Social & economic policy
Social policy refers to the practice of social intervention, aimed at securing social change, to promote the welfare and wellbeing of citizens. It refers to both the practice of and academic study of policy action. This document collection is aimed at supporting the social policy formulation process, in South Africa and other developing countries.
Policy briefs
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A global policy package to address the global crisis
A policy brief which identifies a social agenda as crucial in addressing the global financial crisis.International Labour Organisation, November 2008 -
Africa - preserving progress at a time of economic crisis
Recommendations to African countries on how to manage the economic crisis with international support.Africa Progress Panel, April 2009 -
How to reform the international financial system?: A Chinese perspective
Recommends priorities for a reform of the international financial system.Friedrich Ebert Stiftung , September 2009 -
Influencing policy for children in Tanzania: lessons from education, legislation and social protection
Summarises three case studies on policy development and examines the political drivers of change that influence policy on child well-being.REPOA: Research on Poverty Alleviation, April 2009 -
Making use of transformative 'home-grown' social policy in Africa
Focuses on the transformative dimension of social policy and its link with economic develelopment.AfricaViewPoint (UNDP), February 2009
Research reports & papers
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Beyond the national question: Towards the social question
A Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust annual lecture.Mkandawire, T., October 2007 -
Community roles in policy
Reviews unique community contributions that are successful in addressing complex policy issues.Caledon Institute, January 2009 -
Economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific 2009: Addressing triple threats to development
Argues for a more fair and inclusive macroeconomic environment and economic policy reforms.UNESCAP, March 2009 -
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 -
Innovation policies as social policies: on strategies for the pursuit of proactive equality in underdevelopment
Explores the theory that inequality can be reduced by connecting innovation policies with social needs.Universidad de la Republica, 2005 -
Maximizing the social, policy and economic impacts of research in the humanities and social sciences
This report was commissioned to inform the report, Punching our weight from the British Academy.Public Policy Group, London School of Economics, September 2008 -
Paradigm shift: Social justice as a prerequisite for sustainable development
Calls for a new paradigm for sustainable development, focusing on social cohesion.European Trade Union Institute, April 2009 -
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 -
Punching our weight: the humanities and social sciences in public policy making
Addresses what policy makers need, what the humanities and social sciences offer and the challenges of providing better evidence for public policy making.British Academy, September 2008 -
Review of the child support grant: uses, implementation and obstacles
Community Agency for Social Enquiry, June 2008 -
Sectors and skills: The need for policy alignment
Presents the results of a large-scale study of skill demands of five economic clusters in South Africa, to inform the conceptualisation and formulation of skills development strategies.Human Sciences Research Council, 2009 -
Social protection concepts and approaches: implications for policy and practice in international development
Reviews conceptual developments regarding the meaning and importance of social protection.Overseas Development Institute, February 2001 -
South African child gauge 2008/2009
Annual review of the status of South Africa’s children focusing on access to education.Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, June 2009 -
The forgotten fundamentals
Caledon Institute, December 2008Argues that strong social programmes can play a vital part in an economic stimulus package.
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The G-20 London summit 2009: Recommendations for global policy coordination
Explores a range of proposals for policy coordination to address the global financial crisis.Brookings Institution, March 2009 -
The impact of the financial crisis on conflict and state fragility in sub-Saharan Africa
An issues paper which summarises the major points and offers policy recommendations.Governance and Social Development Resource Centre , July 2009 -
The implications of the global financial crisis for low-income countries
Makes policy recommendations to reduce the impact of the economic recession on low-income countries.International Monetary Fund, March 2009 -
The Nairobi Report: Frameworks for Africa-UK research collaboration in the social sciences and humanities
Recommendations on how to strengthen the research base in African universities.British Academy, March 2009
Case studies
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Developing social policy for children in the context of HIV/AIDS: A South African case study
Describes and analyses the process of policy design, development and implementation.Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, December 2008 -
Towards a basic income grant for all
Basic Income Grant Coalition, Namibia, September 2008Reviews findings of research on the benefits of basic income grants, conducted by BIGC in Namibia.
Country studies
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Policymaking in Latin America - how politics shapes policies
Suggests that poor policy outcomes lies less in the policies than in the political interactions and processes behind these policies. Inter-American Development Bank, 2008
Toolkits & guidelines
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The China-Africa toolkit: A toolkit for African policymakers
Aims to provide critical information, basic data and interpretations that can enhance decision making on issues involving China and Africa.South African Institute of International Affairs, December 2009
Conference & seminar papers
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Challenging boundaries: Social Policy Association conference
Presentations from the 2008 Social Policy Association conference.Social Policy Association, June 2008 -
Innovative South Africa: conference
Showcased innovation developments in South Africa and provided a platform for developing an innovation policy dialogue with European partners.Department of Science and Technology, June 2006 -
Responses to the global crisis: charting a progressive path: handbook of ideas
Interactive conference handbook aimed at gathering policy proposals on the global crisis.Progressive governance conference, March 2009 -
UNRISD conference on social and political dimensions of the global crisis: Implications for developing countries
Papers on social and political dimensions of the current crisis, policy and institutional reforms, and implications for developing countries.United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, November 2009
Advocacy initiatives
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Front line economic, social and cultural rights online manual
Advocacy toolkit with case studies and extensive references.Social and Economic Rights Action Center, July 2009 -
Ghana Research & Advocacy Programme
A pooled funding mechanism for supporting the institutional development of civil society organisations undertaking research and advocacy for pro-poor policy development in Ghana.2010 -
Meaningful engagement workshop
Report from a workshop which aimed to gain more clarity on the concept of meaningful engagement to feed into civil society strategies and actions.Centre for Applied Legal Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, July 2009 -
Policy responses and submissions
Read NESTA's policy responses and submissions over the past few years.National Endowment for Science Technology and Arts, 2009 -
Social Service Practitioners Advocacy Network
Join this network to engage with the draft Social Service Professions Bill and advocate for improvements.Children's Institute, December 2008 -
Strategies for effective policy advocacy: Demanding good governance in Africa
Lessons learned by civil society coalitions when demanding improved governance in Africa.South African Institute for International Affairs, June 2009