Working Paper
Understanding elite commitment to social protection
Abstract
This paper examines the political economy of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) and argues that strong government commitment to the VUP has been shaped by the specific characteristics of the political settlement that was established around 2000. For the Rwandan government, the VUP has never been just a social transfer programme, but a key part of the development strategy that aims to promote social stability and the legitimacy of the ruling coalition. While donor social protection ideas have been influential, these are purposefully adapted by government, with a view to meeting its developmental and political goals. This output was funded under the Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre programme