Evaluating social protection policies

Over the past few decades, experimental impact assessments in the social protection sector have changed how policy analysts and implementers measure success, with an intensifying focus on methodological rigour sometimes crowding out more comprehensive approaches to understanding complexity. The interlinkages between core social protection programmes and the broad range of welfare services - including psychosocial support, social care services, community-based development and livelihoods - and their integration into broader development processes require more nuanced and contextual evidence-building tools. The chapter provides an overview of the sector’s frameworks and tools for building the evidence base about the impact of social protection, including a concise typology of methodological approaches and a discussion of key issues and debates. The chapter explores critiques of randomised control trials and links current debates to critical questions about setting research agendas and the role of citizen and beneficiary engagement in more participatory and policy-relevant evaluations.