What are the key features of existing programmes that allow poor people to sustainably escape from poverty in a cost-effective and scalable way? This research looks at evidence from social protection programmes with innovative designs that combine different interventions, either following a graduation approach or by building integrated social protection systems. This comparative approach is new and offers insights for policy-makers seeking to design integrated social protection systems that fulfill protective and preventive functions.

Key messages

• Social protection can be a powerful driver of sustained poverty escapes through productive inclusion by linking cash or in-kind transfers with interventions that aim to increase a household’s productivity and its access to markets.
• Embedding graduation programmes into integrated social protection systems is a promising strategy to achieve this at scale. 
• Reaching the poorest and most vulnerable groups may require a tailored approach, for example with a two-tier graduation programme that envisions interventions of different lengths for different people.
• Designing integrated social protection programmes that reach down to and serve the needs of the poorest people requires a more holistic approach to monitoring and evaluation