Leveraging Social Cohesion for Development Outcomes

Efforts to promote social cohesion through development projects have had to contend withmultiple definitions of the term, a lack of clarity on diagnostic and measurement approaches, and contradictoryevidence on the effectiveness of different types of interventions meant to repair or reinforce it. This paperfirst offers a definition of social cohesion that highlights three sets of relations: those connecting individuals withina community (bonding), those connecting individuals across distinct communities (bridging), and those connectingindividuals to people and structures in a position of power (linking). Together, these three dimensions constitute aframework for diagnosing gaps in social cohesion, assessing trends, and prioritizing interventions and investments. Thepaper also outlines strategies for diagnosing gaps in social cohesion and tracking trends along these three dimensions,providing concrete recommendations for teams designing social cohesion measurement strategies. Finally, the paperreviews the evidence on what works to reinforce cohesion within community, to build trust across groups, and tostrengthen citizen-state relations. This review highlights different types of intervention that can help promote socialcohesion, while suggesting that their effectiveness is conditional on sound diagnoses and rigorous implementation processes.