Public works and social protection in sub-Saharan Africa : do public works work for the poor? / Anna McCord ; [editor, Pauline de Villiers].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McCord, Anna.

Contributor:

Villiers, Pauline de.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public works--Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Public works.

Poverty--Government policy--Africa, Sub-Saharan.

Poverty.

Poverty--Africa, Sub-Saharan--International cooperation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (254 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Tokyo ; New York : United Nations University Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Public Works Programmes (PWPs) are widely implemented in developing countries, often with funding from major international donor agencies. They provide employment for the chronically poor while creating assets for the state, offering a transfer of welfare which is also a tangible economic investment. This book critically explores the concept of the PWPs and questions their social protection performance in the context of chronic poverty. It reviews over 200 PWPs in eastern and southern Africa, using original research drawn from extensive field analysis, interviews and survey work. It also examines case studies of six international PWPs -- in India, Argentina, Ireland, Ethiopia, Indonesia and the USA. It is argued that the current PWPs approach may need to be revisited.

Contents:

Setting the scene : sub-Saharan African public works in context. The history of PWPs

Public works programming in sub-Saharan Africa. Defining public works. The PWP typology

The typology of PWPs in sub-Saharan Africa

A schema of PWP objectives

Poverty alleviation. The social protection function of public works programmes. Definition of social protection. Evaluating the performance of public works programmes. Current evaluation approaches. The impact of the wage. The transfer and stabilisation benefits of the wage

The duration of the wage transfer

The adequacy of the wage

Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF) PWP case study. The three vectors : assets. The value of assets created

Social infrastructure

The importance of asset production in different types of PWP

Public works and social protection in sub-Saharan Africa. The three vectors : skills.

Conceptual clarifications

Are PWP an appropriate vehicle for skills development?

Two South African case studies : context, methodology and analytical overview. The unemployment and social protection context

Overview of the case study programmes. Assessing programme incidence. PWP access : targeting and rationing practices

Incidence findings. Labour market findings. How to assess the labour market status of beneficiaries. The impact of programme participation on multi-dimensional aspects of poverty. Measuring the poverty impact

Conclusion : re-evaluating the assumptions inherent in public works programmes. Problems with the current evidence base

Why do PWPs remain so popular?.

Notes:

"Published in 2012 in South Africa by UCT Press, an imprint of Juta and Company Ltd."

Includes bibliographical references (p. [196]-215) and index.

ISBN:

92-808-7173-0

OCLC:

865508936