The Social Protection Team in the Human Development Network 
presents a seminar by

Anastassia Alexandrova, Urban Economics Institute, Moscow
Sergey Surkov, Independent Institute for Social Policy, Moscow
Emil Tesliuc, HNDSP

Chaired by
Margaret Grosh

For more than a decade, Russia struggles to introduce income-tested social assistance programs to protect low-income citizens, with modest results in terms of targeting accuracy.  In the best cases, in developed countries or countries in transition, means-testing generates some of the best targeting outcomes.  Why not in Russia?

To examine the bottlenecks that generate mediocre targeting accuracy, a consortium of Russian firms undertook a process evaluation in five regions of Russia (Kalmykiya, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya, Tatarstan, Tomsk, and Tver) during March 2006 – May 2007.  The research used an innovative methodology, a combination of quantitative and qualitative instruments, to X-ray the design and implementation of three income-tested programs.  Among the methodological innovations used in the research, the presenters discussed: a special survey implemented in Tomsk region to study (inter alia) the eligibility determination process; in-depth time-use and administrative cost surveys done in 20 rayonal offices; observation of the eligibility determination process; a review of the accuracy of the eligibility determination process based on a random sample of files of beneficiaries.  The seminar presented the results of this one-year study.

Presentation (1.2mb pdf)

Guides for Collecting Information on the Administration of Social Assistance Programs(420kb pdf)

Presenters
The study was conducted by the consortium of Russian firms: The Institute for Urban Economics (Moscow) and The Independent Institute of Social Policy (Moscow).

• Anastassia Alexandrova is the Director of the Urban Economics Institute, one of the premier research institutes in Russia.  She wrote extensively on social protection issues, in Russian and abroad.  Until recently, she led the social protection unit of the Institute.  She was the head of the research consortium who implemented the process evaluation.
• Sergey Surkov is Leading Researcher at the Independent Institute for Social Policy.  He led the process evaluation work in one region and has participated in the field research in two others.  Sergey works on social protection and labor relationships issues.
• Emil Tesliuc is Sr. Economist with HDNSP team, coordinator of the process evaluation from the World Bank side.