Multidimensional Social Programmes at Scale for Lasting Pathways Out of Extreme Poverty – OECD

This chapter is included in the Development Co-operation Report 2024, Tackling Poverty and Inequalities through the Green Transition. The chapter is authored by BRAC International’s Executive Director, Shameran Abed. 

In tackling entrenched poverty, policymakers and global actors can look to rigorous research for guidance on effective solutions. Multidimensional programmes, including the established Graduation approach pioneered by BRAC in Bangladesh, provide a time-bound, carefully sequenced set of interventions that can offer a lasting pathway out of extreme poverty. Such programmes have had success across Africa, Latin America and Asia, including in fragile contexts like Afghanistan and government scale-ups have reached more than 5 million people. Further scaling their impact requires integrating this approach into national policy, planning and existing social programmes as well as development co-operation financing and support for better co-ordination.