Sustaining and Scaling up Productive Safety Net Systems in Guinea A delegation of senior officials from the Government of Guinea participated in learning and knowledge activities in Rwanda, focusing on productive safety net systems. The Government of Guinea is committed to investing in safety nets as a key instrument for reducing poverty, protecting vulnerable populations from shocks and promoting resilience.…

Strengthening Social Protection in South Sudan The Government of South Sudan sought to reduce poverty and food insecurity, which had persisted through years of social conflict.  Authorities prioritized improving social protection policies and initiatives, including programs providing Cash Transfers (CT) to vulnerable households. Country officials, however, lacked knowledge about social…

Enabling Pro-Poor Management of Zambia’s Mineral Wealth Zambia faced challenges managing its natural resource wealth, especially from copper mining, in ways that reduce poverty; diversify the economy; and improve education, health, and livelihoods of Zambian citizens. Chile, another major copper pro­ducer, had a track record in supporting fiscal policies and programs that support sound management of…

Belize, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico Work Together to Strengthen Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programs Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have improved the lives of millions of poor households across the region by improving children’s education and health (human capital), reducing poverty, and ensuring a minimum income for the poorest households. Implementing CCT programs requires significant…

Djibouti Learns about Direct Cash Transfer Systems and Cash for Work Djibouti was heavily dependent on food and energy imports, while about three-fourths of its population lived in extreme poverty. The government had been exploring alternative ways for alleviating poverty through social assistance programs financed by international institutions, such as the World Bank. It was among the first countries to receive a…

Supporting Administrative Reform of Social Security in Vietnam The government of Vietnam (GOV) wanted to reform its inadequate and corrupt social security administration in favor of a modern, fair, and transparent system. Although the government had outlined a strategy, it felt that the country did not have the institutional capacity to implement it, and so it looked to the World Bank for help. The World Bank…

Improving Capacity for Migration Management in Europe and Central Asia Every year, approximately 10 million migrant workers from the lower-income Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) head to Russia and other middle-income CIS countries to seek employment and provide a livelihood for their families.1 Many migrant laborers remit funds to their home countries to support their extended families. Migration in the…

Improving Programs to Tackle Extreme Poverty in Bolivia Poverty and inequality are harsh realities in Bolivia. In spite of targeted social programs, 59 percent of the indigenous and 62 percent of rural populations still live in extreme poverty.1 Looking to improve social programming for these groups, a special unit in Bolivia’s Ministry of Planning—Unidad de Análisis de Políticas Sociales y Económicas…

Haiti Scales Up Nutritional Security and Social Safety Nets Children in Haiti are born into harsh conditions, and malnutrition is widespread, taking a devastating human and economic toll.1 To combat malnutrition, the government of Haiti approached the World Bank for help in strengthening the country’s nutritional security and safety net programs. Haiti chose to participate in a Bank-supported knowledge…

Enhancing Capacity to Improve Social Protection Strategies in Delhi The Mission Convergence (MC) or “Samajik Suvidha Sangam” in Hindi is an initiative by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) that aims to alleviate poverty and improve government social programs. GNCTD officials needed help and information on how to incorporate multiple poverty reduction programs into an improved program…

Applying Social Guarantee Approaches in the Eastern Caribbean The World Bank’s 2006 Poverty Assessment Study outlined weaknesses in poverty reduction strategies in St. Lucia common to Caribbean countries. The St. Lucia Poverty Reduction Fund in the Ministry of Social Transformation wanted to join an ongoing Organization of American States (OAS) program1 to better learn how Chile had implemented “social…

Learning about Community-Driven Development to Rebuild Housing in Haiti The earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010 resulted in a massive loss of lives and a complete breakdown of Haiti’s housing infrastructure. The government of Haiti had been unable to invest in long-term reconstruction given its immediate needs for emergency housing. It asked the World Bank for help in learning about community-based…

Learning from Community Driven Development (CDD) Models for Better Economic and Social Development Outcomes As in many other East Asian countries, the number of people living in poverty in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam has declined in the past decade. However, persisting poverty in less advantaged geographic areas and ethnic groups is still a challenge. The governments of the three countries were eager to gain practical lessons on innovative Community…

Strengthening Social Protection in Vietnam To help reduce poverty, the Government of Vietnam sought to consolidate and modernize social protection programs. Vietnamese officials visited China and India to learn about ways to design, target, and manage social protection and social insurance programs. The visits built consensus on next steps for reform in Vietnam, including possible support…

Piloting and Scaling-up Grievance Redress Mechanisms in Social Safety Net Projects in Egypt and the West Bank and Gaza As project teams in Egypt and the West Bank and Gaza prepared to embark on piloting and subsequent scaling up of grievance redress mechanisms (GRMs) in their social safety net projects, this knowledge exchange with the Philippines was designed to enhance the skills of grievance officers and the complaint handling units of each participating…