This resource provides an overview of how the Graduation approach impacts health and women’s empowerment. The Graduation approach was not designed with a health focus–nor have studies of the approach been designed to focus on health outcomes–various studies suggest it has positive impacts on a range of health outcomes, including child health and nutrition. Further … Continued
Global evidence indicates that the Graduation approach reduces vulnerability of households living in extreme poverty from climate-related shocks, and specific adjustments to adapt to climate change may offer even greater protection. This brief provides an overview of the rigorous evidence from different countries and contexts around the globe, indicating that the standard Graduation approach reduces … Continued
The webinar was originally hosted and published by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). IPA and the Gates Foundation are collaborating to advance meaningful and rigorous evidence on the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) approach and its adaptations and innovations. UPG programs provide households with a holistic set of services including livelihood trainings, productive asset transfers, consumption support, … Continued
Caption (image above): Members of the BRAC team, led by Managing Director, Greg Chen, met with Minister Musabyimana and Minister Kayisire with the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) in Rwanda. The meeting reviewed the progress of collaboration for the National Strategy for Sustainable Graduation. In recent years, momentum has grown to take evidence-based solutions to … Continued
The South-South Learning Forum (SSLF) 2025, held in Kigali, Rwanda, convened 270 policymakers, practitioners, and partners from nearly 60 countries to exchange strategies for scaling economic inclusion programs that create jobs for the poor. Co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank’s Social Protection Global Practice, in collaboration with the Partnership for Economic … Continued
In 2000, Jane Jacobs wrote about the complexity and unpredictability of development in her book The Nature of Economies. She described development as an open-ended process, a qualitative change that “can’t be usefully thought of as a line, or even a collection of open-ended lines. It operates as a web of interdependent co-developments.” The idea … Continued
This episode was originally published by VoxDev on April 9, 2025. In this episode of VoxDevTalks, Tim Phillips speaks with Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International, about the ‘Graduation approach’: a pioneering intervention model developed by BRAC in Bangladesh to help the ultra-poor build sustainable livelihoods and escape extreme poverty. More than 20 years after … Continued
BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative is working to help scale up Graduation through governments with an audacious goal of reaching 21 million people. To reach that scale, we are continuously consulting the literature and gathering feedback from deeply experienced implementers at BRAC and beyond on how to scale more effectively. We recently engaged in an exercise … Continued
This resource identifies the essential elements required for the Graduation approach to deliver long-term gains and put people on a long-term, upward trajectory out of extreme poverty. These essentials are based on what we know of the programme’s design and the global evidence. Meaning it will evolve as more learnings come to light. This IS … Continued
The Brazilian government is taking another step forward in consolidating the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty. During the G20 Social Summit, governments, international organisations, philanthropic entities and non-governmental organisations announced historic commitments to promote the eradication of hunger and poverty in the world by 2030. The announcements were formalised in an activity promoted by … Continued