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Understanding Mozambique’s social protection system in the context of recurring shocks – perspectives from the field

Effective social protection programmes that meet local needs can significantly enhance wellbeing and break the cycle of structural poverty among the poor and vulnerable. Measuring their effectiveness and understanding their impact is crucial for policymakers involved in their design. The Vulnerable Lives Survey (VLS), implemented in Mozambique under the Inclusive Growth in Mozambique (IGM) programme, aims to assess the effectiveness of the country’s flagship non-contributory social pension scheme. In this blog, we share insights and experiences from our three months of fieldwork in the provinces of Maputo, Nampula, Sofala, and Zambezia.

Mozambique ranks 185 out of 191 countries on the 2022 Human Development Index. It is one of the 10 countries most affected by natural disasters worldwide and suffers from ongoing internal conflicts in the center and north. Combatting extreme poverty in these vulnerable contexts is challenging, but international evidence suggests that well-designed, cash-based programmes can effectively contribute to reducing poverty and vulnerability.

While the budget for social protection in Mozambique, although growing, is small compared to the existing needs, there is growing interest from the Mozambican Government and international partners to expand it and improve coverage. Currently, the largest social assistance programme is the Basic Social Subsidy Programme (PSSB; Programa de Subsídio Social Básico), which began in 1990 to assist specific vulnerable groups, including the elderly, those with disabilities or chronic illnesses, children, and orphans. The PSSB-elderly, which focuses on individuals aged 60 and above, is the largest component of this programme and provides beneficiaries with an average monthly cash payment of about MZN 540 (USD 8.45).    

Current evidence on the effectiveness of the PSSB-elderly is limited. The VLS aims to bridge this gap by collecting data on both programme beneficiaries and comparable individuals in the same communities over multiple time periods, focusing on their socioeconomic situations and experiences of shocks. This study will generate solid evidence on the contribution impact of social protection measures to wellbeing and resilience. The analysis of the resulting panel data will help to inform the design of social protection measures in areas such as targeting, payment frequency and amounts, as well as responses to shocks.  

The first round of the VLS survey, conducted between May and August 2024, included 2,400 households across Nampula, Zambezia, Sofala, and Maputo provinces—1,000 PSSB-elderly beneficiaries and 1,400 non-beneficiaries (comparison group). A second round is planned for late 2024.

Challenges of data collection among vulnerable populations

Data collection among vulnerable communities requires careful ethical consideration, including the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Ensuring transparency and obtaining informed consent, particularly from elderly rural residents, demands experienced interviewers proficient in local languages.  

The sensitive nature of questions related to socioeconomic history, or the impact of climate and violence shocks requires well-trained interviewers prepared to handle potential traumatic reactions with sensitivity. Data collection teams must comply with the highest ethical standards to foster trust and respect, which are crucial for collecting reliable data.  

Dynamics of data collection in the field

Vulnerable communities often reside far from urban centers with limited access to public infrastructure and social services. Some areas, especially in Sofala and Zambezia provinces near the Zambeze River, are challenging to access and may involve encounters with dangerous wildlife like crocodiles and elephants.  

Additionally, the team sometimes encountered beneficiaries living in remote areas accessible only by foot or boat, such as islands in the middle of the Zambeze River. This required multiple adjustments to the data collection plan. We also discovered that some beneficiaries listed in the programme had passed away, sometimes up to two years earlier.

The team often had to start their day very early to traverse long and difficult distances to reach the communities during daylight. They frequently relied on local guides to find the exact location of selected households—as typically only one or two people in each neighbourhood knew the area well enough to assist in locating these remote sites. This underscores why the beneficiary list is not frequently updated.  

Delays in subsidy payments also posed significant challenges, requiring the team to manage beneficiaries’ expectations clearly and sensitively.

VLS producing critical evidence for policymaking in Mozambique

The VLS will provide critical data for designing effective social assistance policies in Mozambique. While international evidence shows that cash-based social protection programmes can be highly effective, implementation details matter. In particular, the regularity and timing of payments are crucial; if payments are unpredictable, they may not provide a basis for investments in assets that can make more sustained positive impacts in people’s lives. We believe that the ongoing data collection and analysis will provide further evidence to enhance the effectiveness of the PSSB-elderly programme, making it a vital tool in the effort to alleviate poverty in Mozambique.

Sara Almeida holds a PhD in Economics and is an honorary researcher at Imperial College London. She currently works as a post-doc researcher with social protection and health as main areas of interest. In the VLS, she worked as data quality monitor in the field in the provinces of Maputo and Nampula.

Amadeu das Neves has a degree in Management and Cultural Studies from the Instituto Superior de Artes e Cultura de Moçambique. He works as an Independent Consultant for Quantitative and Qualitative Studies in Social areas. In the VLS, he worked as Field Work Supervisor in the provinces of Nampula, Zambezia, and Sofala. 

The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute or the United Nations University, nor the programme/project donors.