Handbook on Social Protection Systems

Edited by Esther Schüring and Markus Loewe

Social Protection has emerged as an essential policy field and our Director Chris De Neubourg, along with our Senior Researchers Victor Cebotari and Julia Karpati, were happy to contribute to the recently published “Handbook on Social Protection Systems”.

Edited by Esther Schüring, Professor of Social Protection Systems, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences and Markus Loewe, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Research Team, German Development Institute, this exciting and innovative Handbook provides readers with a comprehensive and globally relevant overview of the instruments, actors and design features of social protection systems, as well as their application and impacts in practice. It is the first book that centers around system building globally, a theme that has gained political importance yet has received relatively little attention in academia.

Combining academic discussion with cases from the Global South and North, this Handbook offers practical recommendations on how greater harmonization across social protection policies, programs and delivery mechanisms can be achieved. It also highlights the importance of linkages to other policy fields and issues such as taxation, humanitarian aid and livelihood approaches. Overall, the chapters argue that a systems approach is needed to respond to the individual needs of different groups in society and to face future challenges from demographic change, globalization, automation, climate change and pandemics.

Targeting a broad audience, the Handbook on Social Protection Systems bridges the divide in academic debate around social protection in the Global South and North. It will be an invaluable resource for academics, students and practitioners. The Handbook’s official launch was held in co-operation with socialprotection.org on September 9, 2021.

Access the handbook now: OpenAccess