Welcome to the August edition of the Inclusive Growth Bulletin!

This issue presents readers with new publications featuring a variety of interesting topics, such as research on the linkages between the Bolsa Família Programme and gender relations, the impact of school-day extension on educational outcomes, and an analysis of the effects of parental and sibling smoking on adolescent smoking behaviour in Brazil.

We also keep you updated on our team's participation in events around the world.

Happy reading!
The IPC-IG team

The Policy Research Brief "Bolsa Família and gender relations: national survey results", by Letícia Bartholo (Institute for Applied Economic Research—Ipea/International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth—IPC-IG), summarises the main results of a nationwide quantitative research on the Bolsa Família programme (PBF) and gender relations. Among other results, it finds that the PBF has led to increased access of women beneficiaries to prenatal care, as well as to increased decision-making autonomy over domestic issues. The study concludes that the PBF cannot evade the criticism that it uses women as mediators between the State and the family, but to interpret it as a merely maternalistic programme unconcerned with the choices of adult women seems reductionist. This publication is available in English, French, and Portuguese.

The Working Paper "Familial effects on youth smoking in Brazil" uses a unique data set to estimate the extent of the impacts of parental and sibling smoking on adolescent smoking behaviour in Brazil, the most populous country in Latin America, where the smoking epidemic is still in its early to intermediate stages. This paper is authored by Alberto Palloni (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Laetícia de Souza (IPC-IG), and Letícia Junqueira Marteleto (University of Texas). An associated One Pager is also available in English and Portuguese.

In the Working Paper "Impact of school day extension on educational outcomes: evidence from Mais Educação in Brazil", the authors Luis Felipe Batista de Oliveira (Ipea), and Rafael Terra (University of Brasília—UnB) provide evidence regarding the impact of extended school days implemented under the 'More Education' programme (Programa Mais Educação—PME), an initiative of the Brazilian federal government. The PME transfers funds directly to educational institutions, which, in turn, purchase educational materials and fund monitoring grants for extracurricular activities. This Working Pager is available in English and Portuguese. An associated One Pager is also available in English, French, and Portuguese.

The One Pager "Rethinking the design and implementation of Nigeria's COPE Conditional Cash Transfer Programme", by Olabanji Akinola (University of Guelph), provides a brief overview of the programme and highlights some of the challenges related to its design and implementation, based on findings from research done on social protection and on the Nigeria's 'In Care of the People' (COPE) conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme in the country in 2013. The COPE programme was launched in 2007 across 12 of Nigeria's 36 federated states. Although some states in Nigeria have other CCT programmes of their own, COPE is the only nationwide government-sponsored CCT programme in the country. This study is available in English, French and Portuguese.

See our full list of publications here

M&E Course in Mozambique

The IPC-IG team just wrapped up the second and final phase of its training course in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Systems for Social Policies, developed in partnership with the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) in Maputo, Mozambique, from 09 to 12 August. The Centre was represented by Fábio Veras, Lívia Nogueira, Antonio Claret Filho, and Mario Gyoeri—IPC-IG's Research Coordinator, Senior Project Management Officer, Specialist in Public Policy and Governmental Management, and Research Associate, respectively.

Opening the last phase of the course, Mr. Claret Filho delivered the inaugural class about the Renda Melhor Programme, a conditional cash transfer scheme created by the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro. He worked as the State' Social Assistance and Human Rights Secretary, and shared with students his experience in designing, implementing and monitoring the programme.

The course is the result of an ongoing partnership between the Centre and the UEM's Centre for Policy Analysis (Centro de Análise de Políticas–CAP), and is part of the project "Brazil & Africa: Fighting Poverty and Empowering Women via South-South Cooperation", financed by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).

During its stay in Maputo, our team met with representatives of the Mozambican Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare (MGCAS) and the National Institute for Social Action (INAS), having the opportunity to learn more about the country's new information system for social protection programmes, known as e-INAS. The team also met with WFP Mozambique to discuss a future collaboration in the area of monitoring and evaluation of social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) programmes.

Shock-responsive Social Protection Webinar Series
socialprotection.org will host the second session of the webinar series on Shock-Responsive Social Protection Systems on 23 August. The webinar titled "Shock-responsive social protection in practice: perspectives from Kenya and Mozambique" is organised by Oxford Policy Management (OPM), in partnership with Kenya's Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSPN). Ms. Clare O'Brien, Senior Consultant with OPM's Poverty and Social Protection team, will be the moderator, while the speakers will be Catherine Fitzgibbon, independent consultant, and Sarah Bailey, Research Associate at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). To register for the webinar, please visit this link.

Previously, on 28 July, socialprotection.org and HelpAge International launched the webinar series, Fiscal Space for Social Protection: Knowledge Sharing Initiative. The first webinar, "Inequality and Redistribution: Taxes and Transfers" focused on the main challenges faced by fiscal systems in Latin America. It featured Mr. Michel Hanni, Associate Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), as panelist. Mr. Rodrigo Orair, Ipea Researcher and IPC-IG Research Associate, was the discussant. You can view the presentation and listen to the session recordings here.

socialprotection.org also featured as one of the partners of the Asia-Pacific Social Protection Week (APSP 2016), organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in Manila, Philippines, from 1-5 August. The event gathered government representatives, policymakers, researchers and practitioners to discuss recent issues affecting social protection in developing economies, showcasing success stories from countries with advanced social protection systems. Read the full coverage of the event here.

News

Social Protection Seminars in Uruguay and Lebanon
On 13 July, IPC-IG's Research Coordinator, Fábio Veras, participated in the "Cash Transfers and Social Protection" Seminar, organised in Montevideo, Uruguay, by the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES), the office for the ECLAC in Uruguay, and the University of the Republic (Udelar). Uruguay's Minister of Social Development, Ms. Marina Arismendi, and representatives from the Government also attended the seminar. Mr. Veras delivered a presentation in Spanish, entitled "Las transferencias monetarias y la protección social: desafios y retos". He also participated in a meeting with Minister Marina Arismendi on 14 July.

Following up the event in Uruguay, Mr. Veras participated in the international workshop on "Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes (CCTs) in the Arab Region", in Beirut, Lebanon, from 19 to 20 July. Mr. Veras delivered a presentation in English, entitled "Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America: Achievements and Challenges". The workshop was organised and hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Bank. The event brought together ministers and officials from ten countries across the Arab region that have already implemented cash transfer programmes or are planning to design one.

Mission to Cape Verde
Mr. Rafael Osório, IPC-IG's Research Coordinator, travelled to Cape Verde from 15 to 23 July, to participate in a joint mission organised by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), and the Institute for Applied Economic Research (Ipea). Recently, the IPC-IG, together with researchers from Ipea, and in partnership with the Government of Cape Verde and UNDP Cape Verde, wrote a report that provides a detailed assessment of the country's fiscal capacity and institutional and social vulnerabilities.

IPC-IG 2016 Retreat 

On 26 July, we organised a day-long staff retreat to discuss the Centre's work strategy, projects and studies. Also participating in the meeting were Mr. Niky Fabiancic, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Brazil, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Brazil and Director of the IPC-IG, as well as colleagues from the UNDP Brazil Country Office.

Internship and Fellowship Programmes
The IPC-IG is accepting applications from outstanding students for its 2016 Internship and Fellowship Programmes! We are looking for graduate-level students who are passionate about international development and who believe that inclusive growth, the dissemination of knowledge and social development have the power to transform societies. Requirements and information on how to apply are available here.

Now it's your turn!
We would like to hear your opinion about the Inclusive Growth Bulletin. Please send us your comments and suggestions about the newsletter as well as topics you would like to read here at: ipc@ipc-undp.org