Social Protection Index for Committed Poverty Reduction: Volume 2: Asia

Abstract

Social protection is getting more attention around the world. Recognition is growing that the Millennium Development Goals for poverty reduction, as well as equitable and sustainable growth, cannot be achieved purely through the promotion of economic growth and the development of physical and social infrastructure. Interventions are necessary to directly address the needs of the poorest and to prevent members of vulnerable groups from falling into poverty following community-wide or household-specific shocks. However, there have been relatively few attempts to systematically quantify the impact of social protection activities in terms of expenditure, beneficiaries, or the impact of the programs, and to assess social protection schemes following a standard methodology. Even within many countries, governments and stakeholders have no complete picture of their own social protection arrangements, and their quantity and performance. To remedy this ADB commissioned a study to develop a methodology for assessing and comparing social protection efforts of countries. The study is most important outcome was the construction of an internationally comparable index that provides a realistic and acceptable summary of the overall level of social protection activities in a country. The Social Protection Index was designed to be a starting point for diagnostic evaluations of national social protection programs to enable the monitoring of changes in social protection provision over time, and to facilitate international comparisons of social protection provision.