Why attend?
Now in its fifth year, this popular course expands your knowledge and conceptual understanding of social protection approaches and provides vital insight into recent evidence and thinking on social protection. It equips you with the necessary skills to engage in critical debate on social protection and ultimately helps improve the effectiveness of social protection interventions in the context of development and poverty reduction. The course inspires critical reflection of policy and practice, grounding discussions in practical examples from across low- and middle-income countries. The focus of the course is on social assistance policies.
Course aims
To enable participants to expand their knowledge base of approaches to social protection, develop an understanding of the challenges in designing and implementing social protection programmes, and critically assess current evidence of what works in social protection.
Who should attend?
Policymakers, practitioners, researchers and project managers who are already or will be working in the area of social protection.
How will participants learn?
The course is interactive, participatory and inclusive. You will be strongly invited to share your own experiences and views on social protection throughout the course. Teaching methods include plenary presentations, facilitated plenary discussions, hands-on exercises, case studies and group discussions. The combination of techniques serves to build on the knowledge already available and to draw on participants’ own experiences of social protection.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will:
- Have expanded your knowledge of approaches to social protection, including frameworks for social protection; regional approaches to social protection; and social assistance instruments.
- Understand how to more effectively design and implement social protection programmes, most notably social assistance interventions. This includes targeting and delivery of social protection and systems development.
- Have a good grasp of current evidence of what works in social protection, including tools for monitoring and evaluation approaches.
- Gained insight into topical issues in social protection, which could include urban social protection, social protection and graduation and social protection for food security.
Teaching team
Keetie Roelen Dr Keetie Roelen is a Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Centre for Social Protection. She is a development economist by training and current research interests include the dynamics of (child) poverty, social protection and the linkages between child protection and social protection.
Stephen Devereux Dr Stephen Devereux is a Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Centre for Social Protection. He is a development economist working predominantly on food security, famine, rural livelihoods, social protection and poverty reduction issues.
The teaching team will also include other members of the Centre for Social Protection and external presenters (TBC).
Testimonials
“I feel that now I will be able to more actively engage in project design, implementation and review and how to best include social protection in development dialogue.” and “I feel better able to offer internal critique or advice on policy direction and to identify where social protection can enhance the achievements of sectoral programmes.” (2014 participant)
“Very to the point presentations covering a large range of topics; very good lecturers, participants with a wide range of experience; good mix of lectures and exercises.” (2014 participant)
“The course covered every possible dimension of Social Protection with extremely useful case management examples.” (2017 participant)
Entry requirements
The course will be taught in English. To derive the maximum benefit from the course, participants should be proficient in English and able to take an active part in discussions. Your English needs to be of an intermediate standard or higher; participants must have an International English Language Test System (IELTS) score of 6.5 or above, or a Common European Framework for Languages (CEFR) score of B2 or above. As the course wishes to engage participants in critical debates on social protection, prior knowledge of social protection is desired.
Course fees
£1,495. This fee includes the tuition fees, course materials, lunches, refreshments and one group dinner. It does not cover accommodation, insurance or travel costs.
How to apply
Before applying please read our Terms and Conditions (PDF).
The application procedure is a three-stage process:
Stage 1: Apply by completing the online application form (at the top of this page). Deadline for applications is 16 March 2018.
Stage 2: You will be notified by 29 March as to whether your application has been approved or not. Successful applicants will receive the Stage 2 application form and an invoice for the course fee. Places on the course are not guaranteed until fees have been received.
Stage 3: Once fees have been received, you will be sent confirmation of your place on the course and a letter to support your visa application (if required).
You are responsible for organising your own travel and visas (where needed). Information about local accommodation will be provided by the course coordinator once your fees have been processed.
Queries should be directed to [email protected]
Download our Social Protection short course flyer (PDF)
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Image: ‘Supplementary feeding programme at a community school for disadvantaged children, Cameroon’. Credit: Giacomo Pirozzi / Panos
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