Beyond COVID-19: Lessons for social protection from WFP's work in East Africa in 2020

Abstract

In May 2020, RBN established a Social Protection Learning Facility to enhance evidence-based decision making, learning and accountability in WFP’s social protection work in the context of COVID-19 and other shocks. The Facility combined real-time evaluation of WFP’s activities with technical assistance to WFP staff who were navigating difficult trade-offs as they sought to support governments to flex social protection in the region. It comprised of social protection researchers and advisors who provided on demand support to WFP in areas of programme design, implementation and wider strategic considerations in WFP’s work, and offered ‘Ideas Space’ sessions to support the sharing of experiences. This report is a product of the first phase of the facility and focuses on lessons learned from WFP’s work in 2020 that are important for the social protection sector in the region going forward.