Poverty

This document collection is aimed at providing information on policies for poverty reduction, one of the key areas in the area of social policy development. The focus is on evidence-based policy development and the information is intended to support the policy making community in the development of effective policies.

Policy briefs

• A poverty reduction strategy for Nova Scotia 
  
  ­A multi-year plan with four goals: enable and reward work, invest in households in need, focus on children, and coordinate and collaborate.
  Caledon Institute of Social Policy, November 2009
• Can State and civil society become real partners in fighting poverty in Africa? 
  
  This brief captures a short intervention at the 2005 Public Service Day teleconference organised by the South African Department of Public Service and Administration.
  Kabemba, C, January 2005
• Childhood poverty persistence: Facts and consequences 
  
  A policy brief which links poverty status at birth, poverty persistence, and adult outcomes.
  Urban Institute, June 2010
• Development on the move: Measuring and optimising migration's economic and social impacts 
  
  Executive summary of a report on a wide range of migration's impacts on development, including poverty reduction in developing countries.
  Institute for Public Policy Research, May 2010
• Disparities exist in citizen's perceptions of service delivery by local government officials in Tanzania 
  
  Compares citizen's perceptions of municipal service delivery between 2003 and 2006.
  Research on Policy Alleviation, November 2008
• From the global politics of poverty alleviation to the global politics of welfare state rebuilding 
  
  Argues that the current focus on policies ­for poverty alleviation should give way to the global politics of welfare state rebuilding.
  Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP), June 2010
• Mental Health and Poverty Project policy briefs 
  
  A series of nine policy briefs on policy development and analysis aimed at breaking the cycle of mental ill­-health and poverty.
  Mental Health and Poverty Project, University of Cape Town, 2010
• Millennium Development Goals report card: Learning from progress 
  
  A summary which is part of initial findings from an ongoing review of progress made towards the Millennium Development Goals.
  Overseas Development Institute (ODI), June 2010
• The politics of what works in tackling chronic poverty 
  
  Focuses on policies and programmes that have been successful in reducing extreme forms of poverty.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, August 2007
• The role of the state in a developing market economy 
  
  One in a series of policy briefs drawn from the Poverty and Human Development Report 2009, Government of Tanzania­.
  REPOA: Research on Poverty Alleviation, 2009
• Transitioning in and out of poverty 
  
  Aims to uncover ­events leading people into poverty and those which help them escape.
  Urban Institute, September 2009
• What is the impact of the Bolsa Família programme on education? 
  
  Considers whether the Bolsa Família programme increases school enrolment, reduces dropout rates and improves grades.
  International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth , March 2010

Research reports & papers

• Assessing pro-poor qualities of public policy and practice in urban areas in Ghana 
  
  Discusses trends in urban poverty, based on an analysis of the pro-poor qualities of public sector initiatives in urban areas in Ghana between 1991 and 2008.
  Global Development Network (GDN), November 2009
• Breaking the grip of poverty and inequality in South Africa 2004-2014 - current trends, issues and future policy options 
  
  Argues that poverty and inequality are very different, with important public policy consequences.
  Centre for Civil Society, December 2003
• Can government policies be said to be pro-poor?: An exploration of policy: working paper No 4 
  
  Reviews some ­policies which seek to alleviate and eventually eradicate poverty and its causes,­ and,­ provides a budget and benefit incidence in five government departments.
  Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute, September 2009
• Changing poverty and changing antipoverty policies 
  
  Calls for shifts in anti-poverty policies as economic growth is not sufficient to reduce poverty.
  Institute for Research on Policy, April 2009
• Chronic poverty report 2008-09: escaping poverty traps  
  
  Identifies five main traps that underpin chronic poverty –  insecurity, limited citizenship, spatial disadvantage, social discrimination and poor work opportunities. Outlines key policy responses 
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, June 2008
• Crafting a graduation pathway for the ultra poor: lessons and evidence from a BRAC programme 
  
  An innovative approach that BRAC has been experimenting with is described. Outlines a number of key lessons for the broader thinking on tackling ultra poverty.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, March 2008
• Destined for destitution: intergenerational poverty and persistence in Indonesia 
  
  Estimates intergenerational poverty persistence in Indonesia using a panel dataset. 
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, January 2009
• Dynamic social security for Africa: an agenda for development: development and trends 
  
  The first regional developments and trends report on Africa proposing an approach to understanding and addressing key challenges ISSA member organisations face in different regions.
  International Social Security Association, November 2008
• Economic growth and poverty dynamics 
  
  ­Briefly reviews the literature on economic growth and poverty and examines whether economic growth influences poverty dynamics.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, February 2009
• Estimating poverty lines for South Africa 
  
  Briefly outlines work done on estimating a poverty line as commissioned by the Department of Social Development. Describes three types of poverty measures and describes and presents current estimates for two types of poverty lines.
  UCT for the Department of Social Development, July 2008
• From agenda to action: Turning resources into results for people 
  
  Reviews developments over the past five years, identifying six priority areas, three for African policymakers and three for their international partners.
  Africa Progress Panel, May 2010
• From poverty to power 
  
  A monograph with related case studies, background papers and an ongoing debate.
  Green, D, Oxfam, September 2009
• Income and non-income inequality in post- apartheid South Africa: What are the drivers and possible policy interventions? 
  
  Aims to identify drivers of inequality in post-apartheid South Africa and evaluate appropriate policy interventions.
  Development Policy Research Unit, September 2009
• Innovation and poverty reduction 
  
  Discusses the concept of innovation and how it can be applied to local solutions to reduce poverty.
  Caledon Institute of Social Policy, November 2003
• Links between poverty, matriculation and the child support grant: a review of the evidence 
  
  Reviews evidence on whether child support grants positively influence schooling outcomes.
  Centre for the Study of South African Social Policy, October 2008
• Pro-poor development: Distribution, growth and policy interactions 
  
  Explores the main lines of interaction between growth and distribution to determine the potential for pro-poor growth.
  Rao, J.H., February 2002
• Social protection and poverty 
  
  ­Provides an overview of social protection and an assessment of its potential contribution to addressing poverty ­in developing countries.
  UNRISD, March 2010
• Social protection index for committed poverty reduction 
  
  This ADB report presents a methodology for assessing and comparing social protection efforts of countries, providing indicators for use by policymakers 
  Asian Development Bank, June 2008
• Social protection is centuries old!: Culture and social protection for the very poor in Uganda: evidence and policy implications 
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, May 2009
• South Africa's public policy clubs of exclusion  
  
  Commentary from the South African Civil Society Information Service (Sacsis) that the Zuma administration is attempting to insulate public policy choices from contestation in society, and as a consequence failing to build broader­ policy consensus.­
  Hassen, E-K., July 2010
• The global financial crisis: Are women more likely to be pushed into chronic poverty? 
  
  Harmful household coping strategies may push many, particularly many women and their dependents, into chronic poverty.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, November 2009
• The MDGs and beyond: Pro-poor policy in a changing world 
  
  Analyses what the MDGs have achieved, what the 2010 MDG review should do, giving an overview of the changing outlook up to ­2020.
  European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), March 2010
• Towards a democratic definition of poverty: Socially perceived necessities in South Africa 
  
  Presents a 'democratically derived' definition of poverty to inform poverty reduction policies.
  Human Sciences Research Council, 2008
• Universal minimum old age pensions: Impact on poverty and fiscal cost in 18 Latin American countries 
  
  Examines the impact of pensions on old age poverty and their cost in 18 Latin American countries using household survey data.
  World Bank, May 2010
• Wage subsidies to combat unemployment and poverty: Assessing South Africa’s options 
  
  Investigates whether the introduction of wage subsidies is an appropriate policy measure for dealing with South Africa’s particular sources of unemployment.
  International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) , May 2010

Case studies

• Grameen Foundation 
  
  The ­Grameen Foundation website highlights successful microfinancing case studies in a number of countries, and how these were implemented. Note information on the Progress out of Poverty Index.
  2009
• Moving out of poverty 
  
  ­A study carried out in 15 countries, which attempts to analyse mobility out of poverty rather than poverty alone.
  World Bank, March 2010
• The rural poverty report 2010  
  
  A work in progress looking at issues from the perspective of poor rural people, ­aiming to provide policy-relevant inputs for developing pro-poor agendas at all levels.
  International Fund for Agricultural Development, February 2010

Toolkits & guidelines

• Drivers of chronic poverty policy processes 
  
  A series of guidance sheets on what drives chronic poverty policy processes which could be adapted to other social and economic policies.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, February 2010
• How to develop a pro-poor land policy - process, guide and lessons 
  
  ­Outlines a partipatory policy process that can be adapted to each country and the specific aspect of land policy that needs to be addressed.
  UN Habitat, 2008
• Knowledge, policy and power: Six dimensions of the knowledge–development policy interface 
  
  Explores six key areas of the knowledge–development policy interface, aiming to stimulate nuanced debates and the development of tools for knowledge translation.
  Overseas Development Institute, August 2009
• Methods toolbox for poverty research 
  
  A work in progress from the Chronic Poverty Research Centre.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, 2008
• Multidimensional poverty index 
  
  A new poverty ­measure that goes beyond income by reflecting a range of deprivations that afflict a person’s life at the same time, released in advance of the report's October 2010 publication.
  Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), July 2010
• Research as a tool for advocacy 
  
  A presentation outlining approaches to achieving research-based­ policies.
  Institute for Security Studies (ISS), 2010

Conference & seminar papers

• Escaping the poverty traps conference 
  
  Aims to establish the dynamics between poverty reduction and economic growth.
  
  January 2009
• Between ourselves workshop 
  
  Report on contribution of research intermediaries to pro-poor evidence based policy and practice.
  Institute for Development Studies, July 2008
• Call for papers: National conference on structural poverty in South Africa: Overcoming inequality and structural poverty in South Africa: Towards inclusive growth and development 
  
  A three-day national conference on structural poverty to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from ­20 - 22 September 2010.­
  Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, September 2010
• Child Rights: Children's rights at a crossroads 
  
  A conference aiming to contribute to collaboration for the improved use of research and greater youth involvement in participatory re­search.
  African Child Policy Forum, November 2009
• Education and poverty reduction strategies: colloquium proceedings 
  
  Investigates links between education and poverty reduction, cross-sectoral co-ordination and policy coherence.
  Human Sciences Research Council, November 2008
• Organising for social justice and poverty reduction 
  
  Papers from a Non-Governmental Public Action (London School of  Economics) conference.
  
  London School of Economics, January 2009
• Second APRN regional conference: Parliaments, poverty reduction and the budget process 
  
  Aimed at promoting greater cross-Africa dialogue among parliamentarians from different countries to improve the ­implementation of poverty reduction programmes.
  Parliamentary Centre, October 2009

Reading lists

• Annotated bibliography on social exclusion, adverse incorporation and chronic poverty 
  
  Explores the latest thinking on social exclusion within development studies and the more historical debates  concerning the ways in which processes of 'adverse ­incorporation', closure' and 'marginalisation' work to impoverish regions, sectors and people.­
  Smith, B., December 2007
• Cash transfers reading list 
  
  This World Bank cash transfers reading list includes URLs for selected websites. 
  World Bank, 2009
• Inheritance practices and intergenerational transmission of poverty in Africa 
  
  A paper with a literature review of the key questions, methods and findings of investigations and an annotated bibliography which lists and summarises relevant works.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, December 2008

Advocacy initiatives

• Global call to action against poverty 
  
  A global civil society response to poverty, aiming t­o mobilise 2m people in South Africa.
  October 2009
• LACEA/IDB/WB/UNDP Network on Inequality and Poverty 
  
  A South American network that aims to advance the state of knowledge and expertise about poverty, inequality and social exclusion.
  June 2010
• September National Imbizo 
  
  A new Facebook forum for a national citizens' dialogue, currently working against xenophobia and planning for ­a National Indaba in September 2010.
  July 2010
• The global financial crisis: Identifying the chronically poor in low income countries 
  
  A new blog from the Overseas Development Institute.
  Overseas Development Institute, October 2009