1. New Directions in Social Policy:
Alternatives from and for the South
Sarah Cook
ACFID Conference ‘Development Futures’
Sydney, 21-22 November 2013

2. Key messages
• Poverty reduction does not generally occur through
policies targeted at the poor
• Social policies are essential components of policies
for equitable development and poverty reduction
• Currently (re)emerging economies are pursuing new
social development policies that may provide
alternative pathways to address 21st century risks
and challenges

3. UNRISD report 2010
•
What accounts for the persistence of
poverty when concern for its reduction
has been high on the policy agenda?
•
Why have some countries been more
successful than others in reducing poverty
and inequality?
•
How do current approaches to poverty
reduction compare & contrast with the
lessons of the past?
•
Cases: Nordic countries, East Asia, Costa
Rica, Mauritius, Kerala, Botswana, Brazil
•
www.unrisd.orgpoverty

4. Social policy in development context
Functions of ‘transformative’ social policy:
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Protection: protection from income loss, costs
associated with contingencies: unemployment, sickness,
old age…
Production / accumulation: enhance productive
capacities of individuals, groups and communities;
Distribution: create conditions for more equitable
economic growth and redistribution
Social reproduction: reduce the burden on hhs / women
of social reproduction including care-related work

5. Principles of transformative social policy
1. Social policy based on universalism  societal
transformation
2. Expenditures on basic social security and social services
considered the costs of social progress  solidarity through
burden sharing
3. Those who benefit most from the progress should pay for the
costs of social welfare  redistribution

6. Principles of transformative social policy
4. Universal social programmes involve both universal
entitlements and but also everybody with adequate
income should pay (tax policy, formal labour markets) 
Inclusive growth
5. The benefit level should be socially acceptable vs the
minimum only acceptable to the poor  Politics of needs
recognition
Achieved through political processes

7. A ‘quiet revolution’

8. New / expanding programmes
• Cash transfers - various types:
– CCTs, social pensions, child benefits …
• Employment related, public works
• Social investment
• Social insurance
• Universal health care
• Global social policies / social protection floor

10. Social contracts and compromises
• State – society on social security
• Capital – labour on macro-economic stability
• Management – labour on employment
security
Other: inter-generational; gender; NorthSouth;

11. ‘New’ risks and challenges
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Globalisation
Financialisation
Changing nature of work / employment
Demographic trends, ageing
Multi-polarity, regionalism, nationalism
Climate / environmental change
 Social and political consequences
 Inequalities – national / transnational
 Political mobilisation

12. • Reconfiguration of institutions designed to
address social and economic problems
• Institutions including:
(1) Social contracts – explicit / implicit
(2) Institutions for production / distribution
(3) Institutions for welfare and
redistribution

13. Elements of new social policies
• Address problems beyond traditional domain of social
policy (eg financialisation)
• Proactive adaptation to new risks (climate)
• National modes of addressing a changing global context
will vary – institutions matter
• Social reproduction - ageing
• Complementarities and trade-offs – (eg energy, poverty,
climate links)
• New social contracts? Basis for universalism, solidarity,
security, coverage / protection against risks

14. ‘Success stories’: The role of social policy
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The most significant reductions in poverty have occurred in
countries with comprehensive social policies that lean
towards universal coverage.
Social policies may be ‘implicit’ – functional equivalents
Where poverty is widespread, targeting is unlikely to make
significant and sustained inroads into poverty; it may fail to
include middle income groups that are needed for funding
and providing good quality services, may undermine forms
of solidarity, and may condemn the poor to poor services.
Social policy investments are a policy choice: Mexico vs
Brazil; Costa Rica

15. New research
• How well do they meet ‘needs’?
• How well do they serve development?
• How do they respond to / address new risks and
challenges?
• What new configuration of policies and
institutions is effective?
• What normative / ethical underpinnings?
• Are new ‘social pacts’ emerging?

16. Follow UNRISD work on
www.unrisd.org