Post-graduation from social protection (GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report 1035)

Abstract

Query What are the longer-term assessments of social protection graduation programmes telling us about the sustainability of these programmes? Is there evidence of good practice from states offering support to people who have 'graduated'? How can we design social protection programmes so they can most effectively help people become more productive, including by transitioning from informal to formal sector employment? Overview This paper reviews the results of social protection programmes which aim for beneficiaries to graduate out after they reach a certain level of assets or time. It explores whether people who graduate from the programmes are lifted sustainably out of poverty, and what changes they experience in their lives and livelihoods. The first part of the report reviews general lessons about how graduation happens and whether there are any impacts on employment, and the second part of the paper reports the results from longer-term or follow-up evaluations of graduation programmes