Resource
Review of the literature on social protection shock responses and readiness
Summary
It explores two main issues relating to the social protection response to the food, fuel and financial crisis of 2007-2009 in low- and middle-income countries:
- the expectations and perspectives of development partners on the role of social protection in shock response;
- the experience of scaling up social protection responses during the 2007-2009 "triple crisis" (food, fuel and finance) in low- and middle-income countries, and the implications for future shock readiness.
It identifies and discusses the main types of social protection instruments adopted – social assistance, social security, and active labour-market policies – and examines the relative merits and drawbacks of each in low- and middle- income countries. It outlines the main instruments adopted in a number of selected countries from each region and provides a brief review of the role of the Rapid Social Response facility in scaling up the response process.