the groundwork for a $150 million IDA operation greatly expanding acutely needed social protection and labor cov- erage in Nepal. The grant helped direct the country’s SPJ agenda away from stand-alone projects and toward systems building for greater long-term impact, ultimately benefiting well over 2 million Nepalis. ASSOCIATED IDA PROJECT RSR-funded achievements were instrumental in lead- Challenge ing the Nepalese govern- Rapid poverty reduction yet modest growth. Countries around ment to request an full- the world usually experience the opposite problem, as income has become increas- scale IDA-financed project. ingly concentrated in the hands of the wealthy. Nepal has, over the past decade, This project, the five-year halved its poverty rate and reduced income inequalities. However, the country Strengthening Systems remains poor and is one of the slowest-growing economies in the region. for Social Protection and Civil Registration Project Developmental hurdles: geography, natural forces, and fre- 40 (P154548), will support establishment of a compre- quent political change. Nepal has a challenging topography and is land- hensive national population locked, creating a natural barrier to development. The country also has a propensity register and expanded cov- for natural disaster with often devastating destruction and developmental setback erage of civil registration as a result. Near-continuous political transitions, marked by unrest, have negatively and social security allow- affected human capital investments. ances; it will also improve benefit delivery via e-pay- Remittances: a social safety nets blessing or a development ments in selected districts curse? Nepal is one of the world’s largest recipients of remittances as measured as along with improvements a share of the economy; this is likely the main reason behind its rapid poverty reduc- in related processes. These tion. A large number of Nepalis leave their country to seek opportunities elsewhere, activities will be supple- which is a sign of chronic problems. The remittances provide a safety net, but do not mented with institutional improve the quality of public services, health, education, and so on, which remain at strengthening at the central unacceptable levels. The large-scale migration depletes the country of human capital and local levels. and competitiveness, and has relieved pressure on policy makers to deliver results. Social protection challenges: low efficiency and low cov- erage. Weak delivery systems mean the key challenges in Nepal are efficiency and coverage. A recent analysis indicated considerable undercoverage of around 30–40 percent among eligible senior citizens and single women—with the incidence even worse among the poorest. At times people are unable to access their bene- fits, as they are unaware of them, and/or lack a means of transportation or even the required identification documents to prove eligibility. The need: expanded coverage of civil registration and modernization of social security allowances delivery. The S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights 41 largest social protection program in Nepal is its social security allowance cash trans- fer program, which covers about 2.3 million vulnerable beneficiaries. It largely relies on a manually maintained beneficiary database and manual cash payment to benefi- ciaries through local government officials. The absence of an electronic database and payment mechanism has meant errors in the beneficiary database, possible duplica- tion, alleged leakage of funds, and delayed benefit payments. Also, because Nepal does not have an electronic population register, the government cannot identify and target eligible beneficiaries of the program. Approach The developmental objective of the RSR grant was to support the government in strengthening the basic architecture of its administrative systems within its main social protection implementing ministry. The emphasis was on the payment sys- tem, the management information system, and the ministry’s internal institutional arrangement for social protection policy coordination and service delivery. ◆◆ A gradual process of piloting, reviews, and dialogue toward ministry ownership. The RSR technical assistance activities built on the World Bank’s previous engagement in helping Nepal’s Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development in enhancing its administrative systems, through an IDA- and RSR-funded technical assistance program. Through a gradual R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 process of piloting, reviews, and dialogue, the ministry (and now the Depart- ment of Civil Registration which was created within the ministry to manage civil registration and social security administration) has solidified its ownership of the systems modernization agenda. ◆◆ Combining in-depth technical assistance with stake- holder consultation across agencies. Given Nepal’s unstable political and institutional context, technical assistance was more effective when it combined upstream conceptual and in-depth technical advice—accomplished through multiple technical missions and the preparation of a series of briefing notes—with a process of consultation among key stakeholders across agencies. This two-pronged approach was applied, for example, in the development of an electronic payment strategy. Accomplishments and Results The RSR grant-funded activities—along with earlier RSR-funded technical assis- tance—have been instrumental in achieving the following: ◆◆ Leveraged IDA financing of $150 million. The RSR grant helped develop technical input into the design of the IDA-financed project, which was approved in December 2016. 42 A WORD FROM THE ◆◆ Modernized Nepal’s social protection delivery system. PROJEC T TASK TE AM LE ADER… Integral to this modernization was the development and roll-out of an electronic payment strategy, which signified a major advance for the country. Relevant min- T he RSR grant offers a flexible tool istries have solidified their ownership of the systems modernization agenda. The to finance technical assistance work was conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Capital Develop- ment Fund, drawing on detailed technical analyses and structured consultations activities that can make an with stakeholders. enormous difference in the quality and depth of technical engagement ◆◆ Institutional strengthening of the government’s social protection service delivery. The grant strengthened the basic archi- in our client countries. Its explicit tecture of institutional administrative systems within the main social protection focus on the social protection systems implementing ministry, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development. agenda is fully appropriate, and the Activities such as the institutional assessment of local-level service delivery RSR program management’s rigor in arrangements supported institutional strengthening. enforcing a strong design and proper ◆◆ Built government capacity. The grant helped build the capacity of reporting and filing ensures that the government officials involved in civil registration and social security mandates. activities supported are not frivolous. ◆◆ Benefited over 2 million IDA project beneficiaries and —Yasuhiko Matsuda citizens at large. Although the grant-supported activities focused on upstream conceptual and technical advice and not on actual implementation or scale-up, many people are now benefiting from the strengthened government systems to which the grant contributed the groundwork. Operationalization of the grant-supported actions is now supported through the IDA project. S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights SOUTH SUDAN Operationalizing the National Social Protection Policy Framework Y ears of conflict have devastated South Sudan’s economy and exacerbated humanitarian crises. Further, limited government ability to coordinate social protection activities and provide much-needed services has affected house- hold resilience. However, RSR-funded activities have managed to improve the coordination of social protection activities in South Sudan while strengthening government capacity to monitor and evaluate social protection efforts. Challenge New and emerging vulnerabilities are deepening and increasing in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis. Close to 2 million South Sudanese have become refugees, and another 2 million are internally displaced. Six million people are experiencing severe food insecurity, making South Sudan one of the most food-insecure countries in the world. In particular, the loss of social networks, assets, and livelihoods has left 43 thousands of productive young men and women unemployed, and making it difficult for them to provide for the basic needs of their respective families. There is an urgent need to provide social protection to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in an effort to improve their welfare and strengthen their resilience against shocks and stresses. Government has limited ability to coordinate social protec- tion activities. Social protection is increasingly seen as an important part of the government’s strategy to fight poverty and promote economic growth. However, its capacity to design and implement an effective social protection program remains limited. Weak administrative capacity, as well as a lack of infrastructure, continues to hamper the effective design and implementation of social protection programs. Capacity constraints also limit the depth of analysis of various ongoing programs to allow for improved evidence-based programming and policy making. Significant assistance is needed to build government capacity in strengthening the social protection system and transforming the National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF) into practical and viable programs that can be implemented. Approach The development objective of the RSR effort is to provide support to the govern- ment of South Sudan in operationalizing the NSPPF. An RSR grant of $410,000 for 2016–18 aims to provide the government with analytical and technical assistance, R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 44 specifically covering (1) sectorwide assessment of social protection programs and (2) technical assistance to operationalize the NSPPF and knowledge transfer. The lead implementing agency is the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare. The initial plan was to proceed with the sectorwide assessment first, the findings of which would inform the parameters of the technical assistance. Accordingly, a rapid social vulnerability assessment (RSVA) was conducted. However, an outbreak of violence in July 2016 in Juba City—and subsequently in the rest of the country—as well as evacuation of the World Bank’s South Sudan Office to Nairobi prevented further sectorwide assessment. Implementation plans were adjusted to suit the restrictive operating environment, and the focus shifted to the technical assis- tance component informed by the RSVA; support was provided from Nairobi by a social protection specialist. However, now that the World Bank Country Office has relocated back to Juba and the operating environment has once again been deemed favorable for implementation, efforts are being made to quickly scale up the sector- wide assessment component—taking into account ongoing insecurity in parts of the country and restricted access. The technical assistance component initially focused on these areas of support: ◆◆ Developing roadmaps toward designing and implementing priority programs per the NSPPF ◆◆ Strengthening the capacity of government counterparts to take the lead in the development of social protection projects S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights ◆◆ Building capacity to better coordinate social protection activities ◆◆ Strengthening capacity within the budget and planning unit of the implementing agency In light of current realities on the ground, it was agreed that RSR technical assistance would narrow its focus to strengthening government capacity to take the devel- opment lead and improve its capacity to coordinate activities. This resolution was also informed by RSVA recommendations, which found that related programs in the social protection sector had been almost entirely financed by development partners, with little government leadership and/or ownership; further, programs had not been delivered at scale and remained fragmented and poorly coordinated, leading to dupli- cation, overlaps, and gaps in coverage. Accomplishments and Results The RSR grant-funded activities have helped achieve the following: ◆◆ Approval and launch of the NSPPF ◆◆ Establishment of operational tools for a social protection system ◆◆ Strengthening of government capacity for monitoring and evaluation 45 ◆◆ Development of grievance redress mechanism (GRM) structure in Juba City ◆◆ Replication of GRM structure in three other counties, since government now has the knowledge to replicate ◆◆ Strengthening of government capacity with regard to procurement processes ◆◆ Improved coordination of social protection activities Improved Coordination of Social Protection Activities Prior to the RSR-funded support, the government’s involvement in the coordination of social protection activities was minimal, and limited to the Social Protection Technical Working Group. This group was chaired by the Minis- try of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, but—while it included relevant line ministries and development part- ners—it did not include humanitarian actors. Those actors are responsible for the lion’s share of the social pro- tection–related projects in the country in the form of safety net assistance. In an effort to strengthen government capacity to coordinate related activities in both humanitarian and development areas, key stakeholders were engaged in the partner-led Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster to ensure that the government was included in the forum, particularly in the Cash Transfer and Markets Working Group. The government is now a regular partici- pant in the coordination meetings and has improved its knowledge of ongoing activities in the sector. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 TANZANIA Enhancing sustainable livelihoods and graduation from social assistance by removing bottlenecks to self-employment and household enterprises A little can go a long way. An RSR grant of $420,000 helped promote policy dialogue with the government of Tanzania while strengthening the evidence base for policy interventions related to household enterprises. It also informed a wide range of SPJ programs through a survey conducted on constraints to and opportunities for household enterprises. In fact, the grant helped create a public good that will be used in other countries too, as the tools designed with grant ASSOCIATED IDA PROJECTS funds are already in demand by other World Bank country teams. The activities are also informing the design of a new IDA project. IDA funding of $200 mil- lion supports Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN; P124045 and Challenge P151838); the RSR quali- tative research described Economic growth and declining poverty rates, yet rampant here focused on these IDA extreme poverty. Over the last decade, Tanzania has experienced relatively project beneficiaries. high economic growth of 6–7 percent a year. Despite declining rates of poverty, the 46 absolute number of poor has not dropped; one of the reasons for this is high popula- RSR-funded activities are tion growth. An estimated 47 percent of Tanzanians still live in extreme poverty, and supporting the design of a others live just above the poverty line and risk falling back into poverty in the event new IDA operation under of socioeconomic shocks. the Tanzania Social Ac- tion Fund (TASAF), which Population explosion: peril and opportunity. Tanzania’s overall implements the PSSN. This population is currently about 55 million. In absolute numbers, the size of its youth new TASAF operation will incorporate key findings population almost doubled between 1990 and 2010, increasing from 4.4 million to from the RSR qualitative 8.1 million; this figure will swell to 15 million by 2030. Each year, nearly 850,000 research to strengthen the youth enter the labor market, and Tanzania’s economic prospects will depend on PSSN’s Livelihoods En- how it can capitalize on this demographic dividend. Getting it right—by foster- hancement Strategy and ing human capital accumulation and productive job creation—could translate into complementary interven- tremendous economic growth. Getting it wrong could have severe implications, tions. including instability and mass migration. Household enterprises: the fastest growing employment source, at 10–15 percent per year. Although a large percentage of Tanzania’s poor work in agriculture, workers are increasingly shifting away from this sector in an attempt to improve their living conditions. Since the supply of nonfarm jobs is limited, individuals are forced to create their own employment. There are approximately 5 million nonfarm businesses in Tanzania, consisting mainly of house- hold enterprises that are mostly run with the help of family members. While these enterprises have helped improve living conditions for some and created employment for the owner and potentially other family members, most workers involved remain S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights poor and vulnerable and do not have specialized skills. Faced by numerous barriers, many household enterprises do not grow or survive for very long. The need: a better understanding of household enterprise dynamics, opportunities, and bottlenecks. Household enterprises could play a pivotal role in poverty reduction, income generation, and job creation and could help better meet the needs of the growing labor supply. But their full potential can be fully realized only if the major constraints to their growth and pro- ductivity are removed. And for that to happen, a thorough understanding is needed of what those constraints actually are and how best to address them. Approach The development objective then was to identify the most important factors in higher productivity in nonfarm self-employment and household enterprises—what poor families perceive as the constraints to and opportunities for starting and grow- ing household enterprises—and to identify potential interventions to address these constraints. To this end of learning before taking informed action, the RSR-funded activi- ties aimed to (1) strengthen the evidence base for policy interventions related to household enterprises; (2) contribute to the government’s Livelihoods Enhancement Strategy linked to the Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) implemented by the 47 Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF); (3) help develop a methodology for identifying constraints to self-employment and household enterprises among poor families (especially PSSN beneficiaries) that will be relevant for other countries—especially developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank and the TASAF worked together to better understand household enterprise constraints and opportunities, with the ultimate aim of improving the design and implementation of future interven- tions targeted to the poor to improve their livelihoods. The approach entailed qualitative and quantitative research: ◆◆ Qualitative. The team collected information through four qualitative tech- niques conducted in eight villages/communities, in eight geographically diverse districts across Tanzania: —— 40 focus group discussions with PSSN beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries —— 2 individual life story interviews per village —— 2 key informant interviews per village, including community leaders and rep- resentatives of local financial institutions, nongovernmental organizations, etc. —— Contextual mapping through participant observation A total of 385 people were interviewed, including more than 200 beneficiaries of PSSN interventions (i.e., cash transfers, savings groups, livelihood enhancements, R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 and public works); the box below summarizes key findings. Data were collected between May and June 2017, and a draft report has been prepared. ◆◆ Quantitative. The team conducted quantitative research which involved analysis of the household survey results conducted among PSSN beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries. The quantitative research was carried out in coordina- tion with a randomized impact evaluation. A specific module of the survey was developed focusing on household enterprises—specifically, the characteristics of and constraints to starting and growing household enterprises; this module was included in the impact evaluation household survey. The quantitative assessment will complement work performed through qualitative assessment. Results from the quantitative research will be available in 2018. Interview Findings: Perceived Constraints to and Opportunities for Starting and Growing a Household Enterprise ◆◆ Access to finance. Forty percent of the household enterprises interviewed perceived lack of access to finance as the biggest barrier in starting, growing, and sustaining their business; only 10 percent had accessed formal loans. Many faced difficulties in meeting loan conditions (e.g., collateral). Other barriers cited included high interest rates and living far from financial institutions. ◆◆ Markets/business environment. Twenty-eight percent indicated that low demand for their goods, high CONSTRAINTS competition, and fluctuating prices were major constraints. Nine percent identified lack of access to 48 quality infrastructure and services as barriers to productivity. ◆◆ Skills/education. Only 10 percent felt impeded by a lack of skills or education; however, 72 percent declared they would be able to spend two or more hours per week to attend technical training, if they had the opportunity. ◆◆ Agricultural productivity. Nearly all respondents reported that poor growing/harvesting seasons affect their income. For those selling farm goods, bad weather limits the amount of goods they can sell; whereas if they sold a nonfarm goods/service, it limits the amount of money potential customers have to spend. ◆◆ Positive perception about the PSSN cash transfer. In general, respondents were positive about the PSSN. Cash transfers/cash for work have helped cover basic needs—and for some, have helped them start or expand a business. OPPORTUNITIES ◆◆ Savings groups. Some mentioned that being part of a savings group is the best way for them to save some money, with women being particularly successful at this. ◆◆ Gender. Even though women have less time available than men to engage in business given their domestic duties, they are perceived as better managers of household money. ◆◆ Overall. The most successful beneficiaries are those who invested their savings, improved their skills through training, and were supported by their families. S ection 2 :   C o u ntr y H ighlights Accomplishments and Results The $420,000 RSR grant helped accomplish the following. ◆◆ Strengthened the evidence base for policy interventions. Among other things, the RSR-funded activities resulted in the production of a qualitative report and toolkit, life stories, and a quantitative survey module. A WORD FROM THE ◆◆ Promoted policy dialogue with the government of Tanza- PROJEC T TASK TE AM LE ADER… nia. The RSR-funded findings entailed a pivotal entry point to stimulate dialogue T and actions on how to improve employment outcomes and household enterprises he RSR allowed us to show and are expected to influence government policies. the importance of public goods ◆◆ Helped the government by contributing to its Liveli- through the production of two hoods Enhancement Strategy. In this regard, the RSR worked with public goods that can be used in other those ministries and agencies involved in the formulation and implementation of policies most relevant to household enterprises, livelihoods, and activation/ countries. The qualitative report and graduation of safety net beneficiaries—including TASAF, the Prime Minister’s tools are already in demand by World Office-Regional Administration and Local Government, the Ministry of Labor Bank specialists working with client and Employment, the Ministry of Educational/Vocational Training, the Ministry of countries, such as Zambia. Finance, and the Planning Commission. —Maria Laura Sanchez Puerta ◆◆ Informed the PSSN and supporting the design of an IDA project. The results of RSR activities are informing a new TASAF operation 49 aimed at scaling up livelihoods interventions. Results of this work in turn will help refine Bank private sector operation activities. ◆◆ Created public goods. The tools designed in the RSR activities can be used in other countries—and are already in demand by World Bank country teams. The grant enabled production of two important public goods that can be used to complement other analytical tools in identifying both constraints to self-employment and household enterprises and potential interventions. The two instruments developed (the quantitative and qualitative survey) are modular, which will allow future surveys—both in Tanzania and in other countries—to more easily use the questions developed. The methodology should be particularly help- ful in Sub-Saharan African countries. ◆◆ Informed a wide range of SPJ programs affecting house- hold enterprises. The results from these surveys have informed various actors—including policy makers, institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and the beneficiaries themselves—and influenced related government policies. ◆◆ Leverage additional resources. The RSR activities are expected to leverage other resources—in particular, from the follow-up survey for the impact evaluation of PSSN beneficiaries in Tanzania. UGANDA: 2017 KNOWBEL AWARD FOR LEARNING FROM THE PAST Uganda’s RSR-funded Building Resilience against Drought project uses satellite data to predict drought and build rural population resilience I n 1907 a young Winston Churchill dubbed Uganda “the pearl of Africa”—as he, like so many others to the present day, was struck by its stunningly beautiful and rich nature. In fact, some years ago, government PR specialists felt it was time to “rebrand” Uganda by shifting the focus back to the beauty Churchill spoke FEATURE of—and away from disasters, poverty, and civil strife—and so the slogan “gifted by nature” was coined. However, beauty aside, the country faces major environ- mental problems and climate-related disasters, particularly drought—exasperated by overgrazing, deforestation, and primitive agricultural methods—contributing to soil erosion and landslides. Although Uganda has made significant gains in reducing poverty—the share of peo- ple living in poverty fell from 62 to 35 percent between 2003 and 2013—the poorest 50 40 percent of households remain extremely For magnificence, for vulnerable to drought and price shocks. Moreover, Uganda’s economy has grown at variety of form and a slower pace in recent years, reducing its impact on poverty. The slowdown was due color, for profusion of to many factors, including regional unrest and private sector credit constraints, but the main brilliant life…for vast factor was increasingly adverse weather. Uganda is particularly vulnerable to disasters scale—Uganda is truly and droughts, which take a tremendous toll on the population and the economy: the “the Pearl of Africa.” 2010 and 2011 droughts caused damages and losses of a whopping $1.2 billion, or —Winston Churchill 7.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. The good news is that Uganda is focusing more and more on finding ways of reduc- ing the risks associated with drought. For example, through the RSR-funded project Building Resilience against Drought: The Case of Uganda—a component of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund project (NUSAF III), a $130 million IDA lending operation led by the World Bank Group’s SPJ Global Practice—the government, in collaboration with the Bank, has developed an innovative solution to predict disasters while providing timely assistance to the most vulnerable during crises. The project won the 2017 KNOWbel Learning from the Past Award, in fierce competition with over 200 submissions from across the World Bank and the IFC. We spoke with Endashaw Tadesse Gossa, Senior Social Protection Specialist—who leads the project in joint collaboration with Barry Patrick Maher, Senior Risk Financ- ing and Insurance Specialist—about his experiences working on the project. ◆◆◆ Q. Does nature discriminate? When disaster strikes, people in poorer nations often pay with their lives—90 percent of deaths worldwide over the past 20 years occurred in poorer nations. D estructive earthquakes and ruinous flood waters do not discriminate. However, it is clear that societal inequalities are leading the poor to live in more dangerous areas such as hillsides prone to landslides and in less safe houses—making them more likely to be more affected. FEATURE And, while natural disasters may strike without prejudice, the path to recover- ing from them is much less equal. In developing nations, people often lack the safety nets needed to recover; ironically, the situation can be similar in some developing nations, where the systems in place to help those most in need often fail precisely those most in need—the poor. Look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many of the displaced have still not been able to return home. Droughts, floods, landslides, and hurricanes have always happened, but they are now happening more frequently, and the impact is becoming more calam- itous. While climate change can explain much of it, it does not directly cause 51 every extreme weather event; but there is great concern that climate change is making existing events worse—and that it’ll continue to impact future catastrophes. For example, an increase in global temperatures would lead to more extreme weathers, which in turn would drastically increase droughts, with vast numbers of displaced people as a result. Not to mention the impact of rising sea levels. Just today, the chance of being displaced by a natural disaster is 60 percent higher than it was in the 1970s. Q. So, if natural disasters are becoming more frequent and their impact more devastating, what should governments in the developing world do to manage the risk? And please tell us what Uganda is doing about this. F irst and foremost, governments in developed—and even more so in develop- ing—nations should do their utmost to reduce their contribution to climate change. Beyond that, it’s critical to think ahead: better preparation can pay dividends both for the present and the future. Climate-related challenges will bring about unimaginable suffering, and we are often not prepared even for the climate-related risks we already face. Nobody would be immune, but it is the poor and the vulnerable who suffer the most—those who did the least to cause climate change. Preemptive risk reduction is key. There are many different things one can do preemptively, depending on region needs and types of risks, such as improving infrastructure and the safety of buildings, preventing land erosion, etc. Optimally, I would say that 52 governments should invest in resilience—like early warning systems and broadening social safety nets for vulnerable populations. And this is precisely what Uganda set out to do under the third Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Project—namely seeking to ensure that develop- ment gains are protected by social safety nets, providing income support to and building the resilience of poor and vulnerable households in Northern Uganda through labor-intensive public works and livelihood income support activities. Uganda’s population is reliant on agriculture, and its predominantly rural pop- ulation consists mostly of smallholder farmers who are subject to production constraints and have limited capacity to cope with recurrent shocks. So when droughts strike, not only do they lose the food they eat, they also lose the little income they generate through farming. The government of Uganda felt that its response to drought had been ad hoc, reactive, and delayed, so it decided to improve its response. In 2015, it intro- duced a $12 million disaster risk finance program. It was this program that was awarded the KNOWbel 2017 Learning from the Past Award (see box). Q. Can you tell us a little about how you went about predicting droughts? O ur approach is quite innovative. We use satellite data to predict drought, while at the same time developing a sustainable disaster response system. When it comes to the satellite part, we worked with Uganda’s Department of Disaster Preparedness and Response to predict droughts using the latest satellite technology, and collaborated in designing a satellite index that could spot the early signs of drought. We drew on experience using satellite technol- ogy that our team gained while working in Kenya—that’s where the “learning Following an RSR Grant Down the Results Chain FEATURE A rather modest ($258,800) RSR grant laid the foundation for sustain- able social protection in Uganda and helped pave the way for future projects—including the award-winning $12 million disaster risk finance project highlighted here, Building Resilience against Drought: The Case of Uganda. Specifically, the funds supported review of Uganda’s social protection policies and sector. Experience from a range of countries in Africa has demonstrated the vital role a comprehensive review can play in setting 53 the foundation for an effective social protection system. Prior to the review, social protection in Uganda had largely consisted of ad hoc food aid by development partners. The review revealed gaps in coverage, duplication of efforts, and limited agency coordination. These and other challenges were addressed by laying out an implementation framework for increased efficiency and coordination among agencies. For the first time in its history, Uganda acquired a clear framework and roadmap for its social protection sector. The RSR-funded activities played a critical role in bringing stakeholders together while ensuring that the government of Uganda could take on a leading role in the process. It set forth explicit recommendations on en- hancements needed for achieving a cohesive social protection system. The review in turn informed the National Social Protection Policy (March 2016). Drawing on the sector review, the policy is being operationalized through a program plan of priority interventions. A look down the results chain shows that the impact of the RSR grant went well beyond its initial scope and time frame. Among other things, it came to inform the design of the disaster risk finance component of the IDA Northern Uganda Social Action Fund project; this constitutes a concrete example of the RSR’s extended impact. The RSR activities also informed social policy dialogue as well as policy preparation. The government of from the past” angle of the award comes in. Uganda had a big “ask” In Uganda, we focused on the region of Karamoja, where households are acutely for the disaster risk vulnerable to droughts. The World Bank Group team worked closely with the gov- finance mechanism. The ernment to streamline data collection and analysis to help officials better understand government wanted it drought conditions and how to moni- tor them. We developed processes and to respond early, just systems so the government can rapidly identify upcoming challenges. when the initial signs of We all agreed that we should also pilot drought were beginning FEATURE the mechanism in this vulnerable region. I should share what my co-Task Team to emerge, as this would Leader, Barry Patrick Maher, pointed out: the government of Uganda had a big “ask” enable quick reaction. for the disaster risk finance mechanism. The government wanted it to respond early, just when the initial signs of drought were beginning to emerge, as this would enable quick reaction and protect the Karamojong from resorting to negative coping strategies such as pulling 54 children out of school, cutting back on food and health care, selling livestock— which can wreak havoc on development outcomes. Q. What are some of the project results this far? T he disaster risk financing component allowed the government to predict droughts ahead of time and offer additional support to poor households in times of crisis and to rapidly scale up the public works activities of the proj- ect—so people would have an income despite farming losses due to drought. For example, the El Niño event in 2016 caused a widespread lack of rain and led to pervasive drought in Northern Uganda. The data system developed by the government captured the drought in Karamoja and triggered a scaling-up of the public works program. Moreover, $4 million was rapidly mobilized to finance disaster response. Over the life of the operation, the project is estimated to finance the cost of scaling-up public works to a total of 400,000 people, or 80,000 additional households. Our project is an innovative solution that responds directly to the need of the poorest. It has already informed similar projects in Senegal, Fiji, and else- where. Some of the project results in Northern Uganda thus far include the following: ◆◆ The project established a $10 million contingency reserve fund (using project resources) to finance the expansion of public works programs. ◆◆ More than $6.3 million was mobilized to provide rapid disaster assis- tance to over 300,000 people (50,000 households) in response to drought seasons in 2016 and 2017. These numbers were in addition to the approx- imately 25,000 (5,000 households) core beneficiaries who were already receiving assistance. ◆◆ A parametric index was developed to monitor drought. Among other things, it was able to foresee the massive drought accompanying the 2016 El Niño that was about to hit the Karamoja region. ◆◆ The public works program was scaled up. ◆◆ Data collection and analysis were streamlined to help decision makers better understand drought conditions. FEATURE ◆◆ A transparent decision-making process was developed, with accountabil- ity and checks, to trigger a response. ◆◆ A range of estimates was produced for the financial cost of the scalabil- ity mechanism, which supported financial preparedness planning and enables rapid response. Q. I understand that this was project a collaborative effort? I t was indeed. The Finance and Markets Global Practice and the SPJ Global 55 Practice partnered to lead the work. We worked in very close collaboration with the government of Uganda as well as with local authorities, UN agen- cies, Makerere University, and civil society organizations. The project also has been generously supported by the Swedish International Development Coop- eration Agency (Sida). Finally, I would like to mention that it was an RSR project that informed the design The RSR project of our award-winning project. The RSR project also informed the social policy paved the way for dialogue and preparation of the final social protection policy that was approved by the our work on disaster government in 2016—all of which paved the way for our work on disaster risk man- risk management. agement. 3 SECTION Special Channels R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 THE RSR-DR WINDOW RSR support has addressed disaster-responsive social protection since 2015. This new agenda brings RSR involvement to middle-income countries through partnership with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. A ccording to the 2016 Annual Disaster Statistical Review, there have been about 376 natural disasters each year over the 2006–15 decade; these have affected an average of 224 million people each year (Guha-Sapir et al. 2016). World- wide, in 2016 alone, 342 reported natural disasters caused 8,733 deaths; these affected 569.4 million people, and caused $154 billion damages (Guha-Sapir et al. 2016). A While disasters do not discriminate, the poor and vulnerable are disproportionately ddressing the challenge posed affected relative to the average population in many countries—thus exacerbating by shocks requires an integrated their situations and undoing years of developmental gains. Limited savings and approach of various social access to finance constrain the ability of vulnerable households to respond to and protection programs, together recover from shocks. Traditional coping mechanisms provided by family or commu- nity may be overwhelmed by large covariate shocks such as natural disasters. In 58 with other disciplines and sectors. such circumstances, poor households are often compelled to employ harmful, short- Social protection programs can sighted strategies to cope with loss—which can have a lasting and scarring effect on work together at different points individuals, households, society, and the economy as a whole. along the risk chain: prevention and Climate change further exacerbates this trend of natural disaster threats to the resil- preparedness, response, and recovery ience of the poor. Figure 3.1, for example, illustrates the exposure of poor house- and reconstruction. By so doing, they holds to floods and drought worldwide. can help bridge the gap between humanitarian and development assistance. The SPJ Role in Disaster Response By definition, one of SPJ’s key roles is to increase the resilience of poor and vulnera- ble households to a variety of shocks. While traditionally intended to help cushion the effect of economic shocks, SPJ programs and systems are becoming more adaptable to non-economic shocks—including natural disasters—given the increasing potential for such programs to be scaled up and protect those most vulnerable from destitution. Important linkages with humanitarian response. While social protection can play a vital role in helping people prepare for and recover from disasters, in cases of fast-onset disasters, first responders and humanitarians are on the scene to provide immediate, life-saving relief. The reconstruction period after a disaster hits is managed by a mix of institutions, including first responders, the World Bank, and government agencies, and focuses on infrastructure rehabilitation and on meeting the immediate needs of the affected populations. The subsequent S ection 3 :   S pecial C hannels F I G U R E 3 . 1   Exposure to floods and drought worldwide The RSR and the GFDRR T he Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery is a global program that helps developing countries better understand and re- duce their vulnerabilities to natural hazards and adapt to climate change. Man- aged by the World Bank, the GFDRR is supported by 34 countries and 9 interna- tional organizations (see https://www.gfdrr.org/donors). 59 The RSR has been cho- sen by the GFDRR to Source: Hallegatte et al. 2017, based on Winsemius et al. 2015. mainstream disaster risk Note: Poverty exposure bias to flood is for 69 countries; for drought, 52 countries. management into SPJ activities—specifically, recovery phase, which begins before markets are restored, is when the chronic poor as a mechanism to reach out to SPJ policy makers need the most help and when SPJ can have the biggest impact and play the most and practitioners; to call important role. Specifically, SPJ can initiate a multitude of interventions that center for, evaluate, and select on income and consumption support, psycho-social care, livelihood restoration and viable proposals for grant diversification, and community rehabilitation. financing; and to monitor and supervise grant-sup- Ex ante and ex post: SPJ’s role in disaster preparedness ported activities. GFDRR and response. SPJ programs have the potential to build household resilience staff members actively before a shock strikes (ex ante) and support recovery and continued resilience build- participate in all of these ing among affected/impacted households, ex post as well. steps, and administer the funds that flow through the ◆◆ Ex ante situations. For disaster-responsive SPJ to have an impact before RSR-DR window. a disaster strikes, it is necessary to have policies, programs, and systems in place to allow for a better response. Accordingly, the RSR and the GFDRR have, from the outset, supported the new adaptive social protection agenda, which stresses the importance of building households’ resilience so they are better prepared before a shock occurs. Agenda initiatives include public works that strengthen resilience, landscape rehabilitation, hazard-proofing infrastructure, and R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 contributing to asset accumulation. When such programs are complemented by appropriate policies and strategies, a disaster-responsive SPJ program or system is able to effectively extend services temporarily to a new caseload in a targeted area, expand support into a new area, or increase support in existing areas. ◆◆ Ex post situations. Worldwide, the delivery of SPJ services is character- ized by ad hoc programs hastily established after a disaster. Implemented in this fashion, such programs can often take time to be delivered, lack transparency, and struggle for coordinated delivery. However, implementing similar interven- tions through preestablished SPJ systems—which is the core of RSR work—can increase their timeliness, coordination, efficiency, transparency, and accountability, all to the ultimate benefit of those who have been affected. Other SPJ instruments can also be used to respond, including labor market interventions, skills training, social insurance mechanisms, and the like. Synergies between SPJ and DRM There are mutual benefits in continuing to explore and build on the synergies between SPJ and DRM: ◆◆ SPJ systems can be used to effectively channel resources to those most in need following a disaster and can strengthen resilience of households and communities before disasters occur. ◆◆ DRM information systems can provide valuable information on the need to intervene and the degree to which people are affected by certain disasters. 60 ◆◆ A review of existing SPJ-DRM programs worldwide reveals a common thread of design and implementation parameters that ought to be established to make social protection more disaster responsive, including the following: —— Programs should have a sufficient footprint, flexible design, and comprehensive service delivery systems in place ex ante. —— Appropriate and credible information (on livelihoods, meteorological data, etc.) should be available to determine the needed response, prepare adequately, and influence timely decision making. —— Established disaster risk financing arrangements should exist that govern disaster response. —— Institutional coordination and capacity should be in place to carry out disaster-responsive social protection programs. Recent Activities Supported through the RSR-DR Window Through its partnership with the GFDRR, RSR-DR support totaling $2.1 million has been provided as of end 2016 to activities in Colombia, Jamaica, Lesotho, the Pacific Islands (Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu), the Philippines, and Swaziland. In addition, the RSR has supported two activities through the RSR Classic window; these are in Domi- nica and Grenada and in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Table 3.1 shows the set of activities funded during Round 10. S ection 3 :   S pecial C hannels Table 3.1  RSR disaster-responsive projects approved in Round 10 Funding window Project Grant ($) RSR-Classic Strengthening Social Protection System for Disaster Preparedness and 300,000 Response in St. Vincent and the Grenadines RSR-DR Building Social Protection’s Role in Disaster Response and Resilience in 360,000 Swaziland and Lesotho RSR-DR Strengthening Social Protection Interventions as a Disaster Risk Mitiga- 440,000 tion Mechanism—Colombia The RSR-GFDRR partnership has helped support a variety of activities in countries  with varying degrees of SPJ systems maturity. These activities correspondingly can be seen as existing along a spectrum of increasing integration and systems building, as shown in the figure to the right and illustrated in the following country highlights.
 Œ COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS Initiate a new dialogue on ◆◆ Vanuatu. The RSR helped initiate a brand-new dialogue with the government integrating SPJ with on policy options for integrating SPJ and DRM, given the country’s increasing DRM exposure and vulnerability to natural disasters. (Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu)  ◆◆ Dominica and Grenada. The RSR is helping these countries fortify their existing SPJ systems and—at the same time—making them more responsive to 61 disasters by strengthening core building blocks through analytics, capacity-build-  ing initiatives, and technical assistance. Laying building blocks as foundation of a ◆◆ Jamaica. The RSR-DR grant has helped make the existing Program for merger between Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) program more disaster SPJ and DRM responsive. The flagship conditional cash transfer program’s service delivery (Dominica,  mechanisms have been used to provide cash and in-kind support to poor and Grenada) vulnerable households postdisaster. To make service delivery more effective and be able to reach a larger number of affected people, the grant helped the govern- ment improve the design of delivery mechanisms and provided necessary training Ž Strengthen- for staff and beneficiaries. ing government capacity for disas- ◆◆ The Philippines. The RSR-DR project is centered on strengthening the gov- ter preparedness ernment’s ability to better protect poor and vulnerable households postdisaster. and response through SPJ The social protection and welfare programs in the Philippines—delivered through (Jamaica)  the Department of Social Welfare and Development—have been at the frontline of disaster response, as witnessed after Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Nevertheless, the potential for social protection to better assist those most in need during the response period after a crisis occurs has much potential for improvement. The  project aims to help assess the potential for introducing a scalable emergency Adapting SPJ systems cash transfer in country, which will replace some of the in-kind assistance; it also to be scalable looks to introduce a management information system to support such an import- and disaster- ant postdisaster program. responsive (Philippines) R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 St. Vincent and the Grenadines T he $300,000 RSR project in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Strengthening Social Protection System for Disaster Preparedness and Response, is facilitating improved stocktaking of the current design and per- formance of the SPJ system. To date, such monitoring and evaluation has been extremely limited. A better information base will serve as the foundation for planning and coordinating between SPJ and DRM spheres and activities. The grant will also provide critical technical assistance to the government to support improved SPJ delivery processes and tools in postdisaster contexts—such as improving identification of beneficiaries and payment mechanisms, implementing better operating processes for SPJ support postdisaster, etc. The grant complements two important IDA-funded activities providing over $16 million to St. Vincent and the Grenadines: the Human Development Service Project (P154253) and the Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduc- tion Project (P117871). This synergy is very much in line with the RSR’s catalytic nature. Given the multisector nature of the RSR project, one of the main lessons learned to date has been to ensure flex- ibility and continuous communication with government counterparts. The project aims to improve coordination among the ministries and agencies responsible for SPJ and DRM. Through RSR support, the grant will soon pro- vide specialized training for staff in both sectors in a range of SPJ tools as well as in an adaptive SPJ curriculum. Ultimately, the RSR grant will help improve government capacity and service delivery to ensure better crisis preparedness as well as response. 62 THE ASP-DRM TOOLKIT The GFDRR Tokyo Hub is supporting the development of a new adaptive social protection (ASP)–DRM toolkit to facilitate communication across the SPJ, DRM, and disaster risk financing arenas. The primary target audience is SPJ specialists who help World Bank Group client countries strengthen the natural disaster respon- siveness of their SPJ systems—or more broadly, mainstream DRM in country SPJ policies, programs, and service delivery. Other target audiences are those in either the DRM or disaster risk financing communities, those who work closely with and support the SPJ specialist audience, and those who are interested in using SPJ programs and services as a platform to support their objectives. The final product, which is expected to be launched in FY2018, will be an interactive e-book with a corresponding website. SOUTH-SOUTH LEARNING FORUM In FY2017, the RSR approved a new grant in support of the upcoming South-South Learning Forum on Building Resilience through Adaptive Social Protection. The forum, co-hosted by the World Bank and GIZ, is the flagship event of the SPJ Prac- tice. Its main objective is to bring together client officials and policy makers to share and advance global knowledge and practice on social protection. The 2018 forum will continue themes explored in Berlin in 2016. The topic of adaptive social protection was selected for several reasons, notably because of its S ection 3 :   S pecial C hannels relevance and progressive nature, client demand to better understand how such programs and systems can contribute to managing risks, and a desire to build on the momentum of the global agenda in this area. What’s Next? Globally, there is growing attention in development fron- tiers for social protection to become more disaster respon- sive. The partnership between the RSR and the GFDRR has helped fortify SPJ-DRM collaboration and generate new knowledge and dialogue related to this agenda. Country-specific grants, as well as regional knowledge exchange forums, have helped to both initiate and continue building on this agenda. There has been increased recognition of the importance of strengthening the resilience and coping capacity of households before shocks strike. Adaptive SPJ systems, policies, and programs help individuals and households better manage the risk of shocks. This is accomplished through instruments that build household resilience both before shocks occur and after they have occurred. The upcoming South-South Learning Forum on Adaptive Social Protection will enrich this agenda by fostering knowledge exchange and a sharing of experiences through the convening of over 200 govern- ment officials and development partner organizations to discuss this topic. 63 Institutional coordination in linking SPJ-DRM remains a big challenge. RSR and GFDRR grants that support the SPJ-DRM agenda through diagnostics or technical assistance have highlighted the need to continue working on and building more coordination and linkages between the two sectors. While there is a natural link between SPJ and DRM, they often exist in different silos and answer to different government agencies. There is still a global gap in coverage of the most poor and vulnerable by SPJ programs. Natural disasters disproportionately affect those most in need, both due to geography and a lack of coping mechanisms. The synergies between SPJ and DRM will thus have a great impact in low-income coun- tries prone to disasters with a high poverty level. These synergies will also benefit middle- and high-income IBRD countries—like the Philippines—that remain vulnera- ble to disasters. The RSR is well positioned to carry this development momentum forward. Originally conceived as a crisis response program, the RSR is well aligned to continue its engagements in disaster-responsive SPJ. Through its partnership with the GFDRR, the RSR can continue to be at the forefront of this new SPJ-DRM agenda. Specifically, it can engage in this agenda through knowledge products that help expand the currently limited body of knowledge on disaster-re- sponsive SPJ, as well as through technical assistance on adaptive SPJ systems development. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 64 S ection 3 :   S pecial C hannels THE RSR-NS WINDOW Supporting work in both low- (IDA) and middle- income (IBRD) World Bank Group client countries, RSR-NS grants can fund stand-alone pilot activities or add a nutrition-sensitive lens to ongoing country programs. A n estimated 45 percent of all deaths of children under five years of age are linked to malnutrition (Black et al. 2013), and globally almost 2 billion people suffer from some form of malnutrition (IFPRI 2016). While poorer countries may exhibit greater rates of undernutrition (too little food and nutrients), rates of overnutrition (too much of the wrong food) are rising as well—and are already high in many advanced economies. When both under- and overnutrition are present in a country, which is not unusual (IFPRI 2014), the economy may feel the impacts of the “double burden of malnutrition,” and governments must tame a two- headed beast that begins as a health concern but ends with negative impacts on human capital, safety nets, government services, and national expenditures. In short, malnutrition is a barrier to health and development all over the world (see, e.g., executive summaries in Shrimpton and Rokx 2012 and IFPRI 2016). However, 65 with their broad reach within and across countries, social protection systems— especially safety net programs—can play a large role in overcoming this challenge (Alderman 2016). The RSR Role in Nutrition According to the Post-2015 Copenhagen Consensus, the reduction of chronic malnutrition is 1 of the 19 (out of more than 100) best value-for-money develop- ment options through 2030 (Kydland, Schelling, and Stokey 2015). RSR-NS grants allow governments to take critical steps toward these investments through social protection system, such as adapting existing safety nets to identify those in need of growth promotion and nutritional counseling. However, working across sectors does not come naturally. Experts, ministers, and officers are very engaged with their own responsibilities and ways of doing busi- ness. Programs with similar goals are often housed in different institutions, and data on participation and outcomes are spread across different repositories. As a result, policy is held back by the effort it takes to find complementarities between programs and systems. Working across sectors to leverage programs, expertise, and data is a central benefit of a nutrition-sensitive approach. RSR-NS grants provide an option for governments to maximize their programs’ value or to develop new ones. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Recent Activities Supported through the RSR-NS Window The RSR-NS window supports critical connections between nutrition and social protection in a way that can lead to meaningful policy change (table 3.2). Work supported by this window has evolved since the 2016 Annual Report, and this year shows scale-up and adoption by governments. COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS ◆◆ Mexico. Mexico stands out for using an RSR-NS grant to contribute to its “culture of evidence-based policy making,” piloting ways to establish causal- ity among complex multisectoral programming. The World Bank team supported the design of an Integrated Social Information System that works across massive national safety nets—including PROSPERA and the Crusada Nacional Contra el Hambre (National Crusade Against Hunger); an operational manual to ensure its effective use was completed this year. The team has also been ahead of the curve in terms of supporting integration of early child development and W hether providing a new space safety nets, and organized a multisectoral mission with PROSPERA, health, and early child development representatives. for policy dialogue or supporting operational details, the RSR-NS ◆◆ Armenia. The RSR-NS grant in Armenia brought the Ministry of Labor, the 66 window allows key policy players to Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to consensus around shared priorities bridging nutrition and social come together. protection, with a Nutrition-Sensitive Safety Nets working group formed to vali- date and strengthen countrywide nutrition data. This demonstrated ability to work together in both strategic and operational capacities is a significant step forward for coordination in the country. A major contribution of the Armenia work has been to create a case referral system whereby local social protection agents are trained to assess malnutrition among program beneficiaries and then refer them to the correct health sector (and safety net) services. As with RSR-NS support in other countries, the grant allowed the government to review its criteria and targeting algorithms for social safety net benefits, while providing a suite of policy options based on household data and new surveys. MULTISEC TORAL COLL ABORATION Six of the RSR-NS teams actively connect multiple ministries and institutions in policy planning and implementation. In Botswana, for example, workshops between World Bank experts, government officials, and UNICEF led to a new National Social Protection Framework which includes nutrition-sensitive activities and guidance for coordination across ministries. In Guatemala, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Development hammered out details on disbursements for a nutri- tion-focused cash transfer; and the team in the Arab Republic of Egypt is bringing together the Ministries of Education and of Social Solidarity to understand the target- ing overlap between school feeding and conditional cash transfer programs. S ection 3 :   S pecial C hannels T A B L E 3 . 2   Current RSR-NS grant portfolio Year Grant Objectives Budget ($) FY16 Enhancing Public Food Delivery (1) Review the role of public food distribution 450,000 Systems as a Safety Net systems (PFDS) as part of the national safety net; (2) understand factors that affect the design of PFDS programs across studied countries and their reforms over time; (3) document selected aspects of current design and implementation FY16 Support the Strengthening of (1) Inform policy reforms that can increase the 380,000 the Mexico SPJ System and its coverage and effectiveness of the social protec- Focus on Wellbeing, Nutritional tion system in Mexico; (2) document important Status, and Food Security results and lessons from Mexico to inform other policy dialogues FY16 Armenia Social Inclusion and Improve the targeting of social safety nets and 380,000 Activation enhance the contribution of the social assistance system in identifying and reducing malnutrition FY17 Strengthening the Social Pro- Support the development of a nutrition-sensitive 340,000 tection System in Botswana to social protection system through development Contribute to the Eradication of of key reforms and tools Food Poverty FY17 Improving Nutrition-Sensitive Support the government of Ecuador in increas- 302,250 Social Protection in Ecuador ing the impact of the social protection system in reducing chronic malnutrition through (1) enhancing the coordination of programs and benefits, and (2) strengthening coordination with the health sector 67 FY17 Design of Conditional Cash Support development of a strategy, design, sys- 450,000 Transfers for Maternal and Child tem components, and piloting of a conditional Health and Nutrition in Madhya cash transfer (CCT) program for maternal and Pradesh, India child health and nutrition in Madhya Pradesh FY17 Leveraging Social Protection (1) Strengthen the foundational systems of a CCT 150,000 Systems for Improved Nutrition program to more effectively target households, [Guatemala] deliver benefits, and manage co-responsibility verification as part of an integrated approach to reducing chronic malnutrition; (2) support strengthened monitoring and evaluation of the CCT program; (3) provide support to increase the functionality of the social registry as a dynamic tool to prioritize, coordinate, and harmonize SPJ interventions across sectors FY17 Supporting Multisectoral Support the PKH program with a practical mech- 400,000 Approach to Reduce Malnu- anism for monitoring, coordinating, and even trition among Indonesian PKH encouraging reliable and high-quality health [Program Keluarga Harapan] services; strengthen monthly family develop- CCT Families ment sessions for PKH beneficiary mothers as a platform to relay essential food and nutrition messages to promote positive behavior changes toward better health and nutrition FY17 Strengthening School Feeding Support the government of Egypt in expanding 400,000 Program in Egypt school feeding programs in coordination with other social safety net interventions, promot- ing improved nutritional outcomes for children attending public schools in poorer areas R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 SOUTH-SOUTH EXCHANGE Few people want to reinvent the wheel, and this holds true in nutrition-sensitive social protection. RSR-NS grants are taking advantage of shared experience in sev- eral ways. For example, the team in Armenia built on a learning visit by the Ministry of Labor to Brazil to hear about the Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) program; and Ecuador learned from Peru’s dramatic stunting reduction, later presenting its own unique and highly successful text messaging pilot to reach rural populations. In addition to such country-country exchanges, the RSR-NS window recently sup- ported a global research project, Enhancing Public Distribution Systems as a Safety Net. This grant effort highlights lessons in public food distribution systems across the world. Working with authors from India, Indonesia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and the United States, the RSR-NS team published its final report in book form in the fall of 2017 (see box on opposite page). The team found that despite theory and evidence generally favoring cash, in-kind food programs remain relevant, evolved, and, in most circumstances, improved over time (see Alderman, Gentilini, and Yemtsov 2018). Their analysis is the first of its kind in terms of scope, and is being presented and shared at international forums. GOVERNANCE Nutrition-sensitive approaches are still new to many government programs, and become more likely to “stick” if they are well designed, coordinated, and taken up by 68 ministries. In this spirit, an RSR-NS grant to a team in Madhya Pradesh, India, allows support for the roll-out of a new conditional cash transfer, the National Maternity Ben- efit Program, by the Department of Women and Child Health; this support includes a scheme for impact evaluation. A team in Indonesia is helping the social assistance and health ministries provide coordinated services at subnational levels, focusing on families in the country’s largest conditional cash transfer program. And, in a significant achievement for the RSR-NS window, the government of Ecuador is ready to scale up its text messaging behavior change pilot for reaching rural populations. DATA AND TE CHNOLOGY The social protection sector focuses on pro-poor services that target vulnerable populations. RSR-NS grants take advantage of this strength by moving toward reg- istries that track use of government services across multiple ministries, especially in support of safety net programs. As of September 2017, Botswana’s RSR-NS team had completed an upgrade to its social registry database, which now tracks social safety net use, food supplemen- tation programs, and more. The system is being tested with beneficiary data, and operations training for the relevant ministries is soon to follow. Guatemala’s grant emphasizes the importance of data collection and co-responsibility, looking at how health service data is collected and how cash transfer beneficiary co-responsibility is verified; it additionally is ensuring the ministries of health and social development have systems that can “talk” to each other, through a unified registration database. S ection 3 :   S pecial C hannels Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers? G overnment safety nets take many forms. These programs must balance costs, coverage, and results—and take into account country politics and history of implementation. A long-standing challenge in this realm has been to weigh the comparative impacts of providing vulnerable individuals with one of three types of support: cash, vouchers for specific goods, or food. Using a grant funded through the RSR-NS window, a team of researchers and practitioners within and out- side the World Bank led a six-country case study on food distribution systems around the world. The countries examined were Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, and the United States. The following illustration shows the evolution of the programs examined in the six countries. The researchers found that, on average, there have been gains in moving from in-kind to vouchers or cash assistance. Further, they found that improvements to programs have largely been driven by factors such as political leadership at key junctures, credible evidence, a judicious use of technology, appropriate delivery processes, and ways to hold providers accountable. Egypt, in the 1940s Egypt, in 2014 India in 2013 Generalized Sri Lanka (coverage) Indonesia in 1940s in 1998 Sri Lanka in 1966 Mexico in early 1990s U.S. in 69 2013 Mexico in 2003 Targeted Indonesia Mexico in (de facto or Mexico in in 2013 1997 in 2013 deliberately) India in U.S. in Sri Lanka in 1979 1940s Sri Lanka 1960s in 1978 Sri Lanka in 2012 Food subsides Food transfers Vouchers Cash transfers The team’s careful analysis of the evolution of large-scale, domestic food-based programs has set the stage for a fresh look at how vulnerable populations are served. The resulting book, The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers? was released in 2017, and is already generating demand on how to apply global lessons to country contexts—including in Jordan, Lebanon, and the Republic of  Yemen. Source: Alderman, Gentilini, and Yemtsov 2018. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Indonesia is working at the opposite end, taking child nutrition data already col- lected by its flagship cash transfer program (PKH) and leveraging it to embed com- plementary health messages in other social development programs. What’s Next? There is much more ground to cover in the area of nutrition-sensitive social pro- tection, and the RSR-NS mechanism is well positioned to respond. The following themes are likely areas of entry for new projects. ◆◆ 1,000 days. Sources such as the 2013 Lancet series on maternal and child nutrition point to the period from the first day of pregnancy to a child’s second birthday—approximately 1,000 days—as a critical time for development, when human capital may become locked in for the rest of a child’s life. This rallying cry of the public health nutrition world should continue to guide targeting choices within social protection programs. ◆◆ Early childhood development. While concepts such as breastfeeding and growth promotion are typically led by nutrition or health sectors, the educa- tion sector has much to contribute to safety net programming. Parents’ interaction with their children, such as those involved in conditional cash transfers for house- holds with caregivers, similarly play a significant role in cognitive and socio-emo- 70 tional development. Social protection ministries should consider reaching out to their education—especially their early childhood development—colleagues. ◆◆ Maintaining collaboration. In cases such as Armenia, RSR-NS grants may be allowing a country to work on nutrition across ministries for the first time. These interactions provide the building blocks for multisectoral and nutrition-sen- sitive work, but represent a significant shift in approach—and even mindset— toward collaboration. Future rounds of grants can build on such groundwork, and will require continued investment to establish nutrition sensitivity as a norm. ◆◆ Behavior change communication (BCC). Nutrition and social pro- tection find a programmatic intersection around BCC. Conditional cash transfers can encourage use of government services such as growth promotion, or find ways to include individual or small-group counseling approaches to address nutri- tion knowledge, attitudes, and practices. BCC is a common challenge in improv- ing nutrition, and an area that can be strengthened in RSR-NS grants. These and other themes will continue to drive the RSR-NS as a mechanism bringing a nutrition-sensitive lens into the social protection arena. The cohort of grantees will serve as a natural knowledge network to further South-South exchange, and together create a supportive grant system that will grow more impactful over time. 4 SECTION Financial Status A s of October 23, 2017, development partner contributions to the Rapid Social Response Program—covering the RSR Multi-Donor Trust Fund, the RSR Nutrition-Sensitive Trust Fund, and the now-closed RSR Catalyst Trust Fund— totaled about $117.07 million, including investment and other income. These contributions covered activities under the RSR Classic and RSR-NS funding windows; funding for the RSR disaster-responsive window is provided through the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery’s own multi-donor trust fund and not reported on here. Table 4.1 presents the financial summary for the three RSR trust funds, including information on development partner cash contributions, investment income, grant commitments and disbursements, and funds available for allocation against future calls for proposals. The RSR MDTF, the RSR-NS, and the RSRC have earned investment income on the undisbursed balance accumulated since the inception of the three trust fund programs. The income is used for the same purposes as the contribution funds, as specified in the respective trust fund administrative agreements. At present, the RSR MDTF is valued at $110.46 million ($108.39 million in development partner deposits, plus $1.90 million in investment income, in addition to $0.18 million in returned funds). The administrative fee for the three trust fund programs represents the cost of administration and other expenses, which are in accordance with the terms of the administrative agreements. 74 Contributions by Development Partner The Russian Federation remains the largest funder of the RSR MDTF, followed by the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. The United Kingdom joined the RSR MDTF in 2013 with a total contribution of £15 million. The Russian Federation is the sole contributor to the RSR-NS trust fund, aimed at SPJ system building and strengthening, with a total contribution amount of $3.30 million. All funds under this trust fund are fully allocated, and the trust fund is expected to close on June 30, 2018, unless the closing date is extended. The United Kingdom, via the Department for International Development, was the sole contributor to the RSRC trust fund. A total contribution of £2 million (about $3.24 million) was received against the trust fund program. These funds supported the preparation of key analytical work in 30 countries focused on assessing exist- ing programs, technical assistance to improve components of existing systems, and building the capacity of implementing teams. This trust fund program closed June 30, 2012. Table 4.2 shows the breakdown of the RSR MDTF by development partner: $50 mil- lion from the Russian Federation, £15 million from the United Kingdom (about $23.36 million), NKr 130 million from Norway (about $21.62 million), SKr 70 million from Sweden (about $10.43 million), and $A 2.90 million from Australia (about $2.97 million). These contributions represent the amounts specified in the adminis- trative agreements between the development partners, IBRD, and IDA. S ection 4 :   F inancial S tat u s T A B L E 4 . 1   Status of RSR contributions by trust fund, as of October 23, 2017 (million $) RSR MDTF RSR-NS RSRC Total a. Receipts Cash contributiona 108.39 3.30 3.24 114.93 Investment income b 1.90 0.05 0.02 1.97 Other incomec 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.18 Total receipts 110.46 3.35 3.25 117.07 b. Grant amount/allocation d 93.91 3.27 3.01 100.20 c. Nonproject disbursements Refundse 0.00 0.00 0.07 0.07 Administrative feef 1.08 0.07 0.16 1.31 Available balance g 14.38 (0.05) (0.09) 14.25 d. Activity disbursements and commitments Disbursementsh 76.38 1.79 2.99 81.16 Commitments i 2.19 0.24 0.00 2.43 Total disbursements and commitments 78.58 2.02 2.99 83.59 Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). Note: In accordance with the Trust Fund Administrative Agreement, “the World Bank shall furnish to the Donor current financial informa- tion relating to receipts, disbursements and fund balance with respect to the Contributions via the World Bank’s Trust Funds Donor Center secure website. The Bank shall provide to the Donors an annual single audit reporting, within 6 months following the end of each Bank fis- cal year, which starts on July 1 and ends on June 30 of each year.” Additional information on accounting and financial reporting is included in the administrative agreement, annex 2, paragraph 6. Details may not sum to totals because of rounding. a. Any portion of a contribution made in the form of cash. b. Returns on cash and investments allocated to the trust fund and earned between November 2009 and October 23, 2017, on the undis- bursed balance of the RSR MDTF umbrella. 75 c. Ineligible expenses returned from one of the recipient-executed grants that has closed. Funds will be reallocated against new approved proposals. d. The setting aside of funds for specific agreed activities/projects in accordance with the decision-making process specified in the adminis- trative agreement. e. Unspent funds from the RSRC were automatically transferred to the development partner bank account. f. The cost of administration and other expenses, which are in accordance with the terms of the administrative agreement and the agreed administrative fee. g. Funds available for new allocation after subtracting total grant allocation and the administrative fee. Future unpaid contributions will be allocated against new rounds of calls for proposals in FY18. h. Cash payment to a recipient or vendor based on a commitment by the Bank. The Bank provides oversight and supervision over implementation. i. Obligations of the trust fund to provide funds. They are recorded in full amounts in the system, pending disbursement against the allo- cated goods and services. The commitment also includes funds allocated against recipient-executed trust funds. T A B L E 4 . 2   Status of paid and unpaid contributions by development partner, as of October 23, 2017 Development Contribution Amount received Amount received Unpaid installments Total partner currency (contribution currency) (million $) (million $) (million $) Australia million $A 2.90 2.97 0.00 2.97 Norway million NKr 130.00 21.62 0.00 21.62 Russian Federation million $ 50.00 50.00 0.00 50.00 Sweden million SKr 70.00 10.43 0.00 10.43 United Kingdom million £ 15.00 23.36 0.00 23.36 Total paid and unpaid contributions 108.39 0.00 108.39 Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). Note: Installments paid in currencies of contributions are valued at the exchange rates in effect at the time the funds are received and the date they are converted to U.S. dollars. Details may not sum to totals because of rounding. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 In 2017, Australia provided an additional contribution (not recorded in the above table) in the amount of $A 300,000 (about $0.23 million); these funds will be allocated F I G U R E 4 . 1   RSR status as of against future rounds. Funds received in 2017 are subject to new cost recovery October 23, 2017 reforms as specified in the administrative arrangement with Australia dated May 30, 2017. Active funds 31% Program Activities Since the inception of the RSR MDTF in late 2009 until December 2016, 10 rounds Legally closed funds of calls for proposals have been launched, supporting different sectors as well as 69% regional and global activities. Figure 4.1 shows the current status of program activi- ties under the RSR Program. All activities under the RSRC are now legally closed. Source: SAP (World Bank internal Disbursements under the RSR Program have increased significantly since December system). 2009, as shown in figure 4.2. As of October 2017, about 81 percent of the funds F I G U R E 4 . 2   RSR cumulative grant approvals and disbursements as of October 23, 2017 Million $ 90 Approved grants Disbursements Commitments 80 70 76 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). Note: Approved grant amounts represent the grants that were activated and recorded by fiscal year in SAP. F I G U R E 4 . 3   RSR grant allocation allocated to RSR Program activities have been disbursed; another 2 percent is con- by trust fund type tractually committed. New rounds of calls for proposals are planned to be launched in fiscal years 2018 to allocate the uncommitted resources. Recipient executed The RSR MDTF, RSR-NS, and RSRC fund two main types of grants, as shown in 15% figure 4.3. Recipient-executed trust funds (RETFs) are funds the Bank passes on to a recipient, whose projects are prepared and supervised by the Bank. Bank-executed trust funds (BETFs) finance activities such as capacity building, technical assistance, Bank and supervision and preparation of RETF-funded projects. BETFs are implemented executed 85% by the Bank. Source: SAP (World Bank internal system). 5 SECTION Supporting Tables R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Table 5.1  RSR Project Portfolio Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Africa Angola: Systemic Support to Social Protection in 442,622 September Closed Angola. Contributes to strengthening the social pro- 2015– tection system by enhancing the government’s capac- March ity to design and implement social protection pro- 2017 grams, strengthening coordination and institutional linkages among the multiple government institutions, and designing a graduation model. Benin: Building a Common National Targeting and 275,000 August Closed Registry System for Cash Transfers, Public Works, and 2013– Other Safety Net Interventions. Supported the gov- June 2015 ernment of Benin in developing a national beneficiary targeting and registry system that can be used across multiple social protection and health programs. Benin: Scaling Up Social Protection. Supports the scal- 295,000 March Active ing up of social protection activities in Benin, capitaliz- 2017– ing on recent advances in building multiprogram plat- January forms for targeting, registry, and grievance redress. 2019 Burkina Faso: Strengthening Safety Net Response to 500,000 April Closed Crises. Supported the development and implementa- 2010– tion of a cash transfer program and a feasibility study June 2015 of a public works program to support the poor and 80 vulnerable. Building Burundi: Supporting Evolution toward a Coordinated 400,000 August Closed Social Social Protection System. Assisted a gradual move 2014– Protection from fragmented social protection programs to a August Systems coordinated system through feasibility assessments, 2015 support to program implementation, and South- South learning. Cameroon: Strengthening Safety Net Response to 549,852 March Closed Crises. Supported an inventory and analysis of the 2010– country’s social safety nets, and piloted a cash trans- December fer program. 2013 Cameroon: Support to Building Productive Safety 250,000 April Closed Nets. Supported the development of a productive 2014– social protection system in Cameroon including November strengthening the design of safety net programs and 2015 including approaches to linking program beneficiaries to the labor market and to productive activities. Central African Republic: Social Protection Policy 350,000 March Active and Forced Displacement in Central African Republic. 2017– Supports the government in designing a sustainable February and inclusive National Social Protection Policy where 2019 development responses to forced displacement are fully integrated and operationalized. Comoros: Strengthening Social Protection in 410,000 February Closed Comoros. Supported the government in improving 2015– social protection policy coordination and safety net October program implementation. 2016 S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Congo–Brazzaville: LISUNGI–Safety Nets System. 350,000 January Closed Supported building blocks of a consolidated national 2014– safety nets system and an impact evaluation of the November LISUNGI cash transfer pilot program. 2015 Cash Transfers: Design for Scaling Up in Sub-Saharan 391,874 May 2012– Closed Africa. Provided technical assistance to improve and June 2013 scale-up existing cash transfer programs in Angola, Benin, Lesotho, Mali, Tanzania, and Zambia. Côte d’Ivoire: Assessing the Impact of Crises on 299,169 November Closed Human Capital and Laying the Foundations for an 2011– Effective Social Safety Net System. Provided tech- December nical assistance to investigating the aggregate and 2013 distributional impact of recent crises on the country´s human capital, and made specific policy recommen- dations to better respond to future crises. Côte d’Ivoire: Strengthening Social Protection and 417,710 April Active Labor Delivery Platforms in Côte d’Ivoire. Strength- 2016– ens institutional capacity for improving coordination December and the design of an integrated delivery system for 2017 social protection and labor in Côte d’Ivoire. Democratic Republic of Congo: Support to Establish- 350,000 April Closed ing a National Social Protection System. Strength- 2014– ened the framework for social protection and the March establishment of a national social protection system 2016 though capacity building of social protection actors Building and mapping of SPL interventions. 81 Social Protection Democratic Republic of Congo: Developing a National 440,000 April 2017– Active Systems Targeting System. Helps the government develop a January national targeting system for safety nets which will be 2019 piloted in IDA-financed operations. Ethiopia: Expanding Ethiopia’s Social Protection Sys- 435,000 February Active tem: Building the Jobs Agenda. Supports the govern- 2017– ment in strengthening its social protection system by January building its knowledge and capacity to successfully 2019 deliver livelihoods and jobs-related services to poor and vulnerable populations. Gambia: Support for Designing and Building an Effec- 425,000 April 2017– Active tive Social Safety Net System. Supports the gov- December ernment in designing the building blocks of a basic, 2018 effective, and efficient social safety net system for the poor and vulnerable. Ghana: Building a Common Targeting Registry for 450,000 February Closed Ghana’s Social Protection System. Building on pre- 2014– vious support from RSR, this grant supported the gov- November ernment of Ghana in establishing a national common 2015 targeting system to scale up Ghana’s main safety net program (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty— LEAP) and the National Health Insurance Scheme. Ghana: Cash Transfers Designed and Brought to 181,322 April Closed Scale. Helped to upgrade the design of the country’s 2010– cash transfer programs with a view to develop a com- June 2012 mon targeting mechanism for all safety net programs in the country. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Ghana: Strengthening, Consolidating and Scaling Up 450,000 September Active the Social Protection System. Improves the effec- 2016–June tiveness and efficiency of Ghana’s National Social 2018 Protection System. Guinea: Strengthening Social Safety Nets in Times 399,981 July 2011– Closed of Crises. Provided technical assistance, including a September feasibility study and capacity building to help create 2014 a safety net system that can respond effectively to crises. Guinea Social Protection Safety Nets Strategy. 400,000 March Closed Supported the government’s request to elaborate a 2015– national social protection policy and strategy docu- September ment. 2016 Guinea-Bissau: Laying the Foundations for a Social 383,500 February Closed Protection System. Supported the government in 2015– laying the foundations of a social protection system October capable of effectively responding to current crises 2016 and future shocks. Kenya: Developing and Strengthening the Kenya 415,250 August Closed Social Protection System. Helped the government 2013– enhance the single registry for social protection, May 2015 develop common program targeting mechanisms, and design program graduation mechanisms. Building Kenya: Social Protection Interventions. Supported 144,891 March Closed 82 Social the government of Kenya in its effort to bring about 2010– Protection a systemic change of the social protection system, December Systems and deliver more tangible and sustainable results for 2012 vulnerable people. Kenya: Support to the Government for Social Pro- 1,147,853 July 2010– Closed tection Programming. Supported the government September in strengthening its response to the recent crisis 2013 through increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of ongoing social protection interventions. Kenya: Support to the Internship Program of the 585,000 Sep- Closed Kenya Private Sector Alliance. Supported the IDA tember– Youth Empowerment Project in its efforts to increase December access to youth-targeted temporary employment pro- 2012 grams and to improve youth employability. Lesotho: Developing the Strategy and Building 246,829 May 2014– Closed Blocks for a Social Protection System. Supports the November government in developing a social protection strategy 2015 and laying some of the fundamental building blocks of a social protection system, such as targeting, bene- ficiary registry, and coordination among programs. Lesotho: Social Safety Net Review. Improved the 137,123 November Closed existing safety net to better protect the poor and 2011– vulnerable under crisis by analyzing the efficiency of May 2013 current social safety net programs in reaching out to the most vulnerable, and developing policy reform options and guidance. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Liberia: Development of a Crisis Response Social 288,275 November Closed Protection Strategy and Capacity. Funded a Social 2010– Protection Diagnostic Report, which was a critical March first step in the development of a coordinated and 2012 comprehensive social protection strategy that forms an integrated part of the human development pillar of the country’s poverty reduction strategy. Liberia: Improving Employment of Vulnerable Youth. 239,566 November Closed Provided an analysis and technical assistance to 2011– the government on how to prioritize and sequence June 2013 employment programs targeting vulnerable youth. Liberia: Developing National Social Protection Delivery 434,909 August Closed Systems. Supports the government in establishing key 2015–April building blocks for a basic national safety system and 2017 strengthening coordination and administrative processes. Madagascar: Developing Madagascar’s Safety Net 439,541 February Closed System. Helps to advance the social protection policy 2014– dialogue and develop innovative safety net approaches November to address the needs of the poorest population. 2015 Malawi: Building a Shock Responsive Safety Net. 450,000 November Active Improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the 2016– Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s emer- June 2018 gency and safety net response. Mauritania: Improving Safety Nets Programs. Helps 150,000 September Closed Building the government improve targeting, prepare a single 2013– 83 Social registry for safety nets programs, and develop a feasi- June 2015 Protection bility assessment for a national cash transfer. Systems Mozambique: Developing the Building Blocks for 1,554,074 March Closed Effective Crisis Response. Supported the development 2012– of labor-intensive public works in 10 arid and semi-arid December rural and 2 urban areas to address the country-specific 2012 dynamics of poverty and improve food insecurity; helped set the direction of the new national public works program by developing and testing criteria for selecting beneficiaries, determining the level of trans- fers, and ascertaining the types of eligible public works. Mozambique: Building Gender-Sensitive Social Pro- 900,000 March Closed tection and Labor Systems through Soft Public Works. 2015– Supports and expands the emerging social protection May 2017 system by piloting a gender-sensitive, inclusive safety nets mechanism that provides temporary income support to extremely poor individuals, mainly women, while delivering social and community services to vul- nerable groups in underserved rural and urban areas. Nigeria: Strengthening Social Safety Net. Provided 399,686 July 2011– Closed technical assistance to improve the design of the December IDA-supported Social Safety Net program. 2012 Nigeria: Developing National Social Protection 430,000 February Closed Platform. Supported the development of a compre- 2015– hensive national platform for an effective safety net October program, including a common targeting system, har- 2016 monized eligibility criteria, guidelines for a payment system, and a monitoring and evaluation system. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Regional: Support to Coherent Pension Policy and 310,000 January Closed Improved Pension Delivery in Africa. Provides policy 2014– makers with the information and international expe- December rience required to formulate more equitable old age 2016 income security policies as well as with tools to allow program administrators to improve delivery of pensions. Regional: Building and Sharing Knowledge to Sup- 410,000 September Active port Identification Systems in Africa. Aims to pro- 2015– duce and share public goods and knowledge that will June 2017 help countries in Africa in their efforts to build robust identification and birth registration systems leading to an increased share of the population possessing robust legal identity. Regional: Social Protection Design and Implemen- 95,827 April Closed tation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Supported the devel- 2010– opment of cash transfer programs. Depending on April 2012 the country situation, areas for support included the design for scaling up, specifics of targeting, design of enrollment and identification of beneficiaries, payment systems, control and accountability mechanisms, mon- itoring system, and management information systems. Regional: Support to Africa Social Protection System 300,000 January Closed Development. Developed tools and facilitated knowl- 2014– edge sharing on how to improve social protection June 2015 systems in Africa. 84 Building Regional: Coherent Pension Policy in West Africa. 320,000 March Active Social Equip policy makers with information and international 2016– Protection experience required to formulate more equitable old- December Systems age income security policies in West African countries. 2017 Regional: Support to Diagnostics of Financing and 450,000 September Active Structure of Social Protection in Africa. Assess the 2016– financing structure of SPL programs in three coun- May 2018 tries in East and West Africa and provide recommen- dations on improving SPL system spending efficiency and fiscal sustainability. Rwanda: SPL Systems in Rwanda: Operationalizing 450,000 May 2014– Closed the Vision. Supported the government of Rwanda to November improve effectiveness of its social protection system by 2015 moving from a focus on policy formulation to the design and implementation of key service delivery systems Rwanda: Technical Assistance for Stronger Social 2,086,048 April Closed Safety Nets. Provided technical assistance to improve 2010– existing social protection programs’ ability to protect December vulnerable households in times of crisis, and boosted 2013 the programs’ capacity to scale-up interventions and absorb more funds when the need arises. São Tomé and Príncipe: Building Blocks for Social 325,000 April Closed Protection System. Created the basic blocks for a 2014– social protection system by enhancing the govern- November ment’s understanding of vulnerability and risk vis-à- 2015 vis the existing supply of safety net interventions, and developing key operational tools to reach the poorest with selected safety net programs. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status São Tomé and Príncipe: Development of Effective 315,000 April 2017– Active Delivery Systems for Social Protection. Supports the January government in building delivery systems to turn its 2019 core social protection programs into effective safety net interventions. Senegal: Developing a Unified and Effective Safety 217,563 September Closed Net. Supported the development of a comprehen- 2010– sive and efficient social protection system including June 2014 a unified set of design parameters such as targeting mechanisms, a registry system, payment methods, and a management information system. Senegal: Developing Senegal Safety Net System. 300,000 December Closed Supported the design of a responsive safety net 2013– system in connection with the government’s launch of June 2015 the Food Security Program (Programme de bourse de sécurité alimentaire). Senegal: Developing National Social Protection 74,346 August Closed Delivery Systems. Aimed to carry out an assessment 2015–April of public works programs and develop a time-bound 2017 action plan to design and implement new programs, and strengthen the SPL system and coordination through active engagement of government institu- tions and other stakeholders. Building Sierra Leone: Developing Sierra Leone’s Social Pro- 300,000 January Closed Social tection System through Common Targeting Mech- 2014– Protection anisms. Supported the establishment of a common November 85 Systems targeting system, a critical step in the consolidation 2015 of the country’s social programs into a robust social protection system. Sierra Leone: Social Safety Net Support. Provided 299,985 July 2011– Closed a diagnostic of sources of poverty and vulnerability June 2013 and made recommendations to improve the design, effectiveness, and sustainability of the major safety net interventions, with a view to move from an ad hoc emergency focus to a longer-term programmatic focus on national systems. Sierra Leone: Strengthening Operational and Insti- 360,000 August Active tutional Elements of the Social Protection System. 2016– Strengthens key operational and institutional ele- July 2018 ments of the social protection system. Somalia: Support the Establishment of a Social 400,000 August Active Protection Framework. Supports the elaboration of a 2016– social protection policy and a safety nets strategy in June 2017 Somaliland as recommended by the Stocktaking and Diagnostic Assessment. South Sudan. Provides support to the government 410,000 April Active to assess the state of the social protection sector, 2016– generate knowledge, and build institutional capacity December for designing, implementing, and coordinating social 2017 protection programs. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Sudan: Strengthening Safety Net Programs. 395,849 February Closed Strengthened the effectiveness and responsiveness 2015– of social protection interventions by improving the October implementation and coordination of the Ministry of 2016 Welfare and Social Security’s Social Support Pro- gram, builds the foundations for a common targeting system, and develops cash for work for poor and conflict-affected regions Tanzania: Enhancing Crisis Response for the Most 626,136 July 2011– Closed Vulnerable Children and Elderly Poor. Worked to September improve household practices and engender sustain- 2012 ability of livelihoods of the current Community-Based Conditional Cash Transfer beneficiaries; following some implementation issues, part of the grant was canceled. Tanzania: A Systems-Based Approach for Operation- 410,000 April Closed alizing the Tanzania Productive Social Safety Net. 2014– Developed a strategy for using information and com- November munication technology for expanded outreach and 2015 greater impact as well as enhancing key operational tools including the management information system, the single registry of beneficiaries, and the formal payment system. Tanzania: Enhancing Sustainable Livelihoods and 420,000 April Active Graduation from Social Assistance in Tanzania: Bot- 2016– Building tlenecks to Self-Employment and Household Enter- December 86 Social prises. Identifies the most important constraints to 2018 Protection higher productivity in nonfarm self-employment and Systems household enterprises (businesses run mostly with the help of family members), and identifies potential interventions to address these constraints. Togo: Promoting Innovative Crisis-Response Social 283,806 November Closed Protection. Financed a rigorous impact evaluation of 2010– the new public works project and provided technical September assistance to the government in implementing and 2012 monitoring the national social protection strategy. Togo: Support to Social Safety Net Development. 220,000 November Closed Helped the country move toward an integrated 2011– national system for social protection by providing December technical assistance to the development of a cash 2013 transfer program and improving the design of exist- ing programs. Uganda: Uganda Social Protection Sector Review. 258,800 December Closed Supported the development of a social protection sys- 2013– tem through an analysis of poverty, risk, and vulner- December ability as well as a detailed analysis of existing social 2014 safety programs. Uganda: Protection and Promotion: Empowering 259,800 September Active Child Survivors of SGBV PROSPECS-SGBV [Protec- 2016– tion and Promotion Empowering Child Survivors of December Sexual and Gender Based Violence]. Improves inclu- 2018 sion of child survivors of sexual violence and those at risk into the social protection system. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Uganda: Improving Opportunities for Vulnera- 385,000 April 2017– Active ble Youth: Evidence and Learning for Solutions in January Uganda. Informs and supports the government in the 2019 design of employment policies and programs aimed at improving access to productive opportunities by vulnerable youth, through system diagnostics and expansion of the knowledge base; stocktaking of what exists; and strengthening knowledge sharing and learning capabilities at the national and local levels. Youth Employment in Africa: The Skill Develop- 93,719 March Closed ment-Labor Demand Conundrum. Identified and 2010– analyzed programs that improve employability and April 2012 earnings among youth and reduce their vulnerability and risky behavior—knowledge that improves the design of labor-market interventions. Zambia: Development of Integrated Management 1,400,000 December Closed Information System and Single Registry of Benefi- 2013– Building ciaries. Supported the government in strengthening December Social its social protection system by developing a policy 2015 Protection framework and building management information Systems systems and a single registry to allow robust identifi- cation of beneficiaries. Zambia: Developing an Innovative Payment Platform 355,000 February Active for the Social Protection System in Zambia. Supports 2017– the government to design and pilot an innovative January payment platform that gives beneficiaries the choice 2019 87 of how to receive their benefits and is integrated into the national social protection system. Zimbabwe Productive Safety Net: Pilot Public Works 1,084,868 March Closed Project. Helped the government of Zimbabwe to 2011– improve its national public works program to bolster February the resilience of vulnerable families and communities. 2013 Zimbabwe: Revival of Social Protection System. 250,000 February Closed Assisted the government in the development of a 2014– social protection strategy and creation of a harmo- February nized targeting system and beneficiary registry for 2016 the main social safety net programs in the country. Cash Transfers and Conditional Cash Transfers in 449,805 June 2011– Closed Sub-Saharan Africa: A Community of Practitioners. June 2013 This community of practice brought together offi- cials and practitioners from Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Niger to exchange experiences, resources, and learning on conditional cash transfers. Sharing Knowledge Community of Practice of Cash Transfers and Con- 450,000 August Closed ditional Cash Transfers to Support Countries in the 2013– Consolidation of Social Protection and Labor Systems. June 2015 Supported participating countries in their process of launching or scaling-up unconditional and conditional cash transfer programs as a core pillar in the consoli- dation of SPL systems. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Experience of Cash-for-Work in Liberia and Togo. This 88,699 April Closed activity built on the experience of the Liberia Cash for 2010– Work Project and assisted Togo’s government in iden- February tifying key issues and success factors for a new public 2012 works intervention. Informal Safety Nets in Eastern and Southern Africa. 118,116 February Closed Supported the preparation of three case studies in 2010– Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Côte d’Ivoire to elucidate the April 2012 interplay between formal and informal safety nets. Sharing Africa Community of Practice on Cash Transfer for 340,000 January Closed Knowledge Francophone Countries in the Region. Broadened 2015– and deepened the results of the francophone Sub-Sa- October haran Africa Community of Practice on cash transfer 2016 programs in member countries. Social Safety Nets System: Administrative Toolkit 450,000 October Active Development and Regional Workshop. Supports the 2014– improvement of SPL systems through the develop- June 2015 ment and application of: (1) tools for measuring and evaluating current systems, (2) SPL-specific question- naires to improve household survey indicators, and (3) sharing knowledge within the region. Benin and Malawi: Enhancing Institutional Capacity 375,770 July 2011– Closed to Design, Implement, and Monitor Nutrition Secu- June 2013 rity Programs. Worked to enhance the two countries’ ability to respond to—and mitigate—the nutritional 88 impact of economic and climate-related shocks. Ethiopia: Strengthening the Early Warning Sys- 1,014,091 January Closed tem. Provided technical support to the development 2011– and implementation of an early warning system for December malnutrition; the project complemented the IDA-sup- 2013 ported Nutrition Project. The Gambia: Rapid Response Nutrition Security 3,150,623 January Closed Improvement Project. Strengthened the capacity of 2011– the National Nutrition Agency to develop a communi- July 2013 ty-driven approach to nutrition, and provided tech- Protecting nical assistance to the development of an updated Access nutrition policy and strategic plan for implementation. to Basic Lesotho: Estimating the Impact of Economic Crises 229,442 April Closed Services on Education and Skills Development. Collected and 2010– analyzed data to help the government better target December education and labor market policies to help youth and 2012 vulnerable groups during economic crises. Madagascar: Assessing Negative Effects of the Polit- 397,900 June 2011– Closed ical Crisis and Protecting Access to Essential Health September and Nutrition Services. Provided technical assistance 2012 to ensure continuous and effective health and nutrition service delivery in stable times and when crises hit. Madagascar: Development of Tools to Monitor 449,770 November Closed and Mitigate the Effect of Crises on Out-of-School 2011– Children. Supported a diagnosis of the effects of March economic and political crises on children and devised 2013 appropriate mechanisms to protect vulnerable chil- dren’s access to basic education. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Madagascar: Building Nutrition Sensitive Safety Nets. 450,000 April Active Strengthens the nutrition focus of Madagascar’s Produc- 2016– tive Safety Net Program through behavioral interven- December tions and productive activities at the household level. 2017 Malawi: Protecting Early Childhood Development. 2,182,341 April 2011– Closed Supported the government in the design, implemen- November tation, and evaluation of strategies to increase access 2012 to—and the quality of—9,000 community-based child care centers across the country. Protecting Mali: Piloting Effective Early Childhood Development 1,976,234 October Closed Access Services. Assisted in the government’s crisis response 2010– to Basic by developing cost-effective early childhood develop- December Services ment services for vulnerable children in rural areas. 2013 Rwanda: Nutrition Sensitive Social Protection. Supports 275,000 April 2017– Active the government in reducing child malnutrition by identi- January fying, tracking, and building capacity to deliver nutrition 2019 support services in its social protection system. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo: 50,617 February Closed Operations and Capacity Development for Nutrition. 2010–April Strengthened awareness of the need to improve 2012 capacity to implement nutrition interventions at scale. East Asia and Pacific Assessing Myanmar’s Social Protection and Labor 450,000 February Closed System and Designing Policy and Program Options 2014– 89 for the Future. Used the Social Protection Assess- September ment of Results and Country Systems (SPARCS) 2015 framework to identify strategic direction and appro- priate instruments to build resilience and promote equity and opportunity; the grant also focuses on building the capacity of government to develop SPL policies, design appropriate programs, and build an effective system for delivery. Cambodia: Developing the Components of a National 249,970 November Closed Social Protection System. Put in place elements of a 2014– social protection system through technical assistance December for the implementation of a cash transfer program; 2016 Building these elements can then be scaled-up to help develop Social a comprehensive social protection system. Protection Systems Making Social Protection Systems Responsive 450,000 December Closed to Natural Disasters in East Asia and the Pacific. 2013– Strengthened the capacity of governments across the June 2015 region to adapt social protection programs and sys- tems to mitigate disaster risks ex ante, improve cop- ing strategies, and better respond to natural disasters and extreme climate conditions. Mongolia: Building a More Efficient Social Protection 265,000 June Closed System. Improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the 2014– country’s social assistance system by recommending November strategies to consolidate the country’s fragmented social 2015 assistance system and by building an integrated infor- mation technology system that can serve as an informa- tion platform to manage all categorical and proxy-means tested social assistance programs in the country. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Monitoring and Evaluation for Mongolia Social 67,787 February Closed Welfare Programs. Helped to develop an alternative 2010– to the current social security scheme and developed February a savings program for herders and others involved 2012 in the informal sector, as well as a social security reserve fund. Papua New Guinea: Ensuring Effective Monitoring 296,590 January Closed and Evaluation and Social Accountability for the 2011– Urban Youth Employment Project. Strengthened the June 2013 government’s capacity to implement and evaluate the impacts of an IDA-supported youth employment proj- ect that aims to increase the aspirations and future earnings of 17,500 urban disadvantaged youth. Timor-Leste: Strengthening Social Safety Nets 87,811 January Closed Institutions. Strengthened the delivery of social 2010– assistance through a diagnosis of existing payment February systems and options for alternative systems, and 2012 helped establish a management information system Building in the Ministry of Social Solidarity to facilitate moni- Social toring and evaluation. Protection Timor-Leste Social Protection Administration Proj- 2,205,721 March Closed Systems ect. Supported the Ministry of Social Solidarity in 2011– building a standardized information management sys- October tem that integrates beneficiary information across dif- 2014 ferent database systems and identifies beneficiaries uniquely and strengthening the government’s capac- 90 ity to improve delivery of cash transfer programs. Vietnam: Strengthening the Social Protection Sys- 450,000 February Closed tem. Supported the government in strengthening the 2015– social protection system through consolidation of November overlapping programs and modernization of manage- 2016 ment and delivery systems, in addition to building the capacity of government to develop more effective social assistance and social insurance systems. Vietnam: Integrated Social Protection Delivery 365,000 November Active Systems in Vietnam. Provides evidence to inform 2016– reforms of national social protection policies and June 2018 programs, including more efficient systems for infor- mation management and identification, enhanced business processes, and front-end client services. Implementing Social Protection Programs: Asia 436,711 November Closed Learning Forum. The event took place in Bangalore, 2011– Sharing India, in September 2012 with the participation of May 2013 Knowledge social policy practitioners from 19 countries and focused on the administration and implementation aspects of social protection programs. Lao PDR: Addressing Malnutrition in Lao PDR. Helps 390,000 May 2017– Active Protecting put in place the building blocks for a social protec- February Access tion system by developing a concrete design for a 2019 to Basic social assistance program to help achieve the poverty Services reduction objectives of Lao PDR’s 8th National Socio- economic Development Strategy. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Europe and Central Asia Albania: A Functional Review of the Administrative 49,846 December Closed Processes of Nhdima Ekonomike. A stocktaking of 2009– the country’s main poverty program’s administrative December architecture and its operational aspects, functional 2012 responsibilities, and institutional capacity. Rapid Assistance to Improve Social Safety Nets in 59,660 March Closed Kyrgyzstan in the Face of Energy Tariff Reforms. Sup- 2010– ported the Agency for Social Protection in reforming February its social safety nets so that vulnerable families with 2012 children have better access to programs and are less harmed by increases in energy prices. Kyrgyz Republic: Roadmap for Improving Social 370,000 October Closed Safety Net Administration and System Building. Sup- 2013– ported the efforts of the Ministry of Social Develop- June 2015 ment to design and implement a roadmap for social protection; the grant catalyzes the switch from iso- lated social assistance interventions toward a system approach by providing critical analytical inputs and Building helping stakeholders to make informed choices. Social Protection Kyrgyzstan: Enhancement of Targeted Social Assis- 259,413 June 2011– Closed Systems tance. Supported the modernization of the cash January transfer program directed to families with children, 2013 and the development of a social protection strategy for the country. 91 Tajikistan: Targeting and Payment of Social Assis- 2,283,190 May 2010– Closed tance to the Poor. Supported the building blocks of December a more efficient system to deliver aid to the poorest 2013 households, so that the government and donors will have an effective way to intervene in ordinary times and during crises. Uzbekistan: Integrated Single Window Office for the 550,000 August Active Social Assistance and Employment Services. Develop- 2015– ing a concept for an integrated single-window office for March provision of services to the population by the Ministry of 2018 Labor and Social Protection; designing a detailed blue- print for implementation and roll-out of national reform of social assistance and employment program adminis- tration, including high-level design of the management information system and a registry of beneficiaries. Regional: ECA Learning Forum—Management Infor- 330,000 March Closed mation Systems for Modernization of Social Protec- 2014– Sharing tion Programs. Shared lessons and experiences on June 2015 Knowledge the benefits of using new technologies in systematic ways to operate existing and new social protection interventions. Tajikistan: Protecting and Promoting Access to 396,291 November Closed Maternal and Neonatal Health Services. Provided 2011– Protecting technical assistance to assess the feasibility of a con- April 2013 Access ditional cash transfer to protect access for the poor to to Basic basic maternal and child health and nutrition ser- Services vices in selected rayons (districts) of the Sogd oblast (region) in Tajikistan. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Latin America and the Caribbean Bolivia: Strengthening Access to Social Services 90,000 September Closed among Women and Indigenous Groups. Filled infor- 2014– mation gaps about dimensions of access to social ser- September vices among women and indigenous groups in Bolivia 2015 with the goal of promoting more equitable access to social services, social protection, and economic opportunities. Haiti: Strengthening Haiti’s National Social Protec- 450,000 April Closed tion System. Helped the government improve its 2014–April capacity to coordinate and target social initiatives and 2016 enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending in the area of social protection. Honduras Strengthening Social Protection. Strength- 72,566 January Closed ened the government’s safety net programs by help- 2010– ing redesign the conditional cash transfer program June 2012 and enhance targeting of social safety net interven- tions. Nicaragua: Expansion of the Family and Community- 2,548,570 February Closed Building Based Social Welfare Model with Cash Transfers. 2012– Social Provided technical assistance to the expansion of April 2013 Protection a model program for family and community-based Systems social welfare and cash transfers. Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): 475,118 November Closed 92 Enhanced Crisis Resilience Project. Strengthened 2011– the OECS Secretariat’s capacity to support and guide June 2013 national crisis responses on social protection. St. Lucia: Transforming Social Protection in St. 300,000 February Closed Lucia. Supported implementation of a social safety 2014– net reform through: (1) analyzing and improving key November operational elements of St. Lucia’s flagship Public 2015 Assistance Program, (2) harmonizing the architecture of social assistance programs, and (3) improving the Ministry of Social Transformation’s capacity to imple- ment the social safety net reform. Regional (Bolivia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, 150,000 April Closed Honduras, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and the Grena- 2014–May dines): Building Evidence on Program’s Performance 2016 to Strengthen Social Protection and Labor Systems in Low-Capacity LAC Countries. Listening to LAC: Mobile Phones as Instruments for 239,106 April Closed Rigorous Surveys. Developed and piloted the use of a 2010– low-cost, quick method of gathering data via mobile June 2012 phone technology to give timely information on the effects of crises on poor and vulnerable populations Sharing in Latin America and the Caribbean. Knowledge Regional: Improving Latin America and Caribbean 256,000 July 2011– Closed (LAC) Countries Responses to Protect the Nutritional February Status of the Poorest and Most Vulnerable. Sup- 2013 ported the development of a toolkit that offers policy makers and program administrators in the region cost-effective tools. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Haiti: Household Development Agent Pilot. Improved 3,202,317 April Closed family health and nutrition practices by enhancing the 2010– quality and coordination of social services and intro- December ducing household development agents. 2014 Haiti Nutrition Security and Social Safety Nets. 90,345 November Closed Improved the capacity and effectiveness of nutri- 2010– tion-related safety net programs to address acute and June 2012 chronic malnutrition. Haiti: Gender-Based Violence in Post-Earthquake 580,951 January Closed Haiti. A community-based organization received 2011– support from RSR to improve delivery of services to September survivors of gender-based violence and to enhance 2012 the growing public dialogue around the issue. Honduras: Improving Nutritional Monitoring and 1,054,662 July 2012– Closed Targeted Response to the Global Crisis. Helped to December offset the negative effects of the global food crisis on 2013 Protecting the most vulnerable children by strengthening moni- Access toring systems and providing technical assistance to to Basic the expansion of the nutritional services in the most Services affected areas of the country. Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti: Education Sector 378,250 December Closed Rapid Response and Protection of Youth Vulnerable 2011– to Violence and Conflict. Provided support to policy March development and strategic planning to protect chil- 2013 dren and youth from violence made worse by crises. 93 OECS Countries: Building Blocks for Disaster-Re- 440,000 April Active sponsive Social Protection Systems in Dominica and 2016– Grenada. Establishes the building blocks for disas- December ter-responsive SPL systems in Dominica and Grenada. 2017 St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Strengthening 300,000 November Active Social Protection System for Disaster Preparedness 2016– and Response in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. May 2018 Strengthens the knowledge base and provides options for effective disaster preparedness and response of the social protection system. Middle East and North Africa Djibouti: Employment for the Poor Project. Piloted 173,593 January Closed Building an integrated safety net mechanism that combines a 2010–April Social workfare program with social assistance for nutrition, 2012 Protection using community-driven and participatory approaches Systems as well as targeted capacity-building interventions. Lessons from Successful Education Administration 398,720 October Closed under Difficult Circumstances. Captured lessons from 2010– Sharing the success of the United Nations Relief and Works November Knowledge Agency for Palestine Refugees, which provided edu- 2012 cation to Palestinian students in the Middle East. Yemen: Targeted Delivery of Early Childhood Nutri- 201,146 November Closed Protecting tion Interventions. Supported a short household 2010– Access survey to monitor the economic and social impact of December to Basic instability, including food insecurity; the pilot project 2012 Services was canceled due to prevailing security concerns in Yemen. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status South Asia Afghanistan: Results-Oriented Approach in the Pro- 200,000 November Closed Poor Program Design of Implementation. Aimed to 2011–June strengthen the institutional capacity to monitor and 2014 evaluate government programs and mechanisms delivering benefits. Afghanistan: Assessing the Potential and Feasibil- 370,000 June Closed ity of Scalable Public Works. Explores options for 2014–April increasing the social protection coverage of the poor 2016 by assessing the potential and feasibility of scalable short-term employment generation programs. Bangladesh: Improving the Payment and Monitoring 605,706 June 2011– Closed System for the Employment Generation Program for June 2014 the Poorest. Provided technical assistance to make beneficiary payment and recordkeeping mechanisms for the Employment Generation Program for the Poor- est more efficient. Bangladesh: Piloting Conditional Cash Transfers for 2,619,345 September Closed Human Development through Local Governments. 2010– Piloted the mechanisms for delivering conditional December cash transfers through local governments to improve 2013 children’s nutrition and education. Bangladesh: Assessment of Identification Systems for 111,566 June Closed Social Protection. Aimed to strengthen the SPL system 2015– 94 Building by enhancing government’s capacity to improve ID sys- March tems, develop options for how ID systems can be more 2017 Social effective and efficient, set up an action plan to opera- Protection tionalize the most preferred policy options, strengthen Systems coordination among the government institutions involved in SPL programs, and understand the opera- tional foundations of public food distribution systems. Bhutan: Supporting the Development of a Social 225,975 April Closed Protection Strategy. Supported the development of 2014– an evidence-based social protection strategy. June 2015 India: Broadening the Urban Safety Net Dialogue. 99,048 March Closed Provided support to streamlining and improving the 2010– effectiveness of urban safety nets in New Delhi and February improving the monitoring and delivery of benefit 2012 programs using integrated information technology platforms, databases, and smart cards. India: Strengthening Social Protection Systems in 422,338 October Closed Bihar. Strengthened the institutional capacity of the 2013– Department of Social Welfare and the Rural Develop- December ment Department to deliver social protection pro- 2015 grams and services and expand outreach of social care services for poor and vulnerable households, persons with disabilities, older persons, and widows in the state of Bihar. Maldives: Targeting the poor in the Maldives. 124,295 March Closed Assisted the government in designing and imple- 2011– menting a common platform for identification of the August poor. 2012 S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Nepal: Safety Net System Building Technical Assis- 450,000 November Closed tance. Supported the government in strengthening 2014–April the basic architecture of its administrative systems, 2017 with an emphasis on the payment system, the man- agement information system, and the ministry’s inter- nal institutional arrangement for SPJ policy coordina- tion and service delivery. Nepal: Human Development—Social Protection Pilot. 1,535,882 January Closed Improved the delivery of cash-based social safety 2011– nets in pilot districts of Nepal through technical assis- September tance and capacity building to the Ministry of Local 2014 Development. Nepal: Technical Assistance to Improve Disaster 400,000 April 2017– Active Responsiveness of Social Protection. Supports the January government in improving the disaster responsiveness 2019 of Nepal’s social protection delivery systems and pro- grams, with a focus on Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development’s social protection programs. Pakistan: Financial Inclusion and Literacy Outcomes 802,254 June 2011– Closed of Cash Transfers through the Banking System. An May 2013 assessment to improve the design and implementa- Building tion of the payment side of cash transfer programs in Social Pakistan and how different technologies work for the Protection poor; also established ways to make cash grants more Systems sustainable through financial inclusion (e.g., savings) and literacy. 95 Sri Lanka: Skills Development for Unemployed 238,800 June 2011– Closed Youth. Examined the impact of the economic crisis May 2013 on vulnerable groups in the formal and informal labor markets, and supported an analysis of critical policy issues on skills development, employment creation, and economic growth. Sri Lanka: Strengthening Targeting, Monitoring, and 167,760 June 2011– Closed Evaluation of Safety Nets. Supported an assessment September of the beneficiaries of the largest social safety net 2012 program with a view to make the program more effi- cient in helping the poor become more productive. Sri Lanka: Strengthening Social Protection Systems. 400,000 May 2016– Active Supports reform and strengthening of delivery sys- June 2017 tems for Sri Lanka’s main social safety net programs by financing technical assistance focused on the development of specifications for modern program targeting, management information and payments systems, and the legal and policy frameworks required to implement these systems. India: Strengthening Urban Safety Nets in India. 250,000 April Active Creates a community of practice to undertake stra- 2016– Sharing tegic analytic and advisory activities to help identify, April 2017 Knowledge assess, and improve determinants of key human development outcomes in India. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Bangladesh: Supporting Nutrition-Sensitive Safety 320,000 August Active Nets through Strengthened Local Government 2015– Administration. Supports streamlined social pro- April 2017 tection services at the local level, with a focus on implementation of nutrition-sensitive safety nets in Bangladesh by strengthening local-level institutional arrangements for safety net administration, develop- ing innovative tools for promotion of nutrition among the poorest through income support and beneficiary engagement. India: Critical Analysis of the Institutional Arrange- 99,640 February Closed ments for Improving Nutrition Outcomes. An analysis 2010– of existing institutional arrangements for organizing, May 2012 Protecting coordinating, and delivering nutrition services in India Access and recommendations for how service delivery could to Basic be strengthened. Services Maldives: Technical Assistance to the National Social 58,098 June 2011– Closed Protection Agency on the National Health Insurance June 2013 Scheme. Strengthened the capacity of the National Social Protection Agency to improve the design of the Madhana, the country’s nascent social health insur- ance system, and helped build a robust monitoring and evaluation system that enhances the system’s efficiency and effectiveness. Pakistan: Protecting Pakistan’s Poor Against Health 363,992 December Closed Shocks. Provided technical assistance to develop- 2011– 96 ment of a diagnostic and a review of the health sec- March tor’s policy options to increase the population’s resil- 2013 ience to health shocks caused by natural disasters. Global Assessing Social Protection Systems. Supported 450,000 September Closed countries in building effective SPL systems by provid- 2013–June ing clear, cross-country guidance for assessing and 2015 monitoring system performance; supported Social Protection Assessment of Results and Country Sys- tems (SPARCS) in developing and applying common instruments to assess the structure of SPL systems and guide their development, and Atlas of Social Pro- tection–Indicators of Resilience and Equity (ASPIRE) in collecting, harmonizing, and sharing comparable Building indicators of program performance based on house- Social hold and administrative data. Protection Development of a Management Information Sys- 348,057 December Closed Systems tem for Social Protection. Developed a high-quality, 2011– reliable client registry system for efficient delivery of August social protection systems. 2013 ID4D-RSR. Facilitates access to services and rights 450,000 November Active for all people in developing countries by increasing 2016–June the number of people in those countries who have an 2018 official form of identification. This will be achieved by supporting governments in building effective and inclusive official ID systems using multisectoral approaches and 21st century solutions. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Social Registries and Management Information 314,793 February Closed Systems in Social Protection and Labor: Framework, 2015– Assessment Tool, and Country Cases. Developed April 2017 guidance notes and accompanying social information system assessment tools to support clients’ efforts in Building developing streamlined and harmonized information Social management systems; piloted the assessment tool in Protection selected AFR, LAC, and MENA countries. Systems Universality and Targeting: Assessing the Scope, 350,000 June 2017– Active Rationale, and Feasibility of a Cash Transfer Program January in the Form of Basic Income Grants in Mozambique 2019 and Beyond. Enhances the government of Mozam- bique’s and global knowledge and practice on basic income grants as part of social protection systems. Public Works Learning Forum: Social Protection 515,134 February Closed South-South Learning Forum 2010. This forum, held in 2010– June 2010 in Arusha, Tanzania, allowed more than 220 December delegates from 40 low- and middle-income countries 2011 to exchange knowledge and take part in cross-country learning on the design and implementation of public works programs as safety net interventions as well as the development of an ongoing community of practice. The South-South Learning Forum: Building Resilient 350,000 November Closed Safety Nets in Low Income Countries and Fragile 2010– States. This forum, carried out in June 2011, focused on November promoting resilient safety nets following the recent wave 2012 97 of food, fuel, and financial crises and natural disasters. South-South Learning Forum: Designing Social Pro- 450,000 January– Closed tection Systems. Promoted global knowledge sharing December among social protection practitioners on the develop- 2014 ment of social protection systems, notably in low-in- come countries and fragile states; forum brought together approximately 200 practitioners and experts from 50 countries in Rio, Brazil. Sharing Knowledge South-South Learning Forum: Labor Market Policy 447,859 December Closed Response to the Global Jobs Crisis. Organized in Hyder- 2011– abad in November 2012 to stimulate a discussion and January exchange on the experiences of labor and social protec- 2013 tion policies during the recent economic crisis and how to bolster effective policy making on labor markets and social protection in response to future crises. South-South Learning Forum 2015: Urban Social Protec- 450,000 May 2015– Active tion Systems. Aims to foster global knowledge sharing June 2017 among social protection practitioners on the develop- ment of social protection systems in urban areas. South-South Learning Forum 2017. Deepens knowledge 450,000 February Active and shared experiences of how tailored design and 2017– delivery systems can support social protection programs February to adapt to shocks and build household resilience. 2019 Resilience in the Face of Crisis: Multisector Actions 250,000 February Closed to Achieve Nutrition Results. Developed and dissem- 2011– inated tools for a multisectoral approach to planning February and implementation of actions that protect and 2014 improve nutrition outcomes for the poorest. R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Theme Project title Funding ($) Timeline Status Development of the ADePT Crisis Module. Supported 249,263 April 2011– Closed the development of a crisis module for the ADePT September Sharing software platform, which produces simulations to 2012 Knowledge help policy makers understand the distributional effects of macro-shocks and structural reforms. Development of a Global Action Plan for Scaling-up 39,690 February– Closed Nutrition. Provided analytical work, consultations, December and policy guidance on how to scale-up nutrition 2010 investments and encourage multisectoral actions to achieve nutrition results Food Crisis Monitoring System. Developed a frame- 74,339 November Closed work that defines, identifies, and monitors food secu- 2011– rity crises at the national level caused by shocks and November factors that are not attributed to a given country; the 2012 framework categorizes each IDA country’s exposure to shocks and its capacity to respond Monitoring the Health Outcomes and Financial Vulner- 160,535 April Closed ability of the Poorest. Built the capacity of policy mak- 2010– ers and researchers to carry out analysis of financial September protection and equity, using ADePT Health software, 2011 and produced country-specific reports on financial protection, vulnerability, and equity in the health sector Policy Levers to Protect Health and Enhance Financial 443,947 July 2011– Closed Protection. Improved the capacity of governments June 2013 and the international community to monitor the health 98 Protecting outcomes of the poor after the food, fuel, and financial Access crises; also helped design health systems and policies to Basic more effectively to provide protection to future crises Services Preparing Social Protection Systems for Natural 370,094 July 2011– Closed Disasters and Climate Change. Supported the devel- July 2013 opment of a series of case studies and recommenda- tions from five countries to enhance the capacity of safety net programs to respond more effectively to natural disasters and the impact of climate change Impact of Financial Crises on Children and Youth: 241,127 January Closed Protecting Human Capital of Future Generations. 2011– RSR supported rapport, and accompanying policy June 2012 notes, to show how the right policies and targeted interventions for children and youth can yield import- ant returns in human capital, and that even small, strategically applied resources can go a long way to protect and promote human development in crises and in stable times The Health Sector and the Poor in a Financial Crisis: 435,611 December Closed Identifying and Managing Risks. A stocktaking of the 2011– health sectors in the European region and their pre- June 2013 paredness and operational responses to the economic shock of 2008/09 with a view to generate lessons and encourage stakeholder dialogue Note: SPL = social protection and labor. Grant amounts reflect allocated funds against approved RSR call for proposals, up to Round 11, as of October 2017. These amounts may change slightly by the time the grants close, reflecting actual disbursements against the activities the grants funded. Excess funds from closed grants are reused and reallocated against new activities. For the most recent listing of the RSR project portfolio, see the World Bank’s Trust Fund Donor Center secure website. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Table 5.2  Associated IDA Projects RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Africa Benin: Improve access to decentralized Decen- basic social services and main- tralized Approved 46 P117764 stream the community-driven Community (5/12) development approach for such Driven Ser- services vices Angola, Benin, Cash Establish sustainable social safety Lesotho, Transfers— Mali: net system and scale-up programs Mali, Design for Emergency Approved that increase income and con- 0.39 70 P127328 Tanzania, Scaling Up in Safety Nets (4/13) sumption of poor and vulnerable Uganda, Sub-Saharan Project households through cash transfers Zambia, and Africa and short-term employment Zimbabwe Increase income and consumption Tanzania and improve ability to cope with Productive Approved shocks among targeted vulnerable 220 P124045 Social (3/12) population groups, while enhancing Safety Net and protecting the human capital of their children Benin Mul- Increase the coverage and utili- Enhancing tisectoral zation of community-based child Approved Institutional 28 P143652 Food Health growth and nutrition interventions (12/13) Capacity Nutrition in selected areas in the recipient’s to Design, Project territory Benin and Malawi Implement, 0.39 Increase access to, and utilization of, 99 and Monitor Malawi selected services known to contrib- Nutrition Nutrition Approved ute to the reduction of child stunt- Security 80 P125237 and HIV/ (3/12) ing, maternal and child anemia, and Programs AIDS Project the prevention of HIV and AIDS in children and sexually active adults Improve access to employment Benin: Approved skills and employment opportuni- 35 P132667 BJ-Youth (3/14) ties for underemployed youth in Employment Benin Burkina Faso: Youth Increase access to temporary Youth Employment Approved employment and skills develop- 50 P130735 Benin, Employment and Skills (5/13) ment opportunities for out-of- Burkina in Africa— Develop- school youth Faso, Ghana, The Skills 0.09 ment Guinea, Development- Ghana Youth Expand and enhance opportunities Sierra Leone Labor Demand Pipeline 60 P132248 Employment for youth employment, with a par- Conundrum FY14 Project ticular focus on at-risk youth Increase short-term employment Sierra opportunities and improve employ- Leone Youth Approved ability and incomes of targeted 20 P121052 Employment (6/10) youth; program seeks to address Support constraints on the demand and sup- ply sides of the labor market Support to a Systemic Improve access of poor households Approach AO-Local to basic services and economic Approved Angola to Social 0.45 81.7 P105101 Develop- opportunities, and enhance local (3/10) Protection ment Project institutional capacities among and Poverty Angola’s municipalities Reduction R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Building a Benin: Common Decen- Improve access to decentralized National tralized Approved basic social services and main- a P117764 Targeting Community (5/12) stream the community-driven and Registry Driven Ser- development approach for services Benin System for 0.28 vices Cash Transfers, Benin: Contribute to increasing the Public Works Health coverage of quality maternal and and Other Approved 22.8 P113202 System neonatal services in eight health Safety Net (5/10) Performance districts (roughly a quarter of the Interventions Project population) Strengthening Burkina Provide income support to poor Safety Net Faso Social Approved and vulnerable groups and lay the Burkina Faso 0.50 50 P124015 Response to Safety Net (4/14) foundations for a basic safety net Crises Project system Strengthening Safety Net Support the establishment of a 0.55 Response to basic national safety net system Crises Cameroon Approved including piloting targeted cash Cameroon 50 P128534 Social Support to (3/13) transfers and public works pro- Safety Nets Building grams for the poorest and most 0.25 vulnerable people Productive Safety Nets Comoros Strengthening Social Approved Increase poor communities’ access Comoros Social 0.41 6 P150754 Safety Net (3/15) to safety net and nutrition services Protection Project 100 Human Devel- Strengthen select management opment Approved systems for education and health 0.35 45 P145965 Systems (1/14) services in targeted geographic Strengthen- areas Support to ing Congo, Dem. Establishing Rep. a National SP Improve the living conditions Kinshasa System of populations of selected poor Urban and vulnerable neighborhoods Develop- 0.00 150 P161602 Pipeline of Kinshasa; and strengthen the ment and capacities of central, provincial, Resilience and municipal institutions in urban Project governance Establish the key building blocks of Congo a national safety net program and Brazzaville: LISUNGI Approved pilot a cash transfer program to Congo, Rep. LISUNGI— 0.35 12 P145263 Safety Nets (1/14) improve access to health and edu- Safety Net Project cation services of poorest house- Systems holds in participating areas Assessing the Impact Set the foundations of an effective of Crisis on Produc- and productive type of safety net Human Capital Approved Côte d’Ivoire 0.30 50 P143332 tive Social system capable of responding to and Laying the (5/15) Safety Net the country’s needs both in normal Foundations times and during times of crisis for an Effective SSN System Strengthening Improve child and maternal care the Nutrition behavior and increase utilization Information and Ethiopia Approved Ethiopia 1.02 30 P106228 of key micronutrients in order to Early Warning Nutrition (4/08) contribute to nutritional status of System in vulnerable groups Ethiopia S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Maternal Rapid Response and Child Nutrition Increase the coverage of commu- Nutrition Approved Gambia, The Security 3.16 3.68 P143650 nity-based nutrition and primary and Health (3/14) Improvement health care services Results Project Project Cash Transfers Social Designed and Approved Improve targeting in social 0.18 89 P115247 Opportuni- Brought to (5/10) protection spending, increase ties Project Scale access to conditional cash trans- Building a fers nationwide, increase access Ghana Additional to employment and cash-earning Common Financing opportunities for the rural poor Targeting for Ghana Approved during the agricultural off-season, Registry for 0.45 50 P146923 Social (5/14) and improve economic and social Ghana’s Social Opportuni- infrastructure in target districts Protection ties Project System Strengthening Social Safety Provide income support to vulner- 0.42 Nets in Times Produc- able groups and to lay the founda- of Crises tive Social Approved tions of a social safety net strategy Guinea 25 P123900 Guinea Social Safety Net (6/12) by testing some of the building Protection: Project blocks necessary for a larger 0.40 system Social Safety Nets Strategy Additional Financing Increase access to priority basic to Rural social and economic infrastructures 0.38 15 P151443 Communi- Approved and services in participating com- 101 (5/16) ty-Driven munities in at least two regions of Social Safety Develop- Guinea-Bissau Guinea- Net Systems ment Project Bissau Support Increase access to priority basic Guinea Bis- social and economic infrastructures sau: Social 0.00 15 P163901 Pipeline and services in participating com- Protection munities in at least two regions of Project Guinea-Bissau National Social Integrated Establish an effective national Approved Protection 0.15 250 P131305 Safety Net safety net for poor and vulnerable (5/13) Interventions Program households (P4R) Kenya Cash Increase social safety net access for Support Transfer for extremely poor orphans and vul- for Social Approved 1.29 50 P111545 Orphans and nerable children (OVC) households Protection (3/09) Vulnerable through an effective and efficient Programming Kenya Children expansion of the CT-OVC Program Support the government’s efforts Youth to increase access to youth-tar- Approved Support to 0.98 17.03 P111546 Empower- geted temporary employment (5/10) the Internship ment Project programs and to improve youth Program of the employability Kenya Private Kenya Youth Sector Alliance Employment Approved Increase employment and earnings 0.00 150 P151831 and Oppor- (5/106 opportunities for targeted youths tunities R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Lesotho: Assist the government in imple- Second Approved menting a reform program aimed 0.25 16 P146534 Growth and (4/14) at promoting growth, competitive- Developing the Competitive- ness, and public sector efficiency Strategy and ness DPC Building Blocks Support the government in for a Social improving the efficiency, equity, Protection and shock-responsive function of Lesotho System in Social Approved selected social assistance pro- Lesotho 0.00 20 P151442 Assistance 6/16 grams and, in the event of an eli- Project gible crisis or emergency, provide immediate and effective response to said eligible crisis or emergency Lesotho Social Safety Net 0.14 Review Improving Youth, Expand access of poor and young Employment Employ- Approved Liberians to temporary employ- 0.24 6 P121686 of Vulnerable ment, Skills (6/10) ment programs and improve youth Youth Project employability Development Support the broadening of reforms of a Crisis Poverty to include economic transformation Response Reduction Approved and human development in the Social 0.29 10 P127317 Strategy (6/13) context of the implementation of Liberia Protection Credit I the government’s second Poverty Strategy and Reduction Strategy Capacity Developing Establish the key building blocks of 102 Liberia’s Liberia a basic national safety net deliv- National Social Social Approved ery system and provide income 0.45 10 P155293 Protection Safety Nets (4/16) support to households that are both Delivery Project extremely poor and food insecure System in Liberia Assessing Negative Effects of the Political Crisis and Protecting 0.40 Emergency Access to Support Essential Health to Critical Preserve critical education, health, and Nutrition Education, and nutrition service delivery in Services 75 P131945 Closed Health and targeted vulnerable areas in the Development Nutrition recipient’s territory of Tools to Services Madagascar Project Monitor and Mitigate the 0.45 Effect of Crises on Out-of- School Children Emergency, Developing Food Strengthen the country’s immedi- Madagascar’s Security Approved ate capacity to respond effectively 0.44 65 P147514 Safety Net and Social (2/14) to the food security and locust System Protection crises Project Developing the Provide temporary income support Social Building Blocks Approved to extremely poor households and Mozambique 2.16 50 P129524 Safety Net for Effective (3/13) put in place the building blocks of a Project Crisis Response social safety net system S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Youth Increase access of the poor to Employment youth employment opportunities, Approved 0.40 300 P126964 and Social social services, and strengthened (3/13) Support safety net systems in participating Strengthening Operation states Nigeria Social Safety Net Establish building blocks of a Social national social safety net system Approved 0.43 500 P151488 Protection for effectively targeting and deliver- (6/16) Project ing cash transfers to extreme poor and vulnerable households Technical Support Support government’s efforts to Assistance for to Social consolidate, enhance efficiency and 0.07 40 P126877 Closed Stronger Social Protection effectiveness, and expand coverage Safety Nets System of its social protection system Technical Assistance and Third Support government’s social Capacity Building Community protection and health reforms 2.12 6 P122157 Closed to the Vision Living Stan- designed to reduce extreme pov- 2020 Umurenge dards Grant erty Program Rwanda Sec- SPL Systems in Support government’s efforts to ond Support Rwanda: Approved consolidate, enhance efficiency and 0.45 50 P131666 to Social Operationaliz- (3/13) effectiveness, and expand coverage Protection ing the Vision of its social protection system System Rwanda Support government’s efforts to Third Sup- Approved enhance effectiveness and expand 70 P146452 port to the Social Protec- (3/14) the coverage of its social protection 103 Rwanda system tion System Social Support government of Rwanda Protection Approved to improve the efficiency, account- 70 P151279 System (1/15) ability, and coverage of its social Support protection system Support for Second in a series of three devel- Strengthening Second opment policy operations whose 0.06 Social program development objective Rwandan Social Approved Safety Nets 95 P155024 Protection is to support the government of (12/15) System DPO Rwanda to improve the efficiency, (SPS-2) accountability, and coverage of its social protection system Third in a series of three devel- opment policy operations (DPOs) Third Social whose program development Protection Approved 95 P158698 objective is to support government System Sup- (10/16) of Rwanda to improve the effi- port (SPS-3) ciency, accountability, and cover- age of its social protection system Developing a Senegal Assist government in developing Unified and Approved 0.29 41 P133597 Safety Net building blocks of an efficient Effective Safety (4/14) Operation safety net system Net Senegal Increase utilization and quality of Senegal Developing maternal, neonatal, and child health Health Approved Senegal Safety 0.30 20 P129472 care and nutritional services, espe- and Social (12/13) Net System cially among the poorest house- Financing holds in targeted areas of Senegal Sierra Leone Create a comprehensive, efficient, Social Safety Approved Sierra Leone 0.30 7 P143588 Safety Nets well-targeted productive safety net Net Support (3/14) Project system for the poor and vulnerable R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Operational- Provide access to income opportu- ization of the Safety Net nities and temporary employment South Sudan and Skills Approved South Sudan 0.41 21 P143915 to the poor and vulnerable and put National Social Develop- (6/13) in place building blocks for a social Protection Pol- ment protection system icy Framework Enhancing Create a comprehensive, efficient, Social Protection Tanzania well-targeted productive social for the Most Productive Approved 0.63 a P124045 safety net system for the poor and Vulnerable Social (3/12) vulnerable section of the Tanzanian Children and Safety Net population Elderly Poor A Systems-Based Approach for Operationalizing 0.41 the Tanzania Productive Social Tanzania Safety Net Tanzania APL Phase 1 is to create a compre- Enhancing Produc- hensive, efficient, well-targeted Sustainable tive Social Approved 200 P151838 productive social safety net system Livelihoods and Safety Net (6/16) for the poor and vulnerable section Graduation from Additional of the Tanzanian population Social Assistance Financing 0.42 in Tanzania: Bottlenecks to Self-Employment and Household Enterprises 104 Togo Provide selected poor communities Experience of Community with improved basic socioeconomic Cash for Work Develop- Approved 0.09 8.7 P121067 infrastructures, income-generating Program in ment Project (6/10) and labor-intensive activities, and Liberia for Togo Additional access to food Financing Community Provide poor communities with Support to SSN Togo Develop- Approved greater access to basic socio- Development in 0.22 14 P127200 ment and (3/12) economic infrastructures and social Togo Safety Nets safety nets Promoting Innovative Crisis Response Social 0.28 Protection Measures Third North- Provide effective income support to Uganda Social ern Uganda Approved and build the resilience of poor and Uganda Protection 0.26 130 P149965 Social (5/15) vulnerable households in Northern Sector Review Action Fund Uganda Girls Edu- Support the government of Zambia Support for cation and to increase access to livelihood sup- Development of Womens Approved port for women and access to sec- Zambia MIS and Single 1.40 65 P151451 Empower- (5/15) ondary education for disadvantaged Registry of ment and adolescent girls in extremely poor Beneficiaries Livelihood households in selected districts Project East Asia and the Pacific Mongolia Strengthen the capacity of the Min- M&E for Multi-Sec- istry of Social Welfare and Labor Mongolia toral Approved to improve the efficacy of social Mongolia 0.07 12 P119825 Social Welfare Technical (6/10) expenditure by designing and Programs Assistance implementing a targeted poverty Project benefit S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Building a More Efficient Mongolia 0.27 SP System in Mongolia Ensuring Effective M&E Provide urban youth with income and Social Urban Youth Papua New Approved from temporary employment Accountability for 0.30 16 P114042 Employment Guinea (1/11) opportunities and increase their the Urban Youth Project employability Employment Project Support government of Vietnam Social Strengthening in strengthening social assistance Assistance the Social Approved system by developing innovations 0.45 60 P123960 System Protection (1/14) in management and service delivery Strengthen- System nationwide, and by piloting these ing Project Vietnam innovations in four project provinces Integrated Social Protection Delivery 0.37 Systems in Vietnam Europe and Central Asia Social Support Albania’s implementation Assistance Approved of reforms to improve the equity 50 P122233 Moderniza- (4/12) and efficiency of its social assis- tion Project tance programs Albania Social Albania Safety Nets TA 0.05 Social Sec- 105 tor Reform Support policy changes to improve 25 P116937 Develop- Closed the effectiveness of social safety ment Policy nets Loan Rapid Assistance to Economic Safeguard social assistance to the Improve Social Recovery poor and to conflict-affected fam- Safety Nets 0.06 30 P125425 Closed Support ilies in the face of fiscal pressures in the Face of Operation and improve targeting Energy Tariff Reforms Kyrgyz Republic Improve health outcomes in four health priority areas in support Second Enhancement of the National Health Reform Health of Targeted Approved Program 2012/16; and enable the 0.26 16.5 P126278 and Social Social (4/13) government’s efforts to enhance Protection Assistance effectiveness and targeting per- Project formance of social assistance and services Improve the capacity of the government to plan, monitor, and Targeting Social manage social assistance for the and Payment Safety Net Approved poor through the development of a of Social 2.72 3 P122039 Strengthen- (6/11) national registry of social protec- Assistance to ing Project tion and the provision of training, the Poor equipment, and related items for Tajikistan improving said capacity Protecting and Tajikistan Contribute to the improvement of Promoting Health the coverage and quality of basic Access to Approved 0.40 15 P126130 Services primary health care services in Maternal and (7/13) Improve- rural health facilities in selected Neonatal ment Project regions Health Services R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Latin America and the Caribbean Strengthen the basic architecture of the consolidated conditional cash transfer program and the capacity Grenada of the Ministry of Social Develop- Safety Net Approved ment to implement it, improve cov- 5 P123128 Advance- (7/11) erage of poor households receiving ment Project cash transfers, and improve edu- cational outcomes of poor children and health monitoring of vulnerable households Improve basic conditions of welfare and social well-being of extremely poor beneficiary families with children in selected Nicaragua Approved localities, strengthen capacity of 20 P121779 Social Pro- (2/11) MIFAN to implement the family and tection community-based social welfare model, and promote preschool and primary school attendance through the provision of school lunches Strengthen the effectiveness of social protection system by sup- porting the design, financing, and Bolivia, Bolivia: implementation of two flagship Dominica, Building Investing in interventions of the social pro- 11 P101084 Closed Grenada, Evidence on Children and tection network strategy, while Guyana, Program’s Youth enhancing its capacity to coordi- nate and monitor programs that 106 Haiti, Performance to 0.15 are part of the social protection Honduras, Strengthen SPL Nicaragua, Systems in Low network St. Vincent Capacity LAC Improve institutional capacity of and the Countries recipient’s institutions to manage Grenadines the conditional cash transfer pro- gram, provide income support to Honduras Approved eligible beneficiaries, increase use 40 P115592 Social Pro- (6/10) of preventive health services and tection school attendance in grades 1–6 among beneficiaries in rural areas, and improve recipient’s capacity to respond to an eligible emergency Haiti: Improving Maternal and Child Increase the access and use of Approved 95 P123706 Health maternal and child health, nutrition, (5/13) through and other social services Integrated Social Ser- vices Improving Employ- Improve employability and labor ability income of poor youth by support- Approved 20 P143995 and Labor ing the expansion of the Skills (5/14) Income Development Programs in Selected of Youth Cities Project S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Strengthen the statistical capacity and improve the informational base Strengthen- Strengthening of the recipient in order to provide ing Statistical Access to quality information, as defined by Capacity and Social Security Approved its reliability, timeliness, accuracy, Bolivia 0.09 50 P101336 Informational among Women (1/11) and representativeness with the Base for Evi- and Indigenous level of disaggregation necessary dence-Based Groups to support systems for planning, Planning designing, monitoring, and evaluat- ing public programs and policies Improving Maternal and Child Household Increase the access and use of Health Approved Development 3.38 a P123706 maternal and child health, nutrition, through (4/13) Agent Pilot and other social services Integrated Haiti Social Ser- vices Strengthening Haiti’s National Social 0.45 Protection System Support the government’s efforts to build an improved social protec- Honduras tion system mainly by strengthen- Approved a P115592 Social ing institutional capacity to design (6/10) Protection and implement a new conditional cash transfer program, the Bono 10,000 Program 107 Improve institutional capacity to manage the conditional cash Strengthening transfer program by strengthening Social 0.07 transparency and targeting, mon- Protection itoring compliance with program Honduras co-responsibilities, and making Additional Approved payments to beneficiaries; provide 12.3 P144928 Financing (8/13) income support to eligible benefi- Honduras for SP ciaries; increase use of preventive Project health services and school atten- dance in grades 1–6 among benefi- ciaries in rural areas; and improve recipient’s capacity to respond effectively to an eligible emergency Improve Honduras’s social safety Improving net for children and youth by Nutritional Additional strengthening the country’s capac- Monitoring Finance for ity to administer social assistance Approved and Targeted 1.20 23.6 P126158 Nutrition programs, improving nutritional (6/11) Response to and Social and health status of young children, Global Crisis Protection and increasing employability of Project at-risk youth by piloting an employ- ment program Improve the basic welfare of Expansion of extremely poor beneficiary fami- the Family and lies with children, strengthen the Community Nicaragua capacity of MIFAN to implement Approved Nicaragua Based Social 2.75 a P121779 Social the family and community-based (2/11) Welfare Model Protection social welfare model, and promote with Cash preschool and primary school Transfers attendance through the provision of school lunches R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Regional Disaster Vulnerability Measurably reduce vulnerability to Strengthening Reduction natural hazards and climate change Social Approved 5.7 P117871 APL1— impacts in St. Vincent and the Gren- Protection (6/11) Grenada and adines and in the Eastern Caribbean System for St. Vincent Subregion St. Vincent Disaster and the and the 0.30 Preparedness Grenadines Grenadines and Response in St. Vincent Strengthen the quality of service Human and the delivery in education, improve effi- Develop- Grenadines Approved ciency of social protection systems, 10.7 P154253 ment Ser- (5/17) and improve effectiveness of labor vice Delivery market systems in St. Vincent and Project the Grenadines Middle East and North Africa Support the provision of short- Crisis term employment opportunities in Employment Response— community-based labor-intensive Approved Djibouti for the Poor 0.17 5 P130328 Social works for the poor and vulnerable, (6/12) Project Safety Net and support the improvement of Project nutrition practices among partici- pating households South Asia Afghanistan: Results- Afghanistan Improve the administration of the Oriented Pension public pension schemes, and pilot Approach in Adminis- Approved a modest social safety net program 108 Afghanistan the Pro-Poor 0.20 8 P113421 tration and (10/09) as a first step to developing a sus- Program Safety Net tainable approach to safety nets in Design and Project the country Implementation Piloting Improve the equity, efficiency, and Conditional Bangladesh transparency of key social safety Cash Transfers Safety Net Approved net programs and finance short- for Human 2.99 500 P132634 Systems for (7/13) term employment to enable the Development the Poorest poorest households to better cope through Local Project with poverty and vulnerability Governments Improving the Payment and Provide short-term employment on Monitoring Employment community subprojects to enable System for the Generation Approved 1.10 150 P118701 households to better cope with Employment Program for (11/10) vulnerability, while strengthening Generation the Poorest program implementation Program for the Poorest Bangladesh Supporting Provide income support to the Nutrition- poorest mothers in selected Sensitive Safety Income upazilas, while (i) increasing the Nets through Support Approved mothers’ use of child nutrition and 0.32 300 P146520 Strengthened Program for (12/14) cognitive development services, Local the Poorest and (ii) enhancing local level gov- Government ernment capacity to deliver safety Administration nets Bangladesh Provide income support to the poor- Assessment of Identifica- est mothers in selected upazilas, Identification tion System while (i) increasing the mothers’ Approved Systems 0.12 195 P121528 for Enhanc- use of child nutrition and cogni- (12/14) for Social ing Access tive development services, and (ii) Protection to Services enhancing local level government (IDEA) capacity to deliver safety nets S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Integrated Child Devel- opment Improve nutritional outcomes of Critical Analysis Services— children in India; strengthen the of Institutional Systems Approved policy framework, systems, and 0.10 106 P121731 Arrangements Strength- (9/12) capacities, and facilitate community for Nutrition ening and engagement; and ensure greater Nutrition focus on children under three Improvement Program Strengthen institutional capacity of the Department of Social Welfare Bihar and the Rural Development Depart- Integrated ment to deliver social protection India Social Approved 84 P118826 programs and services and expand Protection (12/13) outreach of social care services for Strengthen- poor and vulnerable households, ing Project Strengthening persons with disabilities, older Social persons, and widows Protection 0.45 Bihar Rural Systems in Livelihoods Bihar 64 P090764 Closed Project— Enhance social and economic JEEViKA empowerment of the rural poor in Bihar Rural Bihar through community institution Livelihood development, community invest- Approved ment, and technical assistance 100 P130546 Project (5/12) Additional Financing Support the implementation of the 109 National Pension Act, to strengthen Building a Pension institutional capacity of key agen- Common and Social Approved cies responsible for implementing Platform for 0.19 12 P125700 Protection (6/11) the National Pension Act, and to Identification of Additional develop the processes and plat- the Poor Financing forms required for the delivery of Maldives social protection programs TA to the National AP Agency on 0.06 National Health Insurance Scheme Safety Net Strengthen- System ing Systems Improve the efficiency of MOFALD’s Approved Nepal Building 0.45 150 P154548 for Social social protection programs and civil (12/16) Technical Protection registration Assistance Project R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 RSR IDA Project Country Grant title Million $ ID Project title Status Objective Support implementation of Health Protecting Punjab Sector Strategy by focusing on Pakistan’s Poor Health Sec- Approved improving coverage and utilizing 0.40 100 P123394 against Health tor Reform (5/13) quality essential health services, Shocks Project particularly in the low-performing districts of Punjab Support expansion and strengthen administration and performance of Social Financial Approved country‘s safety net with particular Pakistan 60 P103160 Safety Net Inclusion (6/09) focus on Benazir Income Support TA and Literacy Program (BISP) as the national Outcomes of safety net platform 0.81 Cash Transfers The additional financing will support through the Social the evolution of Pakistan’s BISP Banking Safety Net Approved through the expansion of program System 150 P125793 Project— (3/12) coverage and broadening of objec- Additional tives to promote access to educa- Financing tional services Skills Develop- Skills Devel- Support the government of Sri Lanka Approved ment for Unem- 0.24 102 P132698 opment to improve the quality and relevance (6/14) ployed Youth Project of the skills development sector Contribute to the improved equity, Strengthening Social efficiency, and transparency of Sri Approved Social Protec- 0.40 75 P156056 Safety Nets Lanka’s social safety net programs Sri Lanka (12/16) tion Systems Project for the benefit of the poor and vul- nerable Strengthening the Targeting of 110 Safety Nets in 0.20 Sri Lanka Total 47.61 6,411 Note: Grant amounts reflect allocated funds against approved proposals; however, these amounts may change slightly by time of grant clo- sure to reflect actual disbursements against activities covered by the grant. Excess funds from closed grants will be reused and reallocated against new activities. a. IDA amount for this project included in regional project. S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Table 5.3  Results Framework Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 Social protection cov- 42.1 mil- 77.3 mil- 72.4 mil- 131.5 mil- More poor people erage in IDA-supported lion lion lion liona covered by projects (both sexes) Impact social protection Social protection cov- 21.0 mil- 38.7 mil- 36.2 mil- 65.8 mil- systems erage in IDA-supported lion lion lion lion projects (female only) Increased resource allo- $3.27 $3.73 $5.68 $7.08 bil- cation to social protec- billion billion billion lion tion through IDA Enhanced Increased resource $5.09 $5.71 bil- $6.88 $6.97 capacity of allocation to social pro- billion lion billion billion social protection Outcome tection overall budget, systems to domestic and other protect poor and funding vulnerable people Global data accessible 57 112 115 122 (number of new coun- tries in ASPIRE/SPARCS) 1.1 System diagnostic and stocktaking Number 71 76 89 95 1.1(a) Diagnostic, stocktaking, and Number of countries 45 48 60 60 mapping 111 Amount $11,944,594 $12,311,284 $13,769,410 $14,173,053 1.1(b) Number 31 36 47 60 Identification or Number of countries 37 40 51 51 development of effective options Amount $6,372,750 $6,739,440 $7,840,899 $8,192,399 1.2 Component design and development Output 1: New or 1.2(a) Building Number 27 34 47 54 improved systems Social for robust Number of countries 21 27 43 43 Protection identification of Amount $2,537,607 $3,047,631 $3,931,792 $4,426,551 and Labor beneficiaries and system development of compo- registries nents and architec- 1.2(b) Improving Number 35 40 53 59 ture processes for Number of countries 29 33 47 47 determination of eligibility Amount $5,358,345 $5,701,583 $6,581,494 $6,976,254 1.2(c) Developing Number 9 11 15 18 effective appeals Number of countries 7 9 15 18 and grievance procedures Amount $618,230 $775,516 $988,135 $1,327,585 Number 12 18 26 30 1.2(d) Streamlining Number of countries 14 20 31 31 payment systems Amount $2,359,261 $2,804,999 $3,324,702 $3,429,344 R A P ID S O C I A L RE S P ON S E P ROGR A M P ROGRE S S RE P OR T 2016 –17 Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 1.2(e) Setting Number 26 29 33 37 up appropriate Number of countries 21 24 29 29 evaluation arrangements Amount $6,245,840 $6,474,792 $6,858,125 $7,217,125 1.2(f) Establishing Number 17 20 27 30 practices for Number of countries 13 16 23 25 communication and outreach Amount $2,470,868 $2,651,821 $3,192,237 $3,318,737 1.2(g) Building Number 33 38 43 47 information systems for Number of countries 28 32 38 38 Output 1: better service Amount $5,943,983 $6,291,721 $6,589,340 $6,742,149 New or management improved 1.2(h) Improving Number 24 26 37 42 Social Protection administrative Number of countries 29 31 38 38 and Labor processes and system clarifying rules Amount $4,860,691 $4,974,977 $5,597,179 $5,820,822 compo- nents and 1.3 Interagency program harmonization architec- 1.3(a) Number 17 18 22 25 ture Coordination of Number of countries 18 19 24 24 legal and policy- level frameworks Amount $1,529,183 $1,662,516 $1,994,391 $2,158,391 112 Number 33 34 49 57 1.3(b) Integration Number of countries 28 29 43 43 of programs Amount $3,855,916 $3,905,916 $5,151,119 $5,924,212 Number of client 6 15 20 91 1.4 Customer government officials feedback interviewed Rate of satisfaction 80% 80% 95% 89%b Number of events 11 13 20 20 Amount $2,703,224 $2,880,843 $3,627,510 $4,052,510 Output 2: 2.1 South-South Number of participants 856 1,017 1,398 1,398C Increased and peer-to-peer learn- learning Number of countries 70 70 75 75 ing and represented knowl- edge Rate of satisfaction 82.1% 82.1% 95.0% 95.0% sharing Number 3 4 5 5 for social protection Amount $698,997 $812,331 $1,277,331 $1,277,331 and labor service 2.2 Communities Number of participants 141 200 280 380 delivery of practice Number of countries 25 35 47 47 represented Satisfaction rating Very high Very high Very high Very highd S ection 5 :   S u pporting T ables Indicator 2013 2014 2015 2016 Output 2: Number 15 17 19 21 Increased learn- Amount $2,776,875 $2,954,494 $3,091,160 $3,496,160 ing and Number of downloads — — — — knowl- 2.3 Analytical edge Number of training — — — — and operational sharing participants toolkits for social protection and labor service delivery Number 18 18 18 18 Output 3: Number of countries 12 12 12 12 Protection of access Amount $14,622,483 $14,622,483 $14,622,483 $14,622,483 3.1 Projects to to basic provide benefits Number of beneficiaries 86,000 86,000 86,000 86,000 services in times (both sexes) of crisis Number of beneficiaries 43,000 43,000 43,000 43,000 (female only) Note: — = not available. All indicators are cumulative from the inception of the RSR to the end of the reporting year unless otherwise stated. a. Approximately 82% of the number of beneficiaries data comes from three large IDA projects (P106228, P121731, and P103160). b. Based on the internal Bank system and a two-minute survey conducted by the Bank team. This result is captured at the Bank-wide level because the data cannot be disaggregated at the RSR level. Accordingly, 89% are satisfied with their projects in terms of achieving the 113 intended development outcomes. c. The teams did not organize a South-South learning forum during this reporting cycle; therefore, the number of participants is the same as in 2015. d. One event under the Community of Practice of Cash Transfers and Conditional Cash Transfers in Africa (TF0A0942) was organized during the 2016 reporting cycle; of the 100 participants who completed the feedback survey, 62% rated their satisfaction with the event as very high; 38% reporting being satisfied with the event. REFERENCES Alderman, Harold. 2016. “Summary of Evidence Prepared for the Global Forum on Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection Programs, 2015.” World Bank, Washington, DC. Alderman, Harold, Ugo Gentilini, and Ruslan Yemtsov, eds. 2018. The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers? Washington, DC: World Bank. Black, R., C. Victora, S. Walker, Z. Bhutta, P. Christian, M. de Onis, M. Ezzati, S. Grantham-McGregor, J. Katz, R. Martorell, and R. Uauy. 2013. “Maternal and Child Undernutrition and Overweight in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries.” Lancet 382 (9890): 427–51. Guha-Sapir, Debarati, Philippe Hoyois, Pascaline Wallemacq, and Regina Below. 2016. Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2016: The Numbers and Trends. Brussels: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. Hallegatte, Stéphane, Adrien Vogt-Schilb, Mook Bangalore, and Julie Rozenberg. 2017. Unbreakable: Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disasters, Climate Change and Development Series. Washington, DC: World 114 Bank. IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute). 2014. Global Nutrition Report 2014: Actions and Accountability to Accelerate the World’s Progress on Nutrition. Washington, DC: IFPRI. —. 2016. Global Nutrition Report 2016: From Promise to Impact: Ending Malnutrition by 2030. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Kydland, Finn, Tom Schelling, and Nancy Stokey. 2015. “Smart Development Goals: Post-2015 Consensus.” Copenhagen Consensus Center. Lancet. 2013. “Executive Summary of the Lancet Maternal and Child Nutrition Series.” Lancet. Shrimpton, Roger, and Claudia Rokx. 2012. “The Double Burden of Malnutrition: A Review of Global Evidence.” HNP Discussion Paper. World Bank, Washington, DC. Winsemius, Hessel C., Brenden Jongman, Ted I.E. Veldkamp, Stéphane Hallegatte, Mook Bangalore, and Philip J. Ward. 2015. “Disaster Risk, Climate Change, and Poverty: Assessing the Global Exposure of Poor People to Floods and Droughts,” Policy Research Working Paper 7480. World Bank, Washington, DC. World Bank. 2012. The World Bank 2012–2022 Social Protection and Labor Strategy. Washington, DC: World Bank. —. 2015. The State of Social Safety Nets 2015. Washington, DC: World Bank. The Rapid Social Response Program (RSR) is a multi-donor program that was established in 2009 to help the world’s poorest countries, in partnership with the World Bank, build effective social protection systems. The RSR is one of the key instruments for implementing the World Bank’s Social Protection and Labor Strategy for Resilience, Equity and Opportunity in countries eligible for International Development Association (IDA) support. The RSR has been generously supported by the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and Australia. The World Bank  |  Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice www.worldbank.org/rsr Cover photo: © Donatella Venturi.