Other Countries - Le monde

Press Release
27 May 2010
A radical welfare reform programme designed to tackle entrenched poverty and end the curse of intergenerational worklessness is set out today by new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith. Calling for an end to a culture of welfare dependency by bringing the welfare system into the 21st century, Iain Duncan Smith set out the critical need to make work pay and end the absurd situation where some of the poorest face huge penalties for trying to get off benefits and into work.

(PDF - 1MB, 65 pages)
Income inequality is at its highest since records began; millions of people are simply parked on benefits with little hope of ever progressing into work; there are 800,000 more workingage adults in poverty than in 1998/99; and high levels of family breakdown, educational failure, addiction and health inequality are having a severe impact on outcomes for both adults and children. [Excerpt from the Foreword]

Table of contents:
Executive summary
Chapter 1 - Income poverty, inequality and social immobility
Chapter 2 - Worklessness: unemployment and inactivity
Chapter 3 - Welfare dependency
Chapter 4 - Poor health and educational disadvantage
Chapter 5 - Families and communities
Chapter 6 - Multiple disadvantage
[Click the PDF link above to the report to access this content.]

May 27, 2010
A grim picture of the level of poverty in the UK was painted by the coalition Government today as it unveiled plans to radically change the system to "make work pay". Ministers complained that entire communities were existing at the "margins" of society, trapped in dependency and leaving disadvantaged children to become disadvantaged adults. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said sanctions will be used against benefit claimants who refuse to take up jobs, while all those on incapacity benefit will now be reassessed. Charity groups said root and branch reform of the benefits system was "long overdue", but union leaders said the Government should be reducing unemployment by creating jobs, not driving people off welfare and "further into poverty".
(...)
A report published by the Work and Pensions Department today revealed that income inequality in the UK was now at its highest level since comparable statistics began in 1961.
Source:
(UK)

Council for Employment, Income and Social Cohesion (CERC, Paris) Bulletin - selected content

(May 3, 2010)
(Click on this link to see the complete list of studies in that issue...)
TIP : for similar research, click the links below to the authoring organizations, then find the links to "Reports" or "Publications"]

(PDF - 100K, 28 pages)
March 2010
By E. Plutzer

Berlin
Summary:
In this paper, I empirically test the notion that the degree of inclusion/exclusion of social welfare policies can have important feedback effects on political participation of poor citizens. I conduct a comparative analysis of the 50 US states, using the uptake (or coverage rate) of the Food Stamp program as an indicator of relative inclusiveness. If the inclusiveness of the program “sends a message” to potential recipients about their worth in the community, these messages may encourage or discourage participation.
Geographical area : United States

(PDF - 662K, 66 pages)
April 2010
By S. Fremstad

Washington
Summary:
This report details how the dominant framework for understanding and measuring poverty in the United States has become a conservative one. The current U.S. approach to measuring poverty views poverty only in terms of having an extremely low level of annual income, and utilizes poverty thresholds that are adjusted only for inflation rather than for changes in overall living standards. As a result, the official poverty measure has effectively defined deprivation down over the last four decades, moving it further and further away from mainstream living standards over time, as well as from majority public opinion of the minimum amount needed to “get along” at a basic level. A new Supplemental Income Poverty Measure (SIPM) proposed by the Obama administration makes some important improvements to the current poverty measure. However, the SIPM remains a conservative approach (...)
Geographical area : United States

(PDF - 274K, 27 pages)
April 2010
By B. Gustafsson and T. Osterberg

Bonn
Summary : This paper takes a fresh look at child poverty at the neighbourhood level in the three metropolitan regions of Sweden using unique data for 1990, 1996 and 2002. We find that the number of neighbourhoods with high child poverty rates is much larger in 2002 than in 1990, but also that most poor children in the three regions live outside poor neighbourhoods.
Geographical area : Sweden

(PDF - 342K, 40 pages)
April 2010
By J. C. Gornick and M. Jäntti

Luxembourg
Summary:
This paper assesses women’s poverty in 26 diverse LIS countries – five Anglophone countries (INCLUDING CANADA), six Continental European countries, four Nordic countries, two Eastern European countries, three Southern European countries, and six Latin American countries.
Our analyses are organized around four questions:
(1) What is the probability that prime-age women, compared to their male counterparts, live in poor households?
(2) How does the overall pattern differ when we consider pre-transfer as well as post-transfer income, and when we consider absolute as well as relative poverty?
(3) How do women’s poverty rates, compared to men’s, vary by family type, by educational attainment, and by labour market status?
(4) How does our cross-national portrait of gender and poverty shift when we consider person-level income as well as household-level income?

(PDF - 473K, 11 pages)
April 2010
By K. Brenke, DIW, Berlin
Geographical area : Germany

, (PDF - 370K, 30 pages)
April 2010

[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]
Paris
Summary:
The deep recession has led to a marked deterioration in labour market conditions in the OECD area. This paper, which draws heavily on other ongoing analytical work at the OECD, takes stock of recent labour market developments, highlights some of the key uncertainties in the early stages of the upturn, and discusses the policy options available to damp any further, structural deterioration in labour markets andfacilitate an eventual, sustained, job-rich recovery.
Geographical area : OECD countries

(PDF - 228K, 9 pages)
Updated April 2010
By A. Hegewisch and H. Liepmann

Washington
Geographical area : United States

(PSF - 773K, 54 pages)
April 2010
By D. Antonczyk, B. Fitzenberger and K. Sommerfeld

Bonn
Summary:
This paper investigates the increase in wage inequality, the decline in collective bargaining, and the development of the gender wage gap in West Germany between 2001 and 2006.
Geographical area : Germany

, (PDF - 636K, 17 pages)
April 2010
By F. Hoffmann and R. Rodrigues

Vienna
Geographical area : Europe

Information and online resources organized under five themes:
* Poverty * Social minima * In-work benefits * Minimum wage * Unemployment and return to work .
- includes links and resources for Canada...
HINT: click on the links in the right-hand margin of each theme page for more content

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the for access to a large collection of online resources

Keep scrolling down the page you're now reading for more links to CERC Bulletins...

April 20, 2010—The World Bank Group said today it will offer free access to more than 2,000 financial, business, health, economic and human development statistics that had mostly been available only to paying subscribers. An initial 330 indicators are available in French, Spanish and Arabic. The decision - part of a larger effort to increase access to information at the World Bank - means that researchers, journalists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), entrepreneurs and school children alike will be able to tap into the World Bank's databases via a new website. Experts say open access policy will foster innovation, support evidence-based policymaking.

*
- Agriculture & Rural Development - Infrastructure - Aid Effectiveness - Labor & Social Protection - Economic Policy and External Debt - - Education - Private Sector - Energy & Mining - Public Sector - Environment - Science & Technology Financial sector - - Health - Urban Development

*
- 331 indicators from the World Development Indicators (WDI) covering 209 countries from 1960 to 2008 translated into Spanish, French and Arabic.

*
The data catalog is a listing of available World Bank data sources, including databases, pre-formatted tables and reports. Each of the listings includes a description of the data source and a direct link to that source. Where possible, the databases are linked directly to a selection screen to allow users to select the countries, indicators, and years they would like to search. Those search results can be exported in different formats. Users can also choose to download the entire database directly from the catalog.

The World Bank Group is advancing multiple reforms to promote inclusiveness, innovation, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. It is expanding cooperation with the UN, the IMF, other multilateral development banks, donors, civil society, and foundations. But the effort must go further to realize a World Bank Group that represents the international economic realities of the 21st Century, recognizes the role and responsibility of growing stakeholders, and provides a larger voice for developing countries.

Source:

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Our mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.
---
NOTE: The World Bank is not without its detractors.
See the "Criticism" section of

News Release
WASHINGTON, April 20, 2010 — The World Development Indicators (WDI) 2010, released today, gives a statistical progress toward achieving the . The WDI database includes more than 900 indicators documenting the state of all the world’s economies. The WDI covers education, health, poverty, environment, economy, trade, and much more. (...) This year’s WDI focuses on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), now in their 10th year.

- main page
April 2010
The World Development Indicators (WDI) 2010 is a comprehensive overview of development. It is the statistical benchmark that helps measure the progress of development. The 2010 WDI includes more than 900 indicators and they are available through data.worldbank.org, in print, or on CD-ROM. The print edition has more than 90 tables organized in 6 sections: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links.

Download the complete report in a single file by clicking the link below, or click the main page link above for a table of contents
and links to individual files for each of the following sections:
* Preface, Acknowledgments, Table of Contents, Partners, Users Guide (1.27 mb pdf)
* World View (3.14 mb pdf)
* People (3.03 mb pdf)
* Environment (2.52 mb pdf)
* Economy (3.69mb pdf)
* States and Markets (2.35mb pdf)
* Global Links (2.84mb pdf)
* Primary Data Documentation, Statistical Methods, Credits, Bibliography, Index of Indicators (521k pdf)

(PDF - 840K, 54 pages)
OECD SOCIAL, EMPLOYMENT AND MIGRATION WORKING PAPERS N°100
January 2010
By Herwig Immervoll
- includes Canada

Abstract:
Almost all OECD countries operate comprehensive minimum-income programmes for working-age individuals, either as last-resort safety nets alongside primary income replacement benefits, or as the principal instrument for delivering social protection. Such safety-net benefits aim primarily at providing an acceptable standard of living for families unable to earn sufficient incomes from other sources. This paper provides an overview of social assistance and other minimum-income programmes in OECD countries, summarises their main features, and highlights a number of current policy challenges.

NOTE:
Social program historians may wish to compare this report with a
1996 OECD study of social assistance in two dozen countries (also including Canada).
See:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare.htm#1994
(See esp. Vol. I: The Synthesis Report, 1996)

OECD Factblog

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is well known for their vast store of research papers and related items, but they are now entering the blogosphere, albeit in their own erudite fashion. Their "Factblog" brings together graphs, charts, and videos to offer insightful commentary on pressing policy issues and global transformations. Visitors can glance over recent posts, which as of late, have included discussions of China's share of the global economy and the social and economic status of women. With each post, visitors will also find links to other related material from the OECD and other international organizations. Also, visitors can browse through their archive of posts back to July 2008 and, of course, they can subscribe to the RSS feed.
Reviewed by:
, Copyright Internet Scout Project .

Infrastructure Australia
08 March, 2010 | This report draws together existing data and information across a range of economic, social and environmental parameters to provide a national snapshot of the 17 Australian cities with populations over 100,000 at the 2006 Census

Selected reports from
(March 8, 2010)
(Click the link to see the complete list of studies in that issue...)

. [United States] (PDF - 4 pages)
By K. Smith and K. Gozjolko University of New Hampshire
Durham
Winter 2010

. [United Kingdom] (PDF - 76 pages)
By J. Griggs, London, and
Department for Social Policy and Social Work, Oxford
March 2010

. [The Netherlands] (PDF - 68 pages)
By E. L. W. Jongen,

The Hague
January 2010

. [United States] (PDF - 24 pages)
By K. A. Beckmann and alii,

New York
February 2010

. The gender pay gap in the United Kingdom, (PDF - 127 pages)
(PDF - 57 pages)
By W. Olsen and alii,

London
February 2010

. [Europe] (PDF - 43 pages)
By D. Meulders and S. O'Dorchai

Bruxelles
February 2010

. [United States] (PDF - 7 pages)
By A. Sahin, J. Song and B. Hobijn

New York
February 2010

- this link takes you to the table of contents for Bulletin #200.
- Bulletin #200 contains links to over 30 studies, only 14 of which appear above.

- links to all CERC semi-monthly bulletins
- To be informed of CERC activities and to receive the bulletin

Information and online resources organized under five themes: Poverty * Social minima * In-work benefits * Minimum wage * Unemployment and return to work .
- includes links and resources for Canada...
HINT: click on the links in the right-hand margin of each theme page for more content

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the for access to a large collection of online resources

February 2010
This newsletter provides an update of new resources about understanding and alleviating poverty available from PovertyNet, http://www.worldbank.org/poverty, and other websites.

1. Global Economic Prospects 2010: Crisis, Finance, and Growth
2. World Bank Group Launches Online Consultations on Future Energy Strategy
3. "Measuring Inequality of Opportunity with Imperfect Data: The Case of Turkey," by Francisco H. G. Ferreira, Jérémie Gignoux, and Meltem Aran
4. "To What Extent are Bangladesh's Recent Gains in Poverty Reduction Different from the Past?" by Aphichoke Kotikula, Ambar Narayan and Hassan Zaman
5. "The Short-Term Impact of Higher Food Prices on Poverty in Uganda," by Kenneth Simler
6. Food Price Watch (February 2010)
7. "The Impact of Economic Shocks on Global Undernourishment," by Sailesh Tiwari and Hassan Zaman
8. "The Impact of Roads on Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Cameroon," by Marie Gachassin, Boris Najman and Gaël Raballand
9. Has South Asia Escaped the Worst Effects of the Global Economic Crisis?
10. Exciting New Impact Study on Rwanda's Pay for Performance in Health
11. World Bank President Says African Poor Still Vulnerable to Crisis, Important to Create Basis for Future Growth

(PDF - 3.7MB, 92 pages)
19 February 2010
Launched on 28 January 2010, A Stronger, Fairer Australia sets out the Australian Government’s vision and strategy for social inclusion, now and into the future. Social Inclusion means ensuring no Australian is left behind by giving all the opportunities, resources, capabilities and responsibilities to learn, work, connect with others and have a say in community life. The statement sets out a new approach to break down the barriers that stand between the most disadvantaged Australians and participation. Despite a strong economy in recent years, disadvantage still prevents many Australians from getting a fair go.
Source:
[ ]

Who Are America's Poor Children?
The Official Story
By Vanessa R. Wight, Michelle Chau, and Yumiko Aratani
January 2010

(463K, 8 pages)
More than 13 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four. The number of children living in poverty increased by 21 percent between 2000 and 2008. There are 2.5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000. Not only are these numbers troubling, the official poverty measure tells only part of the story. Research consistently shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to make ends meet. Children living in families with incomes below this level – for 2009, $44,100 for a family of four – are referred to as low income. Forty-one percent of the nation’s children – more than 29 million in 2008 – live in low-income families. Nonetheless, eligibility for many public benefits is based on the official poverty measure. This fact sheet – the first in a series focusing on economic and material hardship – details some of the characteristics of American children who are considered poor by the official standard.
Source:

NCCP is the nation’s leading public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring positive outcomes for the next generation. We promote family-oriented solutions at the state and national levels.

(PDF - 930K, 60 pages)
By Michelle Chau
November 2009
After nearly a decade of decline, the number of children living in low-income families has increased significantly since 2000. This data book provides national and 50-state trend data on the characteristics of low-income children over the past decade: parental education, parental employment, marital status, family structure, race and ethnicity, age distribution, parental nativity, home ownership, residential mobility, type of residential area, and region of residence.

The most current year of data can also be accessed at www.nccp.org—see NCCP’s 50-State Demographic Profiles or build custom tables using NCCP’s 50-State Demographics Wizard. For a discussion of these data and selected policy implications, see NCCP’s fact sheets on low-income children, which are updated annually.

The welfare effects of social mobility
28 October 2009
By Justina A.V. Fischer
The question whether a socially mobile society is conducive to subjective well-being has rarely been investigated. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the wellbeing effects of intergenerational earnings mobility and equality in education at the societal level. Using socio-demographic information on 44,000 individuals in 30 OECD countries obtained from the World Values Survey, this study shows that living in a socially mobile society is conducive to individual life satisfaction.

This newsletter provides an update of new resources about understanding and alleviating poverty available from PovertyNet, http://www.worldbank.org/poverty, and other websites.
In this issue:
1. Economic Crisis Roundup: Recovery Emerging, But Not Yet for All
2. Crisis Impact: Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries Face Greater Risks
3. "Moving Out of Poverty: The Promise of Empowerment and Democracy in India," edited by Deepa Narayan
4. "The Pattern of Growth and Poverty Reduction in China," by Jose G. Montalvo and Martin Ravallion
5. "A Comparative Perspective on Poverty Reduction in Brazil, China and India," by Martin Ravallion
6. "What Explains the Cost of Remittances? An Examination across 119 Country Corridors," by Thorsten Beck and María Soledad Martínez Pería
7. "Distributional Impact Analysis of Past Climate Variability in Rural Indonesia," by Outi Korkeala, David Newhouse and Mafalda Duarte
8. World Bank Group Launches Environment Strategy Consultations
9. Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change in the Developing World: What will it Cost?
10. "The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights," by Irene Khan
11. To Receive this Newsletter
Source:

- incl. links to earlier issues of the newsletter and a Quick Subscribe feature if you wish to receive the newsletter by email.
[ ]
[ ]

Canada is one of the 19 founding members of the OECD. Just as Canada was committed to strengthening the economic cooperation of the Marshall Plan, Canada contributed to the creation of the OECD with the goal of promoting economic growth as a path to stability.Canada views the OECD as a key forum to discuss international and domestic economic and social issues. OECD Peer reviews on Canada assess Canadian policies and provide useful recommendations to improve performance in a wide range of areas.
[ Excerpt from ]

Selected recent peer reviews:
*
("OECD urges Canadian governments to increase funding for childcare")
*
*

This monthly newsletter prepared by the Canadian Delegation provides updates on OECD publications and events. It is read by over 500 Canadian government officials active in OECD Work. To subscribe, please contact
Latest issue of the newsletter:
- In this issue: Interim Economic Outlook; 2008 DAC Aid Statistics; Progress toward meeting OECD tax standard; OECD Factbook 2009; Freedom of Investment; Globalisation and Emerging Economies.

www.oecd.org/canada is a one-stop-shop for OECD reports and statistics on Canada. Browse the documents in chronological order or by topic (e.g. economy, trade, development, environment, energy, social issues).

In this issue:
1) Crisis Reveals Growing Finance Gaps for Developing Countries
2) Financial Crisis Highlights Need for More Social Safety Nets, Especially Conditional Cash Transfers
3) International Women's Day 2009
4) Blog on World Bank's World Development Report on Climate Change
5) Jobs for a Globalizing World: World Bank Labor Market Policy Core Course
6) Help Us!
7) To Receive this Newsletter

[ - includes a Quicksubscribe box if you wish to receive the newsletter by email.]

Source:
===> the content of this link changes each month
The PovertyNet Newsletter is a monthly newsletter containing updates on new information and resources available on the PovertyNet web site, covering:
* Poverty Reduction Strategies * Pro-Poor Growth and Inequality * Poverty Analysis * Poverty Monitoring * Impact Evaluation * Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) * Empowerment
- includes links to earlier issues
Source of the PovertyNet Newsletter:

Topics include:
* Achieving Shared Growth * Empowerment *Poverty Analysis * Employment & Shared Growth * Poverty Mapping * Migration and Development * Poverty Monitoring * Moving Out of Poverty * Impact Evaluation * Social Capital * Poverty & Social Impact Analysis * Poverty and Health * Poverty Reduction Strategies * Safety Nets and Transfers
Source of PovertyNet:
[ ]

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are one of the most tangible outcomes of the new approach to development defined in the Bank's Comprehensive Development Framework. Under the PRSP process, low-income countries write their own plans for reducing poverty. Since July 2002, the World Bank has based its Country Assistance Strategies, its plans for assistance to low-income countries, on PRSPs

[ ]
The World Bank consists of two unique development institutions owned by 185 member countries—the and the . Each institution plays a different but supportive role in our mission of global poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards. The IBRD focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor countries, while IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world. Together we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, communications and many other purposes.

Media Release
21 December 2008
The White Paper on Homelessness, The Road Home, was launched today by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and the Minister for Housing, Tanya Plibersek. The White Paper outlines a plan for reducing homelessness in Australia by 2020, with specific goals to:
* Halve overall homelessness; and
* Provide accommodation to all rough sleepers who seek it.
There are currently 105,000 homeless people in Australia, of whom around 16,000 sleep rough.

On 21 December 2008, the Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP and Minister for Housing, Tanya Plibersek MP, released the Government's White Paper on Homelessness: The Road Home.
- incl. links to the full paper and executive summary, along with some background information on the development of the paper and a few links to more contextual material.

Contents:
* Foreword
* Background
*
* Chapter One: Scoping the Problem
* Chapter Two: The White Paper vision
* Chapter Three: Turning Off the tap
* Chapter Four: Improving and expanding services to end homelessness
* Chapter Five: Breaking the cycle
* Chapter Six: Research
* Chapter Seven: Implementation and governance
* Glossary
* End Notes

December 22, 2008
By Michael Shapcott
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd introduced yesterday (Sunday) an ambitious plan to half the overall number of people who are homeless, and ensure that everyone who is sleeping outside has shelter. The plan, set out in a white paper called "The Road Home", includes $1.2 billion over four years in new spending - and is part of the Australian government's economic stimulus package that is designed to help people in that country weather the global economic crisis.
Source:

[ ]

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the for access to a large collection of online resources

- links to all CERC semi-monthly bulletins
- To be informed of CERC activities and to receive the bulletin

- September 21, 2009
(Click on this link to see the complete list of studies in that issue...)

, (PDF _ 164K, 25 pages)
August 2009
By F. Figari, A. Paulus and H. Sutherland
Colchester
Summary : We suggest a new comprehensive measure of support given through tax-benefit systems to families with children. Using microsimulation techniques, this accounts for all provisions contingent on the presence of children, while usually only gross child/family benefits are considered. We use EUROMOD, the European Union tax-benefit microsimulation model, to quantify the support for children and analyse its impact on household incomes and child poverty for 19 countries.
NOTE: Does not include Canada or the U.S.

, (PDF - 1.3MB, 61 pages)
September 2009
By A. Donald and E. Mottershaw
, London
Human rights have been used to shape new conceptions of poverty and new approaches to tackling it, in both the developed and developing worlds. There is potential to replicate and develop this work in the UK. However, there is a need to build the evidence base to demonstrate the pragmatic value of using human rights in combating poverty.

[Europe] (PDF - 487K, 55 pages)
September 2009
By J. A. V. Fischer,
(OECD), Paris
- incl. Canada & U.S.
Summary : The question whether a socially mobile society is conducive to subjective well-being (SWB) has rarely been investigated. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the SWB effects of intergenerational earnings mobility and equality in education at the societal level. Using socio-demographic information on 44 000 individuals in 30 OECD countries obtained from the World Values Survey, this study shows that living in a socially mobile society is conducive to individual life satisfaction.

, (PDF - 549K, 72 pages)
June 2009

European Commission, Brussels
This report is a review of the international evidence about the social benefits of early childhood education and care (ECEC). It provides an analytic overview of the various rationales that drive the development of ECEC services. It summarizes existing knowledge from research and highlights policy lessons and measures that are shown to contribute to successful ECEC policy development and implementation.

(this link takes you to the table of contents for Bulletin #188)
HINT: scroll to the bottom of Bulletin #188 for links to reports on Education in Europe
(key statistics for 2007 and education expenditures for 2006)
from , the European counterpart to Statistics Canada.

(PDF - 354K, 66 pages)
July 2009
By S. Reddy

Summary : The recent revision of the World Bank’s global poverty estimates based on a new $ PPP) poverty line underlines their unreliability and lack of meaningfulness. It is very difficult to justify various aspects of the Bank’s approach. In the short term, less weight should be given to the Bank’s poverty estimates in monitoring the first MDG. In the longer term, a solution to the observed problems requires adopting an altogether different method. Such an alternative exists but requires global institutional coordination. Until it is implemented, the crisis in the monitoring of global consumption poverty can be expected to intensify.
Geographical area : International data

(PDF - 632K, 92 pages)
July 2009
By S. Stamp
, Dublin
Geographical area : Ireland

[Click "Download PDF paper" - 229K, 27 pages]
July 2009
By L. Ceriani,
Centre for Research on the Public Sector
, Milano
Summary : The paper provides the axiomatic characterization of a new poverty measure, the path-dependent poverty index. This is a two period index taking into account not only individuals current and past deprivation levels, but also the relative position with respect to their previous income status. Given two populations with the same distribution of incomes, path-dependent poverty is higher for the population where all individuals experienced an income fall. Not only they are poor, they also feel the pain for their loss. The new index is illustrated with an application to EU countries.
Geographical area : Europe

, (PDF - 316K, 19 pages)
July 2009
By G. Martin, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, Monthly Labor Review, July, 18 p., (2009).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Données internationales / International data
- includes data for Canada and the U.S.

(PDF - 632K, 92 pages)
July 2009
By S. Stamp
, Dublin
Geographical area : Ireland

NOTE : Click the above link and then scroll to the bottom portion of CERC Bulletin #186 for links to 11 articles and studies from a variety of sources.

(PDF - 80K, 13 pages)
By W. Vroman and V. Brusentsev
June 2009
(International data)
Source:
, Washington

(PDF - 401K, 34 pages)
By D. Hirsch, A. Davis and N. Smith
April 2009
Source:
, London

(PDF - 192K, 41 pages)
October 2008
By M. J. Lindquist and G. Sjögren Lindquist, , Stockholm
Summary:
The purpose of this paper is to study (empirically) the dynamics of child poverty in Sweden, the quintessential welfare state. We find that 1 out of every 5 children is disposable income poor at least once during his or her childhood, while only 2 percent of all children are chronically poor. We also document a strong life-cycle profile for child poverty. Approximately 8.6 percent of all children are born into poverty. The average poverty rate then drops to about 7.5 percent among 1- year old children. After which, it declines (monotonically) to about 3.8 percent among 17-year olds. Children in Sweden are largely protected (economically) from a number of quite serious events, such as parental unemployment, sickness and death. Family dissolution and long-term unemployment, however, do push children into poverty. But for most of these children, poverty is only temporary. Single mothers, for example, are overrepresented among the poor, but not among the chronically poor. Children with immigrant parents are strongly overrepresented among the chronically poor; as are children whose parents have unusually low educations. We argue that information about the dynamics of child poverty may help policy makers to construct more salient policies for fighting child poverty.
Geographical area : Sweden

. (PDF - 943K, 59 pages)
November 2008
By M. Chau and A. Douglas Hall
, New York
Geographical area : United States

. (PDF - 3MB, 116 pages)
December 2008
, London
Geographical area : United Kingdom

News Release
October 21, 2008
The gap between rich and poor has grown in more than three-quarters of OECD countries over the past two decades, according to a new OECD report. OECD’s Growing Unequal? finds that the economic growth of recent decades has benefitted the rich more than the poor. In some countries, such as Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and the United States, the gap also increased between the rich and the middle-class.

- includes links to:
* News release and press material * Country notes * Messages, figures and data * Multilingual summaries * How to Obtain this Publication
[ NOTE : I don't generally link to reports that aren't freely available on the Web, but there are enough "freebies" on the report's main page (see below) to interest researchers who'd like to see a sample of the complete report's content before, or in lieu of, forking over the $108 for the paper copy or $75 for the PDF.]

(PDF - 248K, 2 pages)
"(...) After 20 years of continuous decline, both inequality and poverty rates have increased rapidly in the past 10 years, now reaching levels above the OECD average.(...) Canada spends less on cash benefits such as unemployment benefits and family benefits than most OECD countries."
Source:

- other countries include:
* Australia * France (en Français) * Germany (in German) * Italy (in Italian) * Japan (in Japanese) * Mexico (in Spanish) * New Zealand * United Kingdom * United States)

October 21, 2008
By Michelle Mcquigge And Eric Shackleton
TORONTO - The gap between the haves and the have-nots in Canada has widened significantly over the last few years according to a global report, and the slowdown in the economy is going to hit both rich and poor alike with more job losses and reduced incomes going ahead, say the experts.
Source:

October 21, 2008
PARIS (Reuters) - The gap between the rich and poor has grown in most wealthy nations, but not as quickly as many people believe and not enough to raise fears of social upheaval, the OECD said in a report released Tuesday. The 30-nation Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said governments were off-setting widening disparities by increasing taxes and boosting welfare spending.
Source:

- view the contents of previous Bulletins back to September + links)
- free, by email

On 30 September 2008, the Campaign to End Child Poverty published new figures which reveal that 174 parliamentary constituencies in Britain have 50% or more children living in or on the brink of poverty. Official measures of child poverty are based on a national survey of family income, highlighting poverty at a national and regional level but not in more local areas. In contrast, the figures supplied by the Campaign to End Child Poverty use tax credit data to determine the percentage of children in families with low incomes in local authorities and constituencies across the UK. Child poverty data for the UK is presented as a series of maps and tables.

Sample content from the latest issue of the Bulletin :
Click the "Content" link to access all of the items below:
--- and be sure to visit the for news items added since the release of this bulletin.

(Click the link above to access any of the studies below - only the last two items below have hyperlinks that you can click.)
* Tackling Canada's social housing challenge - CPRN report
* Measuring equality at a local level - IDeA report
* Thinking about rural transport - CRC report
* Pathways for youth to the labour market - CPRN report
* Evidence & policy (Volume 4, number 3) - Policy Press
* Homebuilding in the UK - OFT report
* Well disposed: responding to the waste challenge - Audit Commission report
* Making progress: the health, development and wellbeing of Australia's children and young people - AIHW report
* Youth mentoring: a good thing? – CPS report
* Survey of users of mental health services 2008 - Healthcare Commission report
* Education at a glance - OECD report
* NHS spending: local variations in priorities - King’s Fund report
* Care contradictions: putting people first? - Counsel and Care report
* The lawful society - Reform report
* Health is global: a UK government strategy - UK Government report
* Child poverty in the UK - Campaign to End Child Poverty survey
* Review of urgent and emergency care services 2007/2008 - Healthcare Commission report
* Our lives, our choices - LGA report
* The media, poverty and public opinion in the UK - JRF report
* Making the NHS the best insurance policy in the world - Reform report
* The flexible new deal: making it work - SMF report

- archive of links to websites that are featured in the monthly bulletin, going back to 2003
- Recommended!

This area of Policy Hub provides access to a wide range of organisations and resources that will help you find evidence on social and economic issues in the United Kingdom and Internationally.
* United Kingdom Evidence * International Evidence - including Country Resources - including Canada * Using Evidence
===> recommended reading - excellent collection of U.K. and international resources!

Source:
(U. K.)
"... a web-site developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered."
[ ]
[ ]

(PDF - 336K, 27 pages) J. P. Martin and E. Whitehouse, , Paris, OECD social, employment and migration working papers, n° 66, June 2008 (INCLUDES CANADA)
Summary:
Reforming pensions looms large over the policy agenda of OECD countries. This is hardly surprising since public spending on pensions accounted on average for 7 per cent of OECD GDP in 2005; and this pension spending effort is set to increase significantly over the coming decades in response to population ageing. Pension policy is indeed challenging and controversial because it involves long-term decisions in the face of numerous short-term political pressures. However, the status quo does not always win out so far as pension reform in concerned: public finance crises and the looming threat of ageing populations have proved effective spurs for reform. As a result, much has been done since the early 1990s to make pension systems fit for the future. Nearly all the 30 OECD countries have made at least some changes to their pension systems in that period. In 16 of them, there have been major reforms that will significantly affect future benefits. However, the status quo does not always win out so far as pension reform in concerned: public finance crises and the looming threat of ageing populations have proved effective spurs for reform. As a result, much has been done since the early 1990s to make pension systems fit for the future. Nearly all the 30 OECD countries have made at least some changes to their pension systems in that period. In 16 of them, there have been major reforms that will significantly affect future benefits.
Found in:
- July 21, 2008
[NOTE: click the bulletin link to access more studies and reports]

- links to all CERC semi-monthly bulletins
- To be informed of CERC activities and to receive the bulletin

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the for access to a large collection of online resources

July 2008
In this issue:
1) Family Planning Still a Challenge for Many Poor Women
2) World Bank Group's New Deal on Global Food Policy
3) Poverty Reduction in the New Asia and Pacific: key challenges of inclusive growth for the Asian Development Bank
4) 2008 CGAP Microfinance Photo Contest: Innovators and Entrepreneurs
5) Help Us!
6) To Receive this Newsletter

Source:
<=== incl. links to five earlier newsletters and a subscription form
The PovertyNet Newsletter is a monthly newsletter that contains updates on new information and resources available on the PovertyNet web site, covering:
* poverty reduction strategies
* the World Bank's World Development Report (WDR) on poverty and development
* poverty monitoring and evaluation
* the impact of growth and inequality on poverty
* the role of human capital development in the fight against poverty
* safety nets
* social capital.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) describe a country's macroeconomic, structural and social policies and programs to promote growth and reduce poverty, as well as associated external financing needs. PRSPs are prepared by governments through a participatory process involving civil society and development partners, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source:

The World Bank consists of two unique development institutions owned by 185 member countries—the and the . Each institution plays a different but supportive role in our mission of global poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards. The IBRD focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor countries, while IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world. Together we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, communications and many other purposes

“No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility” is a wide ranging consultation on the future of welfare. The Green Paper sets out plans for improving support and work incentives to create a system that rewards responsibility. The majority of people of working age – who can work now or at some point in the future – and their families will no longer be on benefits for life. There will also be greater choice and control over the support that is provided.
Source:

[ ]

( May 13, 2008):
(click on the bulletin link above to access the studies mentioned below and more...)

. (PDF - 800K, 137 pages)
2008
I. Airio, Helsinki, Studies in social security and health
Geographical area : International comparisons

. (PDF - 2.4MB, 100 pages)
May 2008
M. Barnes, A. Conolly and W. Tomaszewski
, London.
Geographical area : United Kingdom

. (Word - 170K, 17 pages)
May 2008
Z. Kravchenko
, Luxembourg
Geographical area : Russia

. , (PDF - 996K, 46 pages)
April 2008
L. Osberg
, Toronto
Geographical area : Canada

. , (PDF - 332K, 12 pages)
2008
A. Petrasova
, Luxembourg
Geographical area : Europe

- links to all CERC semi-monthly bulletins
- To be informed of CERC activities and to receive the bulletin

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the for access to a large collection of online resources

Press Release
Brussels, 25 February 2008
The report examines the Member States' integrated national strategies on social inclusion, pensions, healthcare and long-term care. It reviews the main trends across the EU and at national level. The 2008 report focuses on child poverty, older workers, private pension provision, health inequalities and long-term care.

(PDF - 144K, 14 pages)
On 29 February 2008 the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council and the Commission jointly adopted the 2008 Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion.
This fourth Report examines more in depth a set of themes identified in last year's edition:
* child poverty,
* health inequalities, access to health care and evolving long-term care needs,
* longer working lives and privately managed pensions.
The report also outlines envisaged improvements of the working methods of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on social protection and social inclusion which should further reinforce the efficiency of the process.

(PDF - 748K, 109 pages)
Commission Staff working Paper
Brussels, 30 January .2008
This supporting document complements the 2008 Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion with a more detailed account of the work carried out in the framework of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on Social Protection and Social Inclusion in 2007.

Source:

The Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC) was established in 1990 by the European Commission as an instrument to serve the continuous and comprehensive exchange of information on social protection between the EU Member States. MISSOC has since been further developed and has become an important central source of information on social protection in all Member States of the European Union. Today, the information system includes the 27 Member States, the three countries of the European Economic Area – Iceland, Liechtens tein, Norway– and Switzerland.

See also:

- Joint Reports assess progress made in the implementation of the OMC, set key priorities and identify good practice and innovative approaches of common interest to the Member States.
[ ]

This report is divided into a number of files, each containing the following info for 3-4 countries:
* Financing * Health care * Sickness * Cash benefits * Maternity/Paternity * Invalidity * Old-Age * Survivors * Employment injuries and occupational diseases * Family benefits * Unemployment * Guaranteeing of sufficient resources (welfare) * Long-term care

- Charts and descriptions (PDF - 1.4MB, 73 pages)
- includes a one-page description of how the various programs fit together in each of the member states along with an org chart showing how these programs are organized within the government structure

Source:

EUROPA is the portal site of the European Union. It provides up-to-date coverage of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration. Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties. ()

In this issue:
1) IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings 2008
2) Global Monitoring Report 2008
3) The World Bank Establishes a New Database on Grants Supported by the Post-Conflict Fund and the LICUS Trust Fund
4) Assessing the Redistributive Effects of Fiscal Policy
5) The Persistence of Poverty: Why the Economics of the Well-Off Can't Help the Poor
Source:
<=== incl. links to five earlier newsletters
The PovertyNet Newsletter is a monthly newsletter that contains updates on new information and resources available on the PovertyNet web site, covering:
* poverty reduction strategies
* the World Bank's World Development Report (WDR) on poverty and development
* poverty monitoring and evaluation
* the impact of growth and inequality on poverty
* the role of human capital development in the fight against poverty
* safety nets
* social capital.

Poverty Reduction Strategies in the United Kingdom and Ireland
By Chantal Collin (Political and Social Affairs Division)
2 November 2007

(98 Kb, 15 pages)
[ ]
Table of Contents:
* Introduction
The United Kingdom’s Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Social Exclusion
* A. A Multi-pronged Approach
* B. Key Objectives and Measures
* C. Measuring Success
* D. Key Challenges
* E. What’s Next? Reaching Out
Ireland’s National Anti-Poverty Strategy
* A. Multi-dimensional Approach
* B. Key Targets
* C. Measuring Success
* D. What’s Next? National Action Plan for Social Inclusion
* Summary
From the :
(Government of Canada)

(March 17, 2008):
(click on the bulletin link above to access the studies mentioned below and more...)

(PDF file - 120K, 28 pages)
February, 28, 2008
K. Nelson

Summary : In the Western countries poverty has increased along with the resurgence of low-income targeting and the increased conditionality of social assistance. This paper provides new evidence on the relationship between social minimums and income adequacy by examining the extent to which social benefits distribute income at levels necessary to escape poverty. The empirical analyzes combine macro-level institutional data and micro-level income data for 17 industrialized welfare democracies. It is shown that the period is characterized primarily by stagnation, whereas social assistance adequacy declined in the latter half of the nineties. In most countries, social assistance fails to provide income above the poverty threshold, something that makes it difficult to conceive benefits as just redistributive instruments.
Geographical area : Europe

(PDF file - 323K, 26 pages)
A. Soede and C. Vrooman
February 28, 2008 (The Hague)
Geographical area : The Netherlands

(PDF file - 739K, 44 pages)
2008
S. Lee and L. Shaw
h, Washington
Geographical area : United States

(PDF file - 3.7MB, 34 pages)
Winter 2008
The presidential candidates and top commentators weigh in, , Stanford, Pathways
Geographical area : United States

(PDF file - 387K, 36 pages)
March 2008
, Geneva
Geographical area : International

(PDF file - 1.5MB, 209 pages)
March 2008
, London
Geographical area : United Kingdom

- March 03, 2008
Click on the bulletin link above to access the studies mentioned below and more (many of which are available in French only).

(PDF file - 122K, 40 pages)
January 2008
Source:
, Liège
Summary : This paper analyzes the impact of informal care by adult children on the use of long-term care among the elderly in Europe and the effect of the level of the parent’s disability on this relationship. We focus on two types of formal home care that are the most likely to interact with informal care: paid domestic help and nursing care.

- links to all CERC semi-monthly bulletins
- To be informed of CERC activities and to receive the bulletin

CERC Bulletins/Reports/Studies/Working papers
- Click on the links in the left margin of the for access to a large collection of online resources

More CERC bulletin content - this link takes you to a separate page of the Canadian Social Research Links website,
where you can find links to over 100 studies in earlier issues of the CERC Bulletin.

EUROPA is the portal site of the European Union. It provides up-to-date coverage of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration. Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties. ()

Which countries are in the European Union? What goods do countries in the European Union produce? Is Andorra a member of the European Union? These questions (and many more) are all answered in this interactive and lively site created by the European Union (EU). The site is set up to provide access to key facts and figures about Europe and Europeans in general, and visitors can click on one of nine playful graphic icons to learn about topics like quality of life, transport, and economic activity and trade. After looking through some of these fact-filled areas, visitors can also browse around in the "What's New?" area. Here they can read newly added reports and fact sheets that address food safety, biofuels standards, and the EU's efforts to combat gender stereotypes.
Reviewed by:
, Copyright Internet Scout Project .

(United Kingdom)
The GSR News Bulletin contains the latest GSR news, updates on continuing professional development, forthcoming research, research methods and research funding, GSR research outputs and other research outputs, and a website of the month feature.
- incl. links to the latest issue of the Bulletin and the bulletin archive (back to 2002), along with a link if you wish to subscribe to receive an alert by email whenever the bulletin is updated

===> the content of this link changes each month - view the contents of previous Bulletins back to September 2002
- free, by email

:
Click the link above to access all of the items below - and be sure to visit the for news items added since the release of this bulletin.

(Click the link above to access any of the studies below - only the last two items below have hyperlinks that you can click.)
* Technology-enabled crime: future directions
* Stern Review: assessment of methodology - Productivity Commission report
* Evidence of accelerated climate change - Climate Institute report
* Primary education aims and values - Primary Review reports
* Evidence & policy (Volume 3, number 4) - Policy Press
* Pro-environmental behaviours framework
* Low-paid and 'working poor' - IPPR report
* Digital divide: social inclusion and social capital policy
* International trends in housing and policy responses
* Children's centres and extended schools
* National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
* Transport schemes evaluation
* Criminal justice: drug and drug-related offending
* Sexual abuse of boys
* Dementia services and support
* Crime quarterly update
* Care coordination and health system performance
* Crime and public perceptions
* Life chances of families at risk
* Prevention of violence against women
* School leadership and pupil outcomes
* - January 2008 report from the
* - from the
On 23 January 2008, the National Centre for Social Research published a report (British Social Attitudes: the 24th Report), which describes the state of public attitudes towards relationships and parenting; cohabitation; gender roles; national identity; working in the public sector; prejudice; car use and the environment; newspapers; political participation; party policies; and poverty
(PDF file - 190K, 13 pages)
(£50.00) - not available online for free

- archive of links to websites that are featured in the monthly bulletin, going back to 2003

Source:
(U. K.)
"... a web-site developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered."
[ ]
[ ]

(December 2007)
- argues that innovative education policies in Wales aim to combat the effects of child poverty on educational achievement but need to do more to overcome this relationship

(December 2007)
- the annual report on the state of poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom covers low income, work, education, health, housing, disadvantaged children and exclusion from services. Provides a comprehensive analysis of trends and differences between groups; examines the progress being made on reducing poverty and social exclusion, in light of the Government's ambitious target to halve child poverty by 2010.
(PDF file - 480K, 140 pages)
(Selected findings):
* Half of children in poverty are still in working families.
* Overall poverty levels in 2006 were the same as in 2002.
* Child poverty in 2006 was still 500,000 higher than the target set for 2005.
* Overall earnings inequalities are widening.
* Disability rather than lone parenthood is the factor most likely to lead to worklessness

The source for both of these reports is
the
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one of the largest social policy research and development charities in the UK. We spend over £10 million a year on our research and development programme. For over one hundred years we have been searching out the causes of social problems, investigating solutions and seeking to influence those who can make changes.

News items, for all with an interest in Government Social Research, will continue to be added to
the homepage at and to the Research news page at

The European Centre is a UN-affiliated intergovernmental organization concerned with all aspects of social welfare policy and research. All governments of States that are members of the United Nations, in particular those of countries of the UN-European Region, are invited to participate in and contribute to the activities of the European Centre. This results in a geographical domain of potential Member Countries of more than fifty European nations as well as the United States of America, Canada and Israel. [ ]

(PDF file - 188K, 13 pages)
Policy Brief by Asghar Zaidi
January 2008
This Policy Brief summarises the policy experience of the tax credit system in the United Kingdom, with the aim to understand better the challenges underlying the tax credit policy to be initiated in Austria. Perhaps the strongest message for Austria is: "keep it simple", as the benefit simplicity will help to effectively implement, monitor and evaluate the experience of the tax credit policy. It is also imperative that a good and tested IT system is put in place before introducing the scheme. The success of the tax credit policy in Austria will also depend on the contextual factors, such as the interplay with other tax and benefit and labour market policies, wage setting arrangements, etc, and more background research on the effect of these factors will be useful. A pragmatic approach would be to introduce, in the first instance, a tax credit scheme for specific subgroups, such as lone parent families and working age persons with disabilities.

(PDF file - 255K, 9 pages)
Policy Brief by Renate Kränzl-Nagl, Martina Beham
December 2007
Vienna
This Policy Brief illustrates main findings of two European Centre's studies on whether today's parents have enough time for their children and/or provide sufficient support (for their children's achievements in school) focusing on: 1) the time spent by parents with their children of compulsory school age and 2) the links between family factors and school achievements. The authors are presenting main findings of an analysis of national and international data as well as the results of a survey carried out among Austrian parents and their children of compulsory school age (9 - 14). This policy brief is rounded off by conclusions and recommendations.

The European Centre provides expertise in the fields of welfare and social policy development in a broad sense - in particular in areas where multi-or interdisciplinary approaches, integrated policies and inter-sectoral action are called for.

Selected research areas:
(Click the link above to access the whole list)
[each research area includes links to events, projects, publications and a few websites.]

(from the World Bank)
The PovertyNet Newsletter is a monthly newsletter that contains updates on new information and resources available on the PovertyNet web site, covering:
* Poverty Reduction Strategies
* Pro-Poor Growth and Inequality
* Poverty Analysis
* Poverty Monitoring
* Impact Evaluation
* Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA)
* Empowerment

In this issue:
1. U.N. Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World
2. Africa World Development Indicators
3. Brazil Bolsa Familia Program
4. New book! Analyzing Health Equity Using Household Survey Data: A Guide to Techniques and Their Implementation
5. Upcoming Conference: “Making Smart Policy: Using Impact Evaluation for Policy Making”
6. "Moving Out of Poverty" Book Launch
7. Help Us!
8. To Receive this Newsletter

(PDF file - 1.3MB, 16 pages)
01 November 2007
The Government has presented a strategy to combat homelessness and exclusion from the housing market Homelessness - multiple faces, multiple responsibilities. The strategy covers . Its purpose is to establish a structure that clarifies that multiple actors at national, regional and also local level have a responsibility and a role to play in work to address homelessness and exclusion from the housing market. By specifying a clear direction for action, a broad approach and clear joint work, the strategy represents a higher level of ambition.
Source:

[ ]

(U.K.)
"800 years of human rights in the United Kingdom explored using original documents from The National Archives"
The idea of "human rights" is a relatively new development in history, but as this website from Britain’s National Archives notes in its discussion of the long trajectory of struggles for equality and so forth, "We could do worse than characterizing this history as the struggle for human rights." This visually compelling online exhibit uses original documents from The National Archives to take a long view of these struggles and movements. Visitors can start their journey through the site by picking a time period, and then reading an introductory essay on the period. Each time period includes a timeline and links to digitized version of relevant documents, such as The Poor Act of 1601 and a poster for a Staffordshire coal miners’ union public meeting from 1831. The site is rounded out by a thorough glossary and a document index.
Source:

(Government of the United Kingdom)
Reviewed by:
, Copyright Internet Scout Project .

(Australia)
Paul Henman, Richard Percival and Ann Harding, Matthew Gray
Posted July 31, 2007
Commissioned by the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support, this is a collection of three reports on the costs of children in Australian families: 'The estimated costs of children in Australian families in 2005–06'; 'Updated costs of children using Australian budget standards; and 'Costs of children and equivalence scales: a review of methodological issues and Australian estimates'.

Find more from
Find more articles on the topic
Find more articles on the topic Browse

United Kingdom : Evidence base review on mobility: Choices and barriers for different social groups

Source:

A review of databases and other statistical sources reporting ethnic group and their potential to enhance the evidence base on health promotion

Source:

Report of the Multidisciplinary Workshop on the influences on children's and young people's food choice within the family setting, held on 9 March 2007

Source:

Poverty, wealth and place in Britain 1968 to 2005

("A look at how the geographical distribution of poor and wealthy people in Britain has changed in the last 40 years.")
Source:

News items, for all with an interest in Government Social Research, will continue to be added to
the homepage at and to the Research news page at

===> the content of this link changes each month - view the contents of previous Bulletins back to September 2002
- free, by email

Source:
(U. K.)
"... a web-site developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered."
[ ]
[ ]

News items, for all with an interest in Government Social Research, will continue to be added to
the homepage at and to the Research news page at

"the world as you've never seen it before"
- interesting visual representations of the distribution of imprisonment, violent deaths, self-inflicted deaths, child poverty and social inequalities etc.

The links below are just a sample of the content of the latest issue of this monthly research bulletin.

* - article in The Guardian 13 February 2007, says that the funding and political agendas of think tanks mean their reports need to be treated with care and that the politicisation of research can lead to serious distortions in debates on policy issues.

* 9-18 March 2007 - the festival will celebrate some of the very best British social science research, highlighting the ways in which it makes a difference to our lives.

* - highlights research, best practice, current initiatives and identifies gaps in knowledge. Based on systematic searches of 61 websites, at least 120 website areas, 8 databases, plus requests for information via networks. In total 175 documents, press notices and other pieces of information were consulted.

* - showcases the diversity of ESRC-funded research around the state of the nation in 2007. It offers a concise analysis of research and topical issues concerning Britain today.Contents include: What makes a good childhood?; Can parents ensure their children enjoy growing up?; Unequal employment: is disadvantage caused by discrimination?; Britons' changing identities: changing social attitudes in Britain; Learning to live: how best to teach essential life skills to the 14-19 age group.

- Contents include: Making health care a reality for low-Income kids and families; New citizenship requirements cause confusion for children's health programs; Early Childhood experts presenting at SRCD in March.

(ESRC) publish (PDF) - Contents include: Why are policies that would give fathers a real choice to do unpaid care-work largely overlooked in the UK?; Does men's contribution to domestic labour act as a buffer against divorce?; Should work-life policies focus more specifically on reducing stress and pressure at work?

- incl. basic organizational information on approximately 500 institutions from 100 countries.

For all with an interest in Government Social Research, News items will continue to be added to the homepage at
and to the Research news page at

- links to almost three dozen issues (as at May 27/07) of the Bulletin back to 2002

(PDF file - 450K, 54 pages)
Working Paper No. 51
March 5, 2007
By Peter Whiteford and Willem Adema
Table of contents:
- Introduction
- Data and methods
Family and child poverty – trends, risks and composition
- Trends in household composition
- The income position of different types of households
- Child poverty trends
- Poverty risks by household composition
Tax and benefit policies and their effect on poverty and employment
- Assistance for families – levels and distribution
- Adequacy of benefits and other support for families
The effect of “benefit” and/or “work” strategies
- The strategy of redistribution
- Does a “work-strategy” work?
- How much work to get out of poverty and financial incentives to work more
Conclusions

A new one-stop shop for OECD work on gender
08-Mar-2007
The new OECD website on gender presents recent and ongoing projects aimed at improving gender policy across a wide variety of areas in OECD countries and beyond. It also features "Women and Men in OECD Countries", a brochure presenting interesting facts and figures on gender issues.

Click the link above to access any of the content appearing in the table of contents below.

- Government response to Scientific advice, risk and evidence-based policy
- Electoral participation of South Asian communities - JRF report
- Equality for disabled people - ODI consultation
- Childhood in industrialised countries - UNICEF report
- Politicisation of research - Guardian article
- Young people and drugs - HO reports
- Climate change 2007: physical science - IPCC report
- 15 year olds in transition - BSL report
- Australian welfare reform - BSL report
- Policy for middle childhood - CPRN presentation
- Restorative Justice: the evidence - Smith Institute
- Is the Law Working? - Law Commission forum
- Mental health interventions - NICE report
- Prescribed medicines and health outcomes - ANZHP paper
- Department for Transport annual report - Select Committee report
- Local authority youth services 2005/06 - Ofsted Report
- Hard to reach - ISR report
- more...

Source:
(U. K.)
"... a web-site developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered."
[ ]
[ ]

For all with an interest in Government Social Research, News items will continue to be added to the homepage at
and to the Research news page at

You will find a host of additions to GSRweb in the month up to 13 February, including the latest GSR news, updates on Continuing professional development, Forthcoming research, Research outputs,
plus a Website of the month feature.

As well as news of new research publications from Departments like:
* Home Office publish research on Risk, protective factors and resilience to drug use: identifying resilient young people and learning from their experiences.
* Department of Transport publish Attitudes to transport security after Jul 05 London bombings

* GSRU publish Ethics in social research: the view of research participants
* UK Data Archive publish data from the first wave of the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE)
* National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) publish British Social Attitudes 23rd report: perspectives on a changing society

News items, for all with an interest in Government Social Research, will continue to be added to the homepage at
and to the Research news page at

Following up on the OECD Babies and Bosses reviews on the reconciliation of work and family life in selected Member States, and in view of the strong demand for cross-national indicators on the situation of families and children, the OECD has developed an on-line database on family outcomes and family policies with indicators for all OECD countries. The database brings together information from different OECD databases (for example, the OECD Social Expenditure database, the OECD Benefits and Wages database, or the OECD Education database, and databases maintained by other (international) organisations.

(PDF file - 420K, 33 pages)
01-Aug-2006
By Willem Adema
In many OECD countries, social assistance policy has a focus on promoting independence of claimants through social help and employment support policies. Nevertheless, financial support provided to address the immediate needs of households remains an important plank of social assistance policy. How is the level of such support determined in OECD countries? Do countries use measures reflecting a .basket of goods. that is considered to provide a minimum subsistence level, or a somewhat more generous standard of living? Are benefits increased automatically, along mechanisms triggered automatically by observable changes in price levels, or are benefit payment rates revised regularly in view of (minimum) wage developments, trends in the consumer price index or the changing state of public budgets?
(...) The paper has a focus on [social assistance] rate setting mechanisms in Belgium, Canada [bolding added], the Czech Republic, Germany, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

(PDF file - 227K, 35 pages)
By S. P. Jenkins and T. Siedler
April 2007
[Excerpt] The general message is that growing up poor has a deleterious impact on later-life chances, and that this impact is not wholly explained by other factors that are themselves correlated with childhood poverty. At the same time, the studies also show that one should be cautious about drawing more specific conclusions.

(PDF file - 322K, 6 pages)
February 2007
"(...) 900 million people will still be living on $1 per day even if the Millennium Development Goals are met."
Related link:

- incl. links to the following recent reports:
* Childhood Obesity Database 2005-06 - DH report
* Alcohol strategy and the drinks industry - JRF report
* Christmas and families after divorce - ESRC research
* Gun crime: the market in and use of illegal firearms - HO research
* - report by the
* Health inequalities update - DH report
* Crime and anti social behaviour on public transport - DfT report
* Monitoring anti-social behaviour - NAO report
* Social benefits and economic costs of taxation - CCPA report
* Sure Start Children’s Centres - NAO report
* - report of the []
* Social determinants of health - CPRN report
* Website of the Month: launched its next generation website in November 2006, . The SPEaR website in New Zealand is 'a "virtual community" of social policy researchers and evaluators. The aim is to provide a focused and interactive forum for social policy researchers and evaluators across the sector. The website allows us to support research and evaluation into new areas, and encourages researchers, evaluators, and providers to co-ordinate and publicise their work.' (website)

Source:
- 'the first port of call for improvements in policy making and delivery'
[Policy Hub is part of ]

when the latest issue of the monthly Bulletin is posted on the Policy Hub website.
You don't actually receive the bulletin content - just the notification that it's available online and the URL to access the page.

Wellington, New Zealand
3 - 5 April 2007
The SPRE Conference 2007 enables policy makers, researchers and evaluators, students and academics, and social service providers to come together to describe, discuss and debate our key social policy opportunities and challenges. Panels of world-leading social policy experts from New Zealand and abroad will lead our discussion.
Source:

[New Zealand Government]
- - incl. links to : Find a Job - Get Assistance - Employers and Industry - Support for Communities - Publications - About us

This bulletin alerts you to selected items added to Policy Hub up to 29 November 2006
Be sure to visit the Bulletin page (the link above) for the complete set of links added up to that date, and
visit the Policy Hub Home page --- --- for news items added since 29 November.

Website of the Month:
The gives a wide range of well-selected information on social policy (health care, pensions provision, family policy, state welfare), labour market policy and industrial relations in 15 OECD-countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America. It is part of the "International Reform Monitor" project by the Bertelsmann Foundation. Researchers are also invited to publish their research results here.

Source:
- 'the first port of call for improvements in policy making and delivery'
[Policy Hub is part of ]

November 2006
In this issue:
1. Human Development Report 2006: Beyond Scarcity - Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis
2. Close to Home: The Development Impact of Remittances in Latin America
3. Regional Brief: East Asia Economic Update
4. Promoting Pro-Poor Growth: Policy Guidance for Donors
5. Book Launch: Efficient Learning for the Poor
6. Help Us!
7. To Receive this Newsletter
Source:

[ ]

- for the month up to 13 November, including the latest GSR news, updates on Continuing professional development, Forthcoming research, Research outputs, plus a Website of the month feature.
Source:

[ (U.K.) ]

- incl. Austria - Belgium - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - France - Finland - Germany - Greece - Hungary - Ireland - Italy - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta - Netherlands - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Slovakia - Slovenia - Sweden -United Kingdom
Source:

[ part of ]
[ part of ]
[ part of ]

- U.K.
Press Release
17 October 2006
The latest edition of the annual cross-Government report Opportunity for All is published today to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year the document has a special focus on child poverty in the UK bringing together progress so far as well as indicating where the Government has more to do.

(PDF file - 2.2MB, 172 pages) - U.K.
Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions by Command of Her Majesty
October 2006
- in addition to overview information on the full range of programs administered by the Department for Work and Pensions for their clientele (including welfare reform) and an 83-page document on indicators, this report includes a 30-page chapter focusing on child poverty and covering the following topics:
--- What is child poverty and who does it affect? - Measuring child poverty - How many children are poor? - Which children are in poverty? - The importance of reducing child poverty - Tackling child poverty - Increasing parental employment - Lone parent families - Couple families - Making work pay - Financial support for families with children - Child Tax Credit - Child support - Tackling material deprivation - Housing and homelessness - Financial inclusion - Improving life chances for poor children through public services - Early years and childcare -Sure Start - Education - Looked-after children - Disabled children - Parenting - Improving parents’ skills - Health - Teenage pregnancy - Transport - Families at risk, child crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour - Getting involved and extending opportunities - Working together - Meeting our ambition

(Government of the U.K.)
- "Career information, news, training, events and the latest methodological developments for government social researchers
(...) Members of the Government Social Research service (GSR) are based in 20 government departments. The service is led by the Chief Government Social Researcher, Sue Duncan, who is supported by the Government Social Research Unit - GSRU. The team works in partnership with several cross-government committees of social researchers.

Source:
(U. K.)
"... a web-site developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered."
[ ]
[ ]

This five-day course is tailored toward World Bank staff and Government counterparts working on middle-income countries interested in learning about the design and implementation of social safety nets (SSNs) in developed countries.

(PDF file - 204K, 40 pages)
November 2003
"The focus of the note is on non-contributory social programs for low-income households or other vulnerable groups in OECD countries. These programs, typically referred to as social safety net (SSN) programs in developing countries, are labeled welfare programs in the US and social assistance programs in the European Union. (...)
This note covers 28 countries belonging to the OECD [including Canada], and refers to an in depth review of SSN programs in the US and nine European Union countries prepared for a course on “Social Safety Nets in OECD Countries.”
***Excellent overview of a wide range of initiatives in 28 countries, from guaranteed minimum income (social assistance or welfare) to housing, family benefits, child care and more.
The info is presented mainly in synthesized table form, but you can find related content on this (source) page:

(204K, 40 pages)
March 2006
"The book is arranged into eight chapters.
- The first three chapters cover the nature of the basic programs, the problems—especially poverty—that they are intended to alleviate, and major recent changes.
- The next three chapters focus on program administration, management, and implementation, discussing many of the detailed realities of how programs actually operate: These three chapters blend together facts and tools—what are the tools, how did they evolve, how are they used, what are the challenges, what works and what doesn’t, and under what circumstances. These are the issues which World Bank employees have to deal with regularly as they assist other nations to develop policies and programs.
- The seventh chapter focuses on the role of monitoring, performance measurement, and evaluation in helping to shape and manage programs.
- The last chapter is a chance to discuss the future of the welfare policy in US."
***Highly recommended overview of American social programs, especially welfare (from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" in the 1930s to date)

- dozens of links to resources under the following headings:
Program Interventions – A variety of different programs can be used to provide assistance to households living in poverty and to help them deal with the impact of shocks.#
Themes – Certain issues of program design and implementation are relevant to all types of program interventions.
Country Context – The type of safety net interventions and the mix of programs most appropriate will depend largely on the country specific context.
Special Vulnerable Groups

Source:

Social Safety Nets are non-contributory transfer programs targeted in some manner to the poor or those vulnerable to poverty and shocks. Social Safety Nets play a well-recognized redistributive role which is supported strongly by moral philosophy, expressed in many different ways. They also play a productive role in helping households to manage risk and assist in their own livelihoods, in helping prevent the inter-generational transmission of poverty and in allowing societies to make more efficient choices in macro, trade, labor and many other sectoral policies. Though less well recognized, this productive role is a very important part of the justification for safety nets.

PovertyNet provides an introduction to key issues as well as in-depth information on poverty measurement, monitoring, analysis, and on poverty reduction strategies for researchers and practitioners.

The Social Protection Unit, as part of the Human Development Network, supports the World Bank and client countries to assist individuals, households and communities to better manage the income and welfare risks that affect vulnerable groups.

- links to almost 60 sites, including OECD, Microfinance, Food-related Programs, etc.

The October edition of the GSR Bulletin contains the latest GSR news, updates on continuing professional development, research funding, research methods, and research outputs, and a website of the month feature

This latest issue of the Policy Hub Bulletin includes recent additions with relevance for Better policy making, Improving delivery, and Evaluating policy, plus a Website of the month feature.
Follow the link above to this month's online bulletin, which includes the following items of possible interest (among others):
Healthy choices for Canada's children and youth (Health Council of Canada) - People in low-paid informal work + Child poverty in large families (UK, Joseph Rowntree Foundation) - Education, training and employment, 16-18 year olds (DfES data) - Political economy and population health in Australia (ANZHP) report - Integrated foundations for early childhood (Canada, CRRU report) - The Social Fund: current role and future direction (JRF report) - Sheltering women leaving violence (YWCA Canada) - much more...

- also includes links to "Evidence libraries", including databases of Systematic Reviews, Executive summaries, Review protocols, and Abstracts of reviews of effects as well as resources including reports, articles and recommended links

- 'the first port of call for improvements in policy making and delivery'
Policy Hub is a website, developed by the Government Social Research Unit, which aims to improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered.
It provides:
* tailored access to initiatives, projects and tools that support better policy making and delivery
* extensive guidance on the use of research and evidence in the evaluation of policy
* links to a wide range of research resources and tools from the UK and around the world
The report of the Better Regulation Task Force (Local Delivery of Central Government) published in July 2002 recommended that Policy Hub should be developed as the key gateway for promoting best practice, guidance and case studies to policy makers.

The Cabinet Office is at the centre of Government, coordinating policy and strategy across government departments

News Release
[9 June 2006] – The View from the Summit – Gleneagles G8 One Year On, a new report from international agency Oxfam released on Friday shows that decisions made at last year's G8 in Scotland, following huge pressure from campaigners around the world, have led to real improvement in the lives of some of the world's poorest people. However, Oxfam is concerned that while debt cancellation is starting to be delivered, the growth in aid in key G8 nations is not enough to meet the promises made at the Gleneagles G8.
Source:

- March 2006 Issue
Social Policy Evaluation and Research Committee - New Zealand Government
The SPEaR Bulletin is a newsletter for all those involved in social policy evaluation and research and is published quarterly by the SPEaR secretariat.The Bulletin is available to view online and also to download in PDF format. If you would like to be notified when the next bulletin is produced, please register for the bulletin
Table of Contents:
Fostering community research * R&E shapes health policy * PHCS evaluation * Family violence in NZ Asian communities * Asian health forum * Chair's comment * Enhancing democracy through ICT *
NZ initiatives lead the way * Australasian housing research links * FRST's request for proposals * People in R&E * Understanding inequality * SPRE Conference 2007 * CDRP allocations * ACCAN Conference

Source:

"The Social Policy Evaluation and Research committee or SPEaR, was set up to oversee the Government’s purchase of social policy research to ensure the spending is aligned with the Government’s social policy priorities. (...)Headed by an independent chair, SPEaR has a secretariat based at the Centre for Social Research and Evaluation at the Ministry of Social Development. SPEaR reports to joint ministers (Social Services and Employment; Statistics; and Research, Science and Technology) through the chief executive of MSD"

- U.K. - January 2006
Click on the link above to download the report in separate PDF files, or click the link below to download the entire report in one file.

(PDF file - 1.1MB, 112 pages)
Presented to Parliament by
the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
January 2006
"Proposals outlined in this paper are informed by ongoing informal consultation with key stakeholders. Indeed, we have been consulting on incapacity benefits reform since 2002, when we published Pathways to work – Helping people into employment. Proposals for lone parents, Housing Benefit and occupational health are similarly the product of a lengthy process of consultation and evaluation of evidence from existing policies."

"Welfare reform proposals include:
* reforming incapacity benefits;
* a £360 million roll out of Pathways to Work across the country by 2008
* extending support to lone parents and older workers;
* reforming housing benefit;
* transforming support for people living in our cities; and
* delivering support to meet the needs of everyone
It sets out our proposals for achieving an 80% employment rate for people of working age."

Keep scrolling down this page for links to more info about welfare reform in the U.K.

- U.K.
The Government launched a Green Paper "A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work" on Tuesday 24 January 2006. This is a landmark document for the Department in meeting its objectives of promoting opportunity and independence for all. It contains major new proposals to help individuals achieve their potential through work.

Click on the link above to download the report in separate PDF files, or click the link below to download the entire report in one file.

(PDF file - 1.1MB, 112 pages)
Presented to Parliament by
the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
by Command of Her Majesty
January 2006
"Proposals outlined in this paper are informed by ongoing informal consultation with key stakeholders. Indeed, we have been consulting on incapacity benefits reform since 2002, when we published Pathways to work – Helping people into employment. Proposals for lone parents, Housing Benefit and occupational health are similarly the product of a lengthy process of consultation and evaluation of evidence from existing policies."

Press Release
24 January 2006
The Government today announced a radical reform of the welfare state with the publication of the welfare reform green paper - A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work. The paper seeks to end the legacy of benefit dependency and deprivation that can damage communities across Britain. Our proposals provide a once in a generation opportunity to transform the welfare state. They build upon our principles for reform; rights and responsibilities providing the individual with the support they need to transform their own life-chances, and those of their family.

They include detailed proposals for:
* reforming incapacity benefits;
* a £360 million roll out of Pathways to Work across the country by 2008
* extending support to lone parents and older workers;
* reforming housing benefit;
* transforming support for people living in our cities; and
* delivering support to meet the needs of everyone
It sets out our proposals for achieving an 80% employment rate for people of working age.

"...the values and principles which shape the Government’s vision of the future Welfare State. Our values of equality, opportunity, fairness and social justice underpin these principles."

(PDF file - 100K, 17 pages)
by Elisa Minoff
January 30, 2006
In 1999, the United Kingdom (UK) announced its pledge to cut child poverty by one-quarter by 2004 and eliminate it by 2020. This paper examines the history of this ambitious commitment, and the progress to date. It also analyzes the components of the national effort—which range from employment supports, asset building initiatives, and child-targeted assistance to tax, welfare, and education policies—and the next steps the UK is considering to meet the goal of eradicating child poverty.
Source:
- U.S.
"...a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1968, conducts research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on issues related to economic security for low-income families with children."

Mar del Plata, ARGENTINA
4 - 5 November, 2005
Theme: Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance
The IV Summit of the Americas, which will take place in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on November 4-5, 2005, is the highest hemispheric political forum. The 34 Heads of State and Government of the Americas will attend this Summit, whose efforts will be directed at building and implementing a shared agenda on the theme of the IV Summit ?Creating Jobs to Fight Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance.?

November 3, 2005
The Chair of the IV Summit of the Americas is pleased to inform that, in the framework of its activities, the Second Indigenous Peoples Summit of the Americas took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 27-29, 2005. It was co-organized by the Organización de Naciones y Pueblos Indígenas en Argentina (ONPIA) and the Assembly of First Nations from Canada under the theme of “Determining our future: Guided by our traditional teachings on Mother Earth.”

The First Indigenous Peoples Summit of the Americas took place in Ottawa, Canada, in 2001. This Summit represented the first step in the creation of an indigenous peoples’ movement that parallels the Summit of the Americas process. The 2005 Indigenous Summit provided a forum whereby more than 500 participants developed the Declaration of the Second Summit of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.

"The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada. The AFN represents all citizens regardless of age, gender or place of residence."
-

September 13, 2005

In most member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), national growth is strongly concentrated in a few regions. Thus, national growth is largely determined by the performance of only a few regions, according to a new OECD report. The report OECD Regions at a Glance shows that about three-quarters of Canadian job growth was concentrated in 10% of Canada's 288 census divisions between 1996 and 2001.
See also - "The OECD's Online Library of Statistical Databases, Books and Periodicals"

(New Zealand)
Social Policy Evaluation and Research Committee
Contents of this issue of the SPEAR Bulletin:
- Towards 2020 for the social sciences
- Good practice progress
- Datasaving and sharing update
- Coming of Age feedback sought
- Clearinghouse for information on family violence
- Commission’s project to provide families snapshot
- Blue Skies research
- Social science and the challenges of the 21st century
- Chair’s comment
- Longitudinal study of Pasifika families’ health and wellbeing
- Labour market research trends
- Improving evaluative activities
- Linkages research methodology workshop
- People in R&E
- Diary notes
Source:

"The Social Policy Evaluation and Research committee or SPEaR, was set up to oversee the Government’s purchase of social policy research to ensure the spending is aligned with the Government’s social policy priorities. (...)Headed by an independent chair, SPEaR has a secretariat based at the Centre for Social Research and Evaluation at the Ministry of Social Development. SPEaR reports to joint ministers (Social Services and Employment; Statistics; and Research, Science and Technology) through the chief executive of MSD"

(Canada) [] - "...united by the common belief that poverty can be ended."
- A Make Poverty History (MPH) team is in Scotland at the G8 Summit.

- the official G8 Summit website
July 6-8, 2005
"Every year since 1975, the heads of state of the major industrial democracies have met to discuss and debate the major policy issues affecting the international community and their own domestic situations. This year this important meeting (referred to as the G8 Summit) was held at the Gleneagles Resort in Scotland. This site is the homepage for the summit, and as such, contains a host of materials on the meeting, including a FAQ section, information about the countries that participated in the G8, and a glossary of relevant terms. Of course, most visitors will want to learn about the main issues that will be dealt with this year, such as countering terrorism and climate change. The "Summit Documents" area is a section that definitely warrants a closer look, as it contains information on previous summits and policy statements that were adopted during these meetings."
Review by , Copyright Internet Scout Project

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 8
"(...)We have agreed to double aid for Africa by 2010. Aid for all developing countries will increase, according to the OECD, by around $50bn per year by 2010, of which at least $25bn extra per year for Africa."

(Govt. of Canada)
- includes Summit documents from the current and past summits, news releases, ministerials, past and future summits, how the G8 works, G* backgrounders, members, and more...

June 11, 2005
"Finance ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations, including Canadian Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, agreed Saturday to a historic deal cancelling at least $40 billion US worth of debt owed by the world's poorest countries."
Source:

(PDF file - 501K, 60 pages)
Number Eleven
March 2005
"To deliver the Government’s aims of employment opportunity for all; giving every child the best start in life; and dignity in retirement for all pensioners, the need for fundamental reform of Britain’s tax and benefit system was clear. This paper describes the reforms put in place since 1997 and the principles which underpin them, and sets out the evidence on their impact so far."
- Seven chapters, incl.: Introduction - The labour market and poverty - Modernising the tax and benefit system - Incentives to work - Fairness in financial support - Tackling poverty among vulnerable groups -Looking ahead

(these were prepared over time, going back to 1997)
Titles:
Employment Opportunity in a Changing Labour Market - Work Incentives: A Report by Martin Taylor - The Working Families Tax Credit and Work Incentives - Tackling Poverty and Extending Opportunity - Supporting Children through the Tax and Benefit System - Tackling Poverty and Making Work Pay - Tax Credits for the 21st Century - Helping people to save - Saving and assets for all - Delivering saving and assets - Child and Working Tax Credits

The SPEaR Bulletin is a newsletter for all those involved in social policy evaluation and research and is published quarterly by the SPEaR secretariat.
This issue focuses on ethnic diversity and collaborative evaluation, along with general news and opportunities in the sector.
Table of Contents:
- Advancing refugee research
- Chair’s comment
- Trialling best practice guiding principles
- Understanding refugee life
- Participatory study of Somali
- Responding to ethnic perspectives
- A strategic approach to R&E
- Canadian takes up senior MSD position
- Demography experts in NZ
- Evaluation in Inland Revenue
- Social Investment Research Programme
- Ensuring the wellbeing of Pasifika children
- People in R&E
- Opportunity for All
- Apply now for SPEaR Linkages awards
- Diary notes

Source: (New Zealand)
"The Social Policy Evaluation and Research committee or SPEaR, was set up to oversee the Government’s purchase of social policy research to ensure the spending is aligned with the Government’s social policy priorities. SPEaR provides a focal point for social policy researchers and acts as a vehicle for communicating with the social research sector. (...)SPEaR reports to joint ministers (Social Services and Employment; Statistics; and Research, Science and Technology) through the chief executive of MSD."

"The Social Policy Journal is published twice yearly by the Ministry of Social Development to contribute to the development of public debate on social policy issues."
- incl. links to the complete text of eight issues from December 2000 to July 2004
Source:

- New Zealand
25-26 November (2004), Wellington Convention Centre
"What Works?" is a fundamental question for both policy and practice. The conference will bring together the policy, provider, research and evaluation communities and emphasise evidence-based policy and practice.
- incl. links to : General Information - Registration - Accommodation - Programme - Papers and Presentations - Speaker Profiles - Poster Competition - Social Programme - Contacts - Conference Partners - News Archive - Call for Abstracts (closed)

"The conference programme includes a combination of keynote plenary sessions, panel discussions and concurrent sessions. The Advisory Committee reviewed over 150 high quality abstracts submitted by leading New Zealand researchers. Over 100 papers have been included in the concurrent sessions which will provide delegates with a range of New Zealand perspectives on social policy, research and evaluation."
NOTE - one of the keynote addresses is a Canadian presentation: First Nations Peoples in Canada: The best caregivers for First Nations Children and Youth (by Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director, First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada)
Concurrent sessions include : Public Good Research Meets Policy and Practice - Social Capital - Capacity Building and Communities - What Works for Youth - Duncan McLennan on Housing Policy - What Works (Disability)
Incomes - Best Practice Research & Evaluation - Census Data - Improving Educational Outcomes - Primary Health Care - Social Indicators - Promoting Healthier Lifestyles - What Works for Children - Employment - Sustainable - Community Development - Housing Affordability - What Works for Families - Mortality - Migration - Family Violence - Achieving Work / Life Balance - Community, Culture, Housing - Mental Health

"An interactive site for information on development and poverty reduction, the Development Gateway portal provides a space for communities [worldwide] to share experiences on development efforts."
Search by keyword or browse by country or topics (aid effectiveness, gender and development, microfinance, water resources, etc.) for knowledge sharing, completed and ongoing projects, and business information.
The Development Gateway is an independent not-for-profit organization.
It was conceived by World Bank President James Wolfensohn and initially developed in the World Bank.

March 30, 2004
United Kingdom
"The Family Resources Survey collects information on the incomes and circumstances of private households in the United Kingdom. It has been running since October 1992. This site summarises the results of the tenth full survey year, which is the first to include data from Northern Ireland, in which approximately 29,000 households were interviewed.Information is provided on the background and methodological aspects of the survey with tables covering: Household characteristics - Income and state support receipt - Tenure and housing costs - Assets and savings - Carers - Occupation and employment
(PDF file - 23K, 2 pages)
(PDF file - 607K, 222 pages)
- links to individual sections of the report
Source:

[ ] - UK Government

Global poverty estimates and the millennium goals:
Towards a Unified Framework
April 2004
"This paper discusses the compatibility of different global poverty estimates under a unified framework, and examines the compatibility of various international poverty lines used in the literature under different purchasing power parity exchange rate estimates. The paper also addresses the issue of compatibility of survey means and national accounts data."
(PDF file - 2MB, 34 pages)
Source:

Child poverty in the UK
Second Report of Session 2003-04, Volume I
April 2004
Selected report highlights:
"... Child poverty is still a major problem: 3.6 million children live in poverty.
... The Government’s target of reducing child poverty by a quarter by 2004 is likely to be met.
... Meeting subsequent targets (reduction of child poverty to a half by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020) will be much more challenging since the achievement of those targets will involve helping those who are most disadvantaged.
... Accessible and affordable childcare available to all by 2010 should be the government’s goal."
Complete report:
- 1.1MB, 144 pages

Source:

"The Work and Pensions Select Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to 'examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Work and Pensions and its associated public bodies.'"
[ ]
London

Mexico : Canada's Other NAFTA Partner
(Volume 3)
Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs
March 2004
"I am perplexed by people who say that we should get out of the Free Trade Agreement. Should we put the tariffs, which ended in 1998, back on? They were not high anyway. The fact is that the world has moved on. Any benefits stemming from the FTA have ended. It is clear to me that we should focus on the multilateral trade negotiations that are taking place under the authority of the World Trade Organization." (from the Foreword by Peter Stollery, Chair)
Complete report:

(703K, 57 pages)

- incl. links to the above report and the first two volumes of this study by the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs:
- Volume 2: The Rising Dollar: Explanation and Economic Impacts (November 2003)
- Volume 1: Uncertain Access: The Consequences of U.S. Security and Trade Actions for Canadian Trade Policy (June 2003)

(PDF file - 260K, 36 pages)
Discussion Paper
March 2004
- seeking "views and further evidence from a wide range of experts and stakeholders on the material presented, and to stimulate discussion around questions posed within this paper, rather than to set out the way forward at this stage." [NOTE: the final date for input into this consultation was April 18/04]

Source:

"The Social Exclusion Unit was set up by the Prime Minister to help improve Government action to reduce social exclusion by producing 'joined-up solutions to joined-up problems'."
- incl. links to : Home • What is the SEU? • SEU's Work • Published Reports • Search SEU • Media • Current Projects • Site Index • Inclusion Newsletter
[ ]

Table of Contents: Sharing research data - Technological changes give data saving new impetus - Window of opportunity for data sharing - Cross-sectoral statistics programme to proceed - Apply now for Linkages Awards - Call for SPRE conference papers - Six Building Research Capability in Social Sciences assessments underway - Focus on youth transition research - Improving the justice system - Wide mandate for housing research centre - Quality relationships for healthy families - Linkages support for equity conference - Linkages round three results - Diary notes
Source:
(SPEaR) - New Zealand
"The Social Policy Evaluation and Research Committee, or SPEaR, is an interagency committee of New Zealand government agencies with an interest in social policy research and evaluation. Focusing on coordination of agency evaluation and research effort, SPEaR’s key role is to oversee the government’s social policy research purchase."
[more SPEaR links - further down on the page you're reading now ]

(released March 2004)
"This publication provides a cross-national comparison of the social security systems in 172 countries.
It summarizes the five main social insurance programs in those countries: old-age, disability, and survivors; sickness and maternity; work injury; unemployment; and family allowances. This report is now published in four regional volumes : Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas. The 1999 edition of this report (see the link below) contains all country reports in one volume.
- click the link above for links to reports for 35 countries throughout the Americas, from Antigua and Barbuda to Venezuela
Two country reports of particular interest:

Other Editions of Social Security Programs Throughout the World
o (released September 2002)
o (released March 2003)
o (released September 2003)
o (released August 1999)

- Ireland
Press Release
March 2, 2004
"Mary Coughlan T.D., Minister for Social and Family Affairs, today announced a series of restrictions aimed at securing and protecting the social welfare system. 'The Government has decided to put in place a number of measures which will restrict access to qualification for certain social welfare payments by introducing a 'habitual residence test' which will act as an additional condition to be satisfied by a person claiming a social assistance payment or Child Benefit,'said Minister Coughlan."
Source:

[ ]

["...anyone who wants to claim assistance will now have to prove that they have been resident in the State for at least two years. If they have been resident for less than the 2-year period it shall be presumed that they are not "habitually resident" and the onus will be on them to prove otherwise."]
Source:
[ ]

:

March 3, 2004
"Immigrants in Ireland will not be able to claim welfare benefits until they have lived in country for two years under new rules announced yesterday (2 March). The new rules will apply to all EU countries, except the UK, and are being put in place in response to a fear that several citizens from new member states will come to Ireland after enlargement on 1 May."
Source:

In Canada, the federal government contributes to the cost of provincial-territorial social assistance (welfare) programs through the Canada Social Transfer (CHST) since 1996. The sole criterion pertaining to social assistance under the CHST is that provinces and territories refrain from imposing a period of minimum residency as a condition of eligibility for social assistance.
Follow the CHST link for more info...

(PDF file - 1.8MB, 145 pages)
December 2003
Edited by J. Millar and M. Evans
- comparison of lone parenthood, welfare and government employment support programs in the United States, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands and United Kingdom (incl. detailed information on the U.K.'s New Deal for Lone Parents going back to 1997)
TIP: in Chapter Four of this report, you'll find 30 pages of detailed information about American welfare and social policy reforms since the mid-1990s, including recent developments (e.g., the welfare reauthorization debate, financial stresses at the state level, etc.), with a special focus on initiatives designed to move single parents from welfare into employment.
Source:

- U.K. Government

Davos, Switzerland
January 23, 2004
"The United Nations has to work because it reminds us, like no other institution - that all nations have interests that demand recognition, and all nations have responsibilities towards each other that they cannot shirk. The UN stands at the centre of the global vision - battered but crucial to defend - that says: it either works for all, or it doesn't work at all."
Source:

News Release
January 20, 2004
"Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced that he will attend the 2004 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, from January 21 to 23. Expected to attract more than 2,100 participants from 94 countries, the theme of the 34th annual meeting will be “Partnering for Security and Prosperity.”"
Source:

Press Release
December 17, 2003
Brussels,
"Tackling poverty and social exclusion is still an urgent political priority for the European Union, says the Commission in a new communication published today."
- incl. links to the draft joint report, the statistical annex, and frequently-asked questions

(PDF file - 950K, 216 pages)
Brussels
December 12, 2003
"Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions summarising the results of the examination of the National Action Plans for Social Inclusion ()"

NOTE: this enormous resource offers an in-depth analysis of efforts in the European Community (sorry, Canada and the U.S. aren't included...) to foster social inclusion and to reduce poverty.
- detailed information on the social policies and strategies of all 15 member states of the European Union, including: Situation and key trends - Progress made - Strategic approach - Key policy measures - Challenges ahead
- overall analysis of social inclusion initiatives in the EU: Situation and Key Trends - Assessment of Progress made since the 2001 NAP/inclusion - Strategic approach: main objectives and key targets of the 2003 NAP/inclusion - Key policy approaches: strengths and weaknesses - Gender Perspective - Current Issues and Future Challenges

"Europa is the portal site of the European Union. It provides up-to-date coverage of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration. Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties."
- good overview of site content
- 18 countries
- incl. links to : Newsletters - Press releases - Speeches - Publications - Legislation - Consultations - Key documents - Calls for Tender - Links - DG Employment and Social Affairs - Commissioner - Priorities and Objectives: The social policy agenda - Employment - European Social Fund - Working conditions and work organisations - Inclusive Society - Gender Equality - Horizontal activities - much more...
- 19-20 March 2003 (Brussels)
"The Social Policy Agenda has helped modernise the European social model, but more needs to be done, according to the participants at the conference...")
- shift in emphasis "from looking at costs of implementing social policies to a new view of analysing the costs of not implementing them."
- incl. links to 10 recent reports and studies and one memo entitled "The Cost of Non-Social Policy"
(part of Employment and Social Affairs)
- incl. links to : * The European Union Disability Strategy * EU policies * European Day of Disabled People * European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 * News * Publications * Key Documents * Funding Possibilities * Related Links * Contact us
- Click on the map to access a selection of links to research institutes in each of the 15 European Union countries
- currently contains 190 links to institutions engaging in research on the social situation, demography and family (incl. sociology, economics, policy and psychology).
Introducing the European Union
- Click on the map to access a selection of links to demographic, soocial and economic statistics in each of the 15 European Union countries

Second National Action Plans against poverty and social exclusion
- in these plans, every member state presents its priorities and efforts for the next two years (mid-2003 - mid-2005).
- includes the following countries : Austria - Belgium - Denmark - Finland - France - Germany - Greece - Ireland - Italy - Luxembourg - Netherlands - Portugal - Spain - Sweden - United Kingdom

(PDF file - 239K, 55 pages)
July 2003
London, England
(PDF file - 410K, 111 pages)
"This plan outlines the most important issues for the United Kingdom in the fight against poverty and social exclusion from 2003 to 2005. Contributing to the European Union’s (EU) long-term goal that there should be a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty, across Europe, by 2010, the UK has set itself a target to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020."
Source :

Social Research in
Other Countries - Governments

La recherche sociale
ailleurs dans le monde - Les gouvernements

Toronto

Social Research in Other Countries - Governments

La recherche sociale ailleurs dans le monde - Les gouvernements

Toronto

Social Research in
Other Countries - Governments

La recherche sociale
ailleurs dans le monde - Les gouvernements