Analytical Tools
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Highlights

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Empirical Analysis using Household and Micro-level Datasets

Formal empirical analysis of the social impact of crises, policy adjustments and other economic events is typically underpinned by an ex- post analysis using nationally representative household survey data.
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Social Budget Tracking and Analysis

Social budget tracking and analysis tools monitor the extent of priority and protection given to public budget items and can influence government policies in favour of allocations to children and families.
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A Child Rights Lens for Poverty and Social Impact Analyses (PSIAs)

Poverty and Social Impact Analyses, PSIAs, are aimed at facilitating an ex-ante understanding of the potential distributional impacts of a given policy reform. Child rights centered PSIAs, add a child focus to these impact assessments, as tools specifically designed to promote more child sensitive real-time policy making.

Aggregate Shocks Poor Households and Children: Transmission Channels and Policy Responses


The global financial crisis that erupted in 2008 coupled with food and fuel price volatility are likely to affect developing countries, and within them the vast majority of the world’s poor population in profound ways. This paper maps the different channels through which their effects could be transmitted to the developing world, and it illustrates a basic framework of shock transmission to a developing country from the macro- to the micro-levels—considering also possible adverse feedback effects. Aggregate shocks are going to be an increasingly common feature of the global economic landscape; and these shocks could result in poverty traps, generating effects that harm not just present, but also succeeding generations. Social budgeting and social protection will be critical in order to shield poor households and vulnerable children from the worst effects of these shocks. Therefore there is a strong moral imperative to advance children’s rights and take prompt action in these areas. Policy experience and empirical evidence also suggest that investments in children and policy interventions to protect them during periods of economic volatility and crises are eminently affordable and provide strong social and economic returns. In responding to the presently unfolding financial crisis as well as future ones, continuing and further strengthening investments in children, and in addition, protecting them from the adverse impact of these crises (so that these investments will not be eroded) will be critical, not just in breaking the cycle of poverty, but also in safeguarding countries’ future economic growth and human development.

 

 

  

 

 

Documents

  1. Aggregate Shocks, Poor Households and Children:Transmission Channels and Policy Responses (2009)
    Authors: Mendoza, R.
    Social and Economic Policy Working Paper No. 2009-02, UNICEF Department of Policy and Practice, New York