Towards shock-responsive social protection: lessons from the COVID-19 response in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 crisis is likely to have a staggering impact on poverty in Bangladesh. This report documents the social protection responses by the Government of Bangladesh to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable populations. Analysing factors that enabled and constrained the effectiveness of various responses both at policy and operational levels, the study finds that the quick policy-level actions were undermined by lack of preparedness in terms of targeting approach, information systems and accountability mechanisms. Finally, the report assesses the extent to which these measures were designed to achieve the desired outcomes in terms of coverage, adequacy, comprehensiveness, timeliness, and gender and social inclusion considerations.