The World Bank Social Safety Nets Primer provides a practical resource for those engaged in the design and implementation of safety net programs around the world.  The key pillars of the Primer are the Primer Papers, Notes and the Safety Nets web site. 

Some Primer Papers summarize international "good practice," on which there is general consensus. This is especially the case for papers on the most common types of interventions. Some primers papers present new research, such as the work commissioned on targeting. Other primer papers represent the views of individual thinkers, moving forward the international debate on themes where there is not yet good consensus – for example, on issues of institutions, political economy or the role of safety nets in development policy. Still other primer papers offer case studies of a single country or program experience of methodological or substantive interest.

Primer Notes are brief pamphlets that distill the main messages of the underlying primer papers. They serve as briefing for those who do not have time to read comprehensively on all aspects of safety nets, and as an introduction to those who will want to read more on the specific theme.

The Safety Nets web site (www.worldbank.org/safetynets) is a comprehensive guide to knowledge on safety nets.  It contains the Primer Papers and Notes, with translations of some. It archives the agendas, presentations and papers from all the training events, workshops and brown-bag seminars from the last three years. There is a catalog of World Bank projects and analytic work on safety nets.  And, perhaps most importantly, it contains references to much other work – abstracts of, links to, or copies of hundreds of other papers on safety net programs or themes.

The Primer is managed by the Social Protection Unit of the World Bank's Human Development Network.  The World Bank Institute has provided significant intellectual, managerial and financial support.  Many of the papers are co-sponsored or wholly contributed by other units of the World Bank.

For more information, please contact the Social Protection Advisory Service by e-mail at socialprotection@worldbank.org.

June 2005