Regional Evidence Building Agenda (REBA) Thematic Briefs

This series of briefs provides a regional synthesis of findings of 12 thematic studies and 20 individual case studies of social transfer schemes undertaken by the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP) in southern Africa. The briefs aim to provide a wide-ranging set of policy-oriented findings on core hunger and vulnerability issues identified by the many stakeholders consulted during the planning process.

The thematic briefs focus on the following themes:  vulnerability;  targeting; coordination and coverage; cost-effectiveness; markets; asset protection and building; delivery mechanisms and social pensions. Each of these themes was explored through studies in two of the six priority countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

These themes are also examined in the 20 case studies, which are based on a range of social protection practices undertaken in country programmes. These include:

• Emergency Cash Transfer, Malawi
• Food Subsidies Programme, Mozambique
• Urban Food Programme, Zimbabwe
• Food Security Pack, Zambia
• School Feeding, Lesotho
• Farm Input Support to Child-Headed Households, Swaziland

The final briefing paper of the collection pulls together the strengths, weaknesses and lessons for future social protection practice in the southern African region arising from the 20 case studies. Lessons highlighted include:

• cash not the only instrument:despite the advantages of cash transfers, other transfers can also play an important role in achieving hunger reduction aims
• the use of proxy indicators and multiple criteria to target beneficiaries has several intrinsic weaknesses. Categorical targeting may offer a superior way forward for scaled up social transfers in the region
• new technologies could play an important role in delivering transfers efficiently to beneficiaries
• more useful partnerships can be built between states and NGOs in scaled up social protection, going beyond the short duration, project oriented, activities that are currently at the centre of such partnerships