Social protection and donor aid

Social protection, more specifically cash transfers, has emerged over the last few years as a new area of interest for a number of bilateral donor agencies. It is also well established within INGOs as a way of responding to humanitarian emergencies. But are these donors about to make a quantum leap in their programming interest in cash transfers, in ways which will fundamentally transform donor aid to Africa? Will budget support move off centre stage? The answer, judging from a perspective written by an official with close links to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, might be "yes". Göran Holmqvist, on leave from SIDA, has written a piece commissioned by Project Syndicate, which means distribution across the globe. My iGoogle system has picked it up in media in Uganda, Taiwan and now in today's Guardian. Interestingly, the draft outcome document emanating from the recent Windhoek meeting of AU Ministers of Social Development had to be amended to take account of social protection issues; these were left out of an earlier draft.