Structural transformations in the labour market are leading to a growing demand for social assistance in many parts of the world, combined with a much stronger focus on its role in promoting social inclusion. In Africa such schemes have only now begun to be established but have drawn growing attention of policy makers. These changes lead to review the place of social assistance in the social protection framework and to reassess its linkages to other policy instruments for fighting poverty and social exclusion.

­This paper addresses the growing importance of the role which social assistance plays in different regions and countries. It further reviews modalities and necessary steps to place social assistance in national social protection, decent work and poverty reduction strategies and discusses strategic choices for their design and implementation in specific contexts.

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