Social Protection Indicators of Coverage and Effectiveness: A Tool for Social Protection Assessment

This report introduces ADB's Social Protection Indicators of Coverage and Effectiveness (SPICES) framework, a methodology for assessing social protection systems in Asia and the Pacific. The framework assists evidence-based decision-making and supports poverty reduction efforts.

Offering practical guidelines for policymakers, it explains how SPICES organizes indicators by inputs (government social protection expenditure), outputs (expenditure per beneficiary), and outcomes (impact on poverty and inequality).

Outlining how SPICES builds on ADB's pioneering social protection indicator (SPI), it shows how it classifies programs within six main needs, looks at data collection and analysis, and highlights how using cross-regional comparisons can generate valuable lessons for countries.