Economic Policy Research Institute

Designing and Implementing
Social Protection Programmes in Africa

A course for policymakers, government officials and practitioners around the world

17-30 July ~ Mombasa, Kenya

About the course

African countries are increasingly recognising the value of social protection programmes in reducing extreme poverty with success stories in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI), together with the African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD), is offering a two-week course aimed at providing participants with an in-depth understanding of the conceptual and practical issues involved in the development of social protection programmes in Africa. Participants will acquire tools required for the appropriate identification and successful design and implementation of these programmes.

Who is it for?

The course aims to build the capacity of government policymakers and officials, representatives from bilateral and multilateral agencies, programme practitioners and staff members from non-governmental organisations in Africa. The course will serve those who want to more effectively design, implement and manage social protection programmes in Africa with the goal of reducing poverty and better achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

How participants will benefit

At the end of the course, the successful participant will better understand the comprehensive approach to social protection and how appropriate social protection instruments can reduce poverty and vulnerability and promote developmental outcomes. The course will reinforce the skills required to identify, design and implement effective social protection programmes. A team of international experts, skilled professionals and leaders in the field will teach the course. The certificated course will be jointly accredited by Maastricht University and the Economic Policy Research Institute.

What the course will cover

The course includes a coordinated series of theme-oriented sessions, practical skills-building workshops, field trips to visit social protection sites and relevant technical skills training. The course will be taught using formal lectures, practical case studies and hands on exercises. Topics will include:

The role of social protection in reducing poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion

The identification of appropriate social protection instruments for specific country contexts

The design of social protection and cash transfer programmes

Implementation issues, including registration, targeting, payment and information systems

Monitoring and evaluation approaches for social protection systems

Case studies of successful programmes around the world

Field trips to see Kenya’s social protection system in action

Choose your specialisation

During the second week of the course, participants will choose one of several intensive, five-day modules on a specialised topic. Offerings may vary based on demand, but typical options include:

Social protection policy
Understand the importance, content and process of developing national social protection polices, and review and critique a sample of social protection policies in Africa.

Social protection payments and financial inclusion
Maximise social transfers’ developmental impact by learning to design efficient and financially inclusive payment arrangements that bring the world of formal financial services to beneficiaries.

Micro-simulation models for policy analysis
Learn to use microsimulation models to analyse existing social protection policies, estimate the impacts of proposed initiatives, engage effectively with a growing body of evidence and provide credible, accessible information to policymakers.

Monitoring and evaluating social protection programmes
Gain an in-depth, practical understanding of how monitoring and impact evaluation can be used to evaluate programme success, analyse alternative designs, improve programme operation, enhance cost-effectiveness and ensure programme sustainability.

For more information about these modules, please contact courses@epri.org.za.


Fees and other costs The tuition fee for the two-week course is £2,600. The tuition fee also includes travel on scheduled visits and optional hands-on computer-based skill workshops. The comprehensive accommodation and facilities fee is £1,560, which includes four-star accommodation, three meals per day and teas, per diems, recreational activities and tours, airport transfers and use of included facilities. The fees do not include international travel to and from Mombasa. How to apply Please fill in the application form and click on the 'submit' button. Admission is on a rolling basis. Space is limited. Application form Personal details First name Family name/surname: Title (Prof, Dr, Mr, Mrs, Ms, etc.): Telephone number: Fax number: Mobile number: Email address: Current position: Title of post: Employer: Address: Brief description of your main role and responsibilities: Which elective short course(s) are you interested in taking? Financial inclusion Microsimulation Social protection policy Monitoring and evaluation		Partners EPRI is offering this course together with the African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD), in partnership with the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance and Kenya’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development (MGCSD), with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). About EPRI The Economic Policy Research Institute is a South African-based non-governmental organisation with extensive experience in social protection research, policy advisory work and capacity-building. EPRI has designed and taught tailor-made courses and programmes to meet the specific needs of national parliaments, government departments and civil society organisations. About AIHD The African Institute for Health and Development is a Kenyan based non-governmental organisation whose aim is to build the capacity of communities for better health and lives. AIHD has been involved in poverty and health-related research since 2004. It has a major interest in capacity building for evidence-based programming in the region. AIHD has a working partnership with the University of Nairobi, Institute for Anthropology, Gender and African Studies. About the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance The Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (MGSoG) prepares students to pave the road for innovative policy developments in Europe and the world today. The School offers PhD and Masters programmes as well as short training modules, and works in close collaboration with highly respected overseas institutions. About DFID The Department for International Development (DFID) leads the UK government's fight against world poverty. Since its creation in 1997, DFID has helped more than 250 million people lift themselves from poverty and helped 40 million more children to go to primary school. But there is still much to do to help make a fair, safe and sustainable world for all. Through its network of offices throughout the world, DFID works with governments of developing countries, charities, non-governmental organisations, businesses and international organisations, like the United Nations, European Commission and the World Bank, to eliminate global poverty and its causes. DFID also responds to overseas emergencies. DFID's work forms part of a global promise, the eight UN 'Millennium Development Goals', for tackling elements of global poverty by 2015.