Resources

Safety Nets Primer

The World Bank Safety Nets Primer is intended to provide a practical resource for those engaged in the design and implementation of safety net programs around the world. Readers will find information on good practices for a variety of types of interventions, country contexts, themes and target groups, as well as current thinking of specialists and practitioners on the role of social safety nets in the broader development agenda. The Primer is designed to reflect a high standard of quality as well as a degree of consensus among the World Bank safety nets team and general practitioners on good practice and policy.

The Safety Nets Primer Papers are mostly published as a subset of the Social Protection Discussion Paper Series which contains additional safety nets-related papers that may be of interest to the same audience. For a subset of the Primer Papers, short summary Primer Notes are also available.

The complete collection of papers and related notes produced and/or commissioned by the World Bank Safety Nets Team is listed below and organized in reverse chronological order as follows:

Program Interventions – A variety of different programs can be used to provide assistance to households living in poverty and to help them deal with the impact of shocks.
Themes – Certain issues of program design and implementation are relevant to all types of program interventions.
Country Context – The type of safety net interventions and the mix of programs most appropriate will depend largely on the country specific context.
Special Vulnerable Groups – Social safety net interventions can be appropriate instruments to address the specific needs of special vulnerable groups in a society.

Denotes Social Safety Nets Primer - Denotes Primer Paper
Safety Nets Primer Note Icon - Denotes Primer Note

Program Interventions	Top
Social Safety Nets in World Bank Lending and Analytical Work: FY2002–2007 (1.1mb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0810; Publication Date: 05/08 by Annamaria Milazzo and Margaret Grosh
Social Safety Nets in World Bank Lending and Analytic Work: FY2002 – 2006 (847kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0705; Publication Date: 03/07 by Annamaria Milazzo and Margaret Grosh
Redistributing Income to the Poor and the Rich: Public Transfers in Latin America and the Caribbean (899kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0605; Publication Date: 08/06 by Kathy Lindert, Emmanuel Skoufias and Joseph Shapiro
Uninsured Risk and Asset Protection: Can Conditional Cash Transfer Programs Serve as Safety Nets? (250kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0604; Publication Date: 06/06 by Alain de Janvry, Elisabeth Sadoulet, Pantelis Solomon and Renos Vakis
Examining Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: A Role for Increased Social Inclusion? (173kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0603; Publication Date: 06/06 by Bénédicte de la Brière and Laura B. Rawlings
Aging and Poverty in Africa and the Role of Social Pensions (329KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0521; Publication Date: 05/05 by Nanak Kakwani and Kalanidhi Subbarao Related Note (163KB PDF). Also available in Español (133KB PDF) ◘ Русский (93KB PDF)
Delivery Mechanisms of Cash Transfer Programs to the Poor in Bangladesh (584KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0520; Publication Date: 05/05 by Shaikh S. Ahmed
Community-Based Health Insurance and Social Protection Policy (456KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0503; Publication Date: 03/05 by Steven R. Tabor Related Note (169KB PDF). Also available in Español (133KB PDF) ◘ Русский (99KB PDF)
A New Approach to Social Assistance: Latin America’s Experience with Conditional Cash Transfer Programs (126KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0416; Publication Date: 08/04 by Laura B. Rawlings Related Note (160KB PDF). Also available in Español (168KB PDF) ◘ Русский (132KB PDF)
Transferring Cash Benefits Through the Banking Sector in Colombia (366KB PDF). Also available in Español (429KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0409; Publication Date: 05/04 by Maria Teresa Lafaurie and Claudia A. Velasquez Leiva
Mitigating Social Risks in Kyrgyz Republic (188KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0408; Publication Date: 04/04 by Emil Daniel Tesliuc
Community-Based Social Services: Practical Advice Based upon Lessons from Outside the World Bank (930KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0327; Publication Date: 12/03 by Dinah McLeod
Evaluating the Impact of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: Lessons from Latin America World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 3119 by Laura B. Rawlings and Gloria M. Rubio; Publication Date: 08/03
Redirecting Resources to Community Based Services: A Concept Paper (362KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0311; Publication Date: 04/03 by Louise Fox and Ragnar Götestam
Waivers and Exemptions for Health Services in Developing Countries (550KB PDF). Also available in Español (671KB PDF) ◘ Français (587KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0308; Publication Date: 03/03 by Ricardo Bitrán and Ursula Giedion Related Note (54KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (142KB PDF) ◘ Español (144KB PDF) ◘ Русский (101KB PDF)
First International Workshop on Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: Operational Experiences (226KB PDF). Also available in Español (234KB PDF) Final Report; Publication Date: 03/03 by Ayala Consulting Co.
Systemic Shocks & Social Protection: Role & Effectiveness of Public Works Programs (139KB PDF). Also available in Español (162KB PDF) ◘ Français (126KB PDF) ◘ Русский (382KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0302; Publication Date: 01/03 by Kalanidhi Subbarao Related Note (56KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (147KB PDF) ◘ Español (142KB PDF) ◘ Русский (162KB PDF)
Ensuring Access to Essential Services: Demand-Side Housing Subsidies (104KB PDF). Also available in Français (111KB PDF) ◘ Русский (288KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0232; Publication Date: 12/02 by Harold M. Katsura and Clare T. Romanik Related Note (50KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (130KB PDF) ◘ Español (110KB PDF) ◘ Русский (922KB PDF)
Strengthening Public Safety Nets from the Bottom Up (117KB PDF). Also available in Español (117KB PDF) ◘ Français (126KB PDF) ◘ Русский (325KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0227; Publication Date: 09/02 by Jonathan Morduch and Manohar Sharma Related Note (58KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (134KB PDF) ◘ Español (131KB PDF) ◘ Русский (99KB PDF)
Food-Based Safety Nets & Related Programs (227KB PDF). Also available in Español (244KB PDF) ◘ Français (238KB PDF) ◘ Русский (633KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0225; Publication Date: 09/02 by Beatrice Lorge Rogers and Jennifer Coates Related Note (51KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (124KB PDF) ◘ Español (137KB PDF) ◘ Русский (96KB PDF)
Subsidies as a Social Safety Net: Effectiveness and Challenges (145KB PDF). Also available in Español (151KB PDF) ◘ Français (166KB PDF) ◘ Русский (370KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0224; Publication Date: 09/02 by Harold Alderman Related Note (46KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (131KB PDF) ◘ Español (128KB PDF) ◘ Русский (88KB PDF)
Assisting the Poor with Cash: Design & Implementation of Social Transfer Programs (452KB PDF). Also available in Español (453KB PDF) ◘ Français (401KB PDF) ◘ Русский (765KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0223; Publication Date: 09/02 by Steven R. Tabor Related Note (61KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (149KB PDF) ◘ Español (149KB PDF) ◘ Русский (101KB PDF)
Social Services Delivery through Community-Based Projects (310KB PDF). Also available in Spanish (344KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0118; Publication Date: 07/01 by Dinah McLeod and Maurizia Tovo
Themes	Top
The Nuts and Bolts of Brazil’s Bolsa Família Program: Implementing Conditional Cash Transfers in a Decentralized Context (773kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0709; Publication Date: 05/07 by Kathy Lindert, Anja Linder, Jason Hobbs and Bénédicte de la Brière
Brazil’s Bolsa Escola Program: The Role of Local Governance in Decentralized Implementation (267kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0542; Publication Date: 12/05 by Alain de Janvry, Frederico Finan, Elisabeth Sadoulet, Donald Nelson, Kathy Lindert, Bénédicte de la Brière and Peter Lanjouw
Implementing Means-Tested Welfare Systems in the United States (277KB PDF). Also available in Русский (629KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0532; Publication Date: 06/05 by Kathy Lindert
La Focalización En El Programa De Desarrollo Humano Oportunidades De Mexico (307KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0531; Publication Date: 06/05 by Mónica Orozco and Cecilia Hubert
Sistema de Identificación de la Población Objetivo: SIPO en Costa Rica (327KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0530; Publication Date: 06/05 by Roxana M. Víquez
Targeting Social Spending to the Poor With Proxy–Means Testing: Colombia’s SISBEN System (301KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0529; Publication Date: 06/05 by Tarsicio Castañeda
Focalización De Programas En Chile: El Sistema CAS (220KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0528; Publication Date: 06/05 by Osvaldo Larrañaga
Reforming Brazil’s Cadastro Único to Improve the Targeting of the Bolsa Família Program (188KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0527; Publication Date: 06/05 by Bénédicte de la Brière and Kathy Lindert
Designing and Implementing Household Targeting Systems: Lessons from Latin American and The United States (605KB PDF). Also available in Português (703KB PDF) ◘ Русский (1.3MB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0526; Publication Date: 06/05 by Tarsicio Castañeda and Kathy Lindert, with Bénédicte de la Brière, Luisa Fernandez, Celia Hubert, Osvaldo Larrañaga, Mónica Orozco, and Roxana Viquez Related Note (180KB PDF). Also available in Español (164KB PDF) ◘ Русский (118KB PDF)
A Technology White Paper on Improving the Efficiency of Social Safety Net Program Delivery in Low Income Countries: An Introduction to Available and Emerging Mobile Technologies (2.1MB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0522; Publication Date: 05/05 by Mike Gallaher
A Lecture on the Political Economy of Targeted Safety Nets (706KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0501; Publication Date: 01/05 by Lant Pritchett Related Note (167KB PDF). Also available in Español (137KB PDF) ◘ Русский (100KB PDF)
Institutional Analysis Toolkit for Safety Net Interventions (215KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0418; Publication Date: 08/04 by Inke Mathauer Related Note (131KB PDF). Also available in Español (149KB PDF)
Targeting of Transfers in Developing Countries: Review of Lessons and Experience Also available in Español (359KB PDF) ◘ Русский (1MB PDF) Formal World Bank Publication; Publication Date: 08/04 by David Coady, Margaret Grosh and John Hoddinott Related Note (59KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (143KB PDF) ◘ Español (142KB PDF) ◘ Русский (101KB PDF)
Testing Vietnam's Public Safety Net (116KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0319; Publication Date: 10/03 by Dominique van de Walle
Impact Evaluation of Social Programs: A Policy Perspective (107KB PDF) Revised Draft, Publication Date: 09/03 by John Blomquist Related Note (59KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (134KB PDF) ◘ Español (144KB PDF) ◘ Русский (102KB PDF)
Social Safety Net Assessments from Central America: Cross-Country Review of Principal Findings (181KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0316; Publication Date: 08/03 by José Silvério Marques
Benchmarking Government Provision of Social Safety Nets (714KB PDF). Also available in Русский (883KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0315; Publication Date: 08/03 by Timothy Besley, Robin Burgess and Imran Rasul
Targeted Transfers in Poor Countries: Revisiting the Trade-Offs and Policy Options (129KB PDF). Also available in Español (144KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0314; Publication Date: 05/03 by Martin Ravallion Related Note (47KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (133KB PDF) ◘ Español (141KB PDF) ◘ Русский (92KB PDF)
Public Attitudes Matter: A Conceptual Frame for Accounting for Political Economy in Safety Nets and Social Assistance Policies (179KB PDF). Also available in Français (194KB PDF) ◘ Русский (542KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0233; Publication Date: 12/02 by Carol Graham Related Note (61KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (145KB PDF) ◘ Español (147KB PDF) ◘ Русский (102KB PDF)
Gender and Risk in the Design of Social Protection Interventions (200KB PDF). Also available in Français (227KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0231; Publication Date: 12/02 by Kene Ezemenari, Nazmul Chaudhury and Janet Owens
Vulnerability and Poverty Measurement Issues for Public Policy (153KB PDF). Also available in Español (161KB PDF) ◘ Français (159KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0230; Publication Date: 12/02 by Jean-Yves Duclos
Incentives and the Role of Institutions in the Provision of Social Safety Nets (114KB PDF). Also available in Français (127KB PDF) ◘ Русский (329KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0226; Publication Date: 09/02 by Chris de Neubourg Related Note (56KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (132KB PDF) ◘ Español (137KB PDF) ◘ Русский (168KB PDF)
Community Based Targeting Mechanisms for Social Safety Nets (255KB PDF). Also available in Español (444KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0102; Publication Date: 01/01 by Jonathan Conning and Michael Kevane
Country Context	Top
Social Safety Nets and Targeted Social Assistance: Lessons from the European Experience (376kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0718; Publication Date: 11/07 by Chris de Neubourg, Julie Castonguay and Keetie Roelen
Performance of Social Safety Net Programs in Uttar Pradesh (538kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0714; Publication Date: 10/07 by Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad
Social Safety Nets in OECD Countries (227kb pdf) Social Safety Nets Primer Note No. 25, Publication Date: 03/06 by Emil Tesliuc
Food Aid and Food Security in the Short- and Long Run: Country Experience from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (675kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0538; Publication Date: 11/05 by Carlo del Ninno, Paul A. Dorosh and Kalanidhi Subbarao
Household’s Vulnerability to Shocks in Zambia (282kb pdf) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0536; Publication Date: 09/05 by Carlo del Ninno and Alessandra Marini
Living in Limbo: Conflict-Induced Displacement in Europe and Central Asia Formal World Bank Publication; Publication Date: 06/04 by Steven B. Holtzman and Taies Nezam
Safety Nets in Transition Economies: A Primer (158KB PDF). Also available in Français (173KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0306; Publication Date: 03/03 by Louise Fox Related Note (53KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (133KB PDF) ◘ Español (138KB PDF) ◘ Русский (123KB PDF)
What Role for Safety Net Transfers in Very Low Income Countries? (170KB PDF). Also available in Español (204KB PDF) ◘ Français (223KB PDF) ◘ Русский (442KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0301; Publication Date: 01/03 by W. James Smith and Kalanidhi Subbarao Related Note (208KB PDF). Also available in Bahasa Indonesia (134KB PDF) ◘ Español (139KB PDF) ◘ Русский (97KB PDF)
Emerging from Ethnic Conflict: Challenges for Social Protection Design in Transition Countries(179KB PDF). Also available in Русский (553KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0229; Publication Date: 12/02 by Christian Bodewig
Social Safety Nets in Response to Crisis: Lessons and Guidelines from Asia and Latin America (136KB PDF) Draft; Publication Date: 02/01 by John Blomquist, Marijn Verhoeven, Juan Pablo Cordoba, César Bouillon and Patricia Moser
Safety Nets in Transition Economies: Toward a Reform Strategy (189KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 9914; Publication Date: 06/99 by Emily S. Andrews and Dena Ringold
Special Vulnerable Groups	Top
Toolkit for Programming Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Sub-Saharan Africa (207KB PDF). Also available in Español (226KB PDF) ◘ Русский (91KB PDF) Social Safety Net Primer Note No. 17; Publication Date: 2005 by Maurizia Tovo, Menahem Prywes, Anne Kielland, Catherine Gibbons and Junko Saito
Disability and Social Safety Nets in Developing Countries (195KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0509; Publication Date: 05/05 by Sophie Mitra Related Note (166KB PDF). Also available in Español (145KB PDF) ◘ Русский (101KB PDF)
Reaching Out to Africa's Orphans: A Framework for Public Action Abstract (13PDF) ◘ Reader’s Guide & Executive Summary (17KB PDF) Formal World Bank Publication; Publication Date: 08/04 by Kalanidhi Subbarao and Diane Coury Related Note (272KB PDF). Also available in Español (139KB PDF) ◘ Русский (93KB PDF)
Costs of Projects for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children: Case Studies in Eritrea and Benin (130KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0414; Publication Date: 07/04 by Menahem Prywes, Diane Coury, Gebremeskel Fesseha, Gilberte Hounsounou and Anne Kielland Related Note (130KB PDF). Also available in Español (143KB PDF) ◘ Русский (99KB PDF)
Supporting and Expanding Community-Based HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Responses: A Report on Save the Children (US) Malawi COPE Project (156KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0211; Publication Date: 05/02 by Susan S. Hunter
World Vision's Experience Working with HIV/AIDS Orphans in Uganda 1990-1995 (123KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0210; Publication Date: 05/02 by Joe Muwonge
Long-Term Welfare and Investment Impact of AIDS-Related Changes in Family Composition: Evidence from Uganda (100KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0207; Publication Date: 05/02 by Klaus Deininger, Anja Crommelynck and Gloria Kempaka
Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children: What Role for Social Protection? (191KB PDF) Social Protection Discussion Paper No. 0126; Publication Date: 10/01 edited by Anthony Levine
Social Protection of Africa's Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Issues and Good Practice Program Options Africa Human Development Working Paper Series No. 22909; Publication Date: 08/01 by Kalanidhi Subbarao, Angel Mattimore and Kathrin Plangemann

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