1. UNICEF Social Protection Training Course
Summary of Day 6
Mark Davies
20th July 2009

2. Issues Covered Social protection , politics and wellbeing
Making the links - politics and influencing
How does UNICEF speak to the prevailing governance paradigm?
What role/challenge function can/should UNICEF play?
Challenges/opportunities for UNICEF: partners and partnerships;
The role of rights

3. Politics of social protection
Concept of a “politically optimal programme design”
Considering political as well as technical solutions
Social protection is rarely about poverty per se
Ideas and ideology matter even more than data
Does it reflects the reality we work in?

4. Politics of social protection
Design and politics balancing act:
What about the implications of bad design
But perhaps politics is the ultimate design issues – start it and then improve through CSP advocacy etc…
Building social contract between state and citizens particularly previously excluded citizens
Donors need to understand and support (not undermine) the social contract

5. Links between politics and influence
Enables us to consider our role and objectives
Useful to create space and time to do this and reflect
How can UNICEF get engaged in the political system but not be co-opted?
How well do we understand the policy making process
Are UNICEF looking in the right place?
New or old? Start afresh or build on the old?
Are UNICEF working with the right players?
CSOs or the political movers

6. Links between politics and influence
Opportunities for UNICEF:
Country presence and responsiveness and influencing:
DFID has, WB hasn’t – this is relevant in relation to responsiveness
UNICEF also has a strong country presence
Policy influence long-term process
Are stakeholders able to be engaged over long-term?
Multi-laterals in a better position than bi-laterals? Or constrained by funding?

7. Wellbeing vs rights
Takes us beyond rights and needs – going beyond the minimum so we are going to issues around flourishing
Using terms/approaches in the appropriate context
Need to define terms we use for research but not necessarily for advocacy
RBA not very good for analysis but good for advocacy

8. Use of wellbeing and rights
But limits of rights and advocacy:
Wellbeing language more acceptable with politicians or too sensitive
They are less likely to talk about rights
Also limits of rights – achievement of rights does not equal wellbeing
Does wellbeing therefore help UNICEF examine an appropriate role for rights – complements/strengthens

9. Wellbeing and politics – what next?
Wellbeing could be a useful framework for children
Moving beyond material matters
Takes us beyond rights and needs beyond minimums
Balanced or supporting an appropriate rights based approach?
A way to measure transformative SP – subjective measures of wellbeing
Politics of social protection: part of a comprehensive framework that often isn’t considered
Influencing strategy for UNICEF perhaps two, one public one not
Make sure you know what you are counting