S6 Ep14: Graduation programmes: BRAC’s approach to targeting the ultra-poor
Apr 9, 2025
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Shameran Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International, shares insights on BRAC’s graduation approach, designed to lift ultra-poor households out of poverty. He explores how the model, first pioneered in Bangladesh, uniquely tailors support through community involvement. The conversation delves into the transformative power of comprehensive aid, sustainable livelihood strategies, and the importance of continuous impact evaluation. Abed emphasizes scaling these innovative programs to meet global needs, especially for marginalized groups.
The Graduation approach targets the ultra-poor, particularly vulnerable households led by women, with tailored support for effective poverty alleviation.
A flexible implementation of the program adjusts to local dynamics, emphasizing collaborations with stakeholders to scale and sustain successful poverty reduction strategies.
Deep dives
Origins of the Graduation Approach
The graduation approach was established by BRAC in Bangladesh in 2002, originating from the realization that many traditional poverty alleviation programs were not reaching the most marginalized populations. Research in the mid-90s identified a subset of ultra-poor individuals, primarily women heading households due to abandonment or loss of family members, who were invisible to many interventions. Recognizing their unique vulnerabilities, BRAC shifted its focus to design targeted programs that would specifically cater to these ultra-poor groups, ensuring that the right individuals were identified and engaged. This led to the launch of the Targeting the Ultra Poor Program, which emphasized participatory rural appraisal to allow communities to identify their poorest members and involve them in the program’s development.
Key Elements of the Graduation Program
The graduation program deviates from traditional social protection methods by providing intensive support over a limited time frame, allowing participants to escape the cycle of poverty rather than remain dependent on continuous aid. It typically involves a substantial upfront investment in assets, such as livestock or skills training, alongside supportive services to empower households in building resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Essential to this approach is the role of coaching and confidence-building, enabling participants to navigate economic and social barriers effectively. Evaluation of the program demonstrates strong long-term success, with graduates not only improving their immediate circumstances but also continuing to progress post-program completion.
Flexibility and Adaptation in Implementation
Over the years, the graduation approach has evolved to accommodate varying contexts and needs, adapting its structure and sequencing based on local dynamics. For example, in early implementations, participants received stipends alongside asset injections to prevent asset depletion; however, this was later replaced with savings matching to enhance financial resilience. The program's design is flexible, allowing for adaptations in urban settings where strategies differ significantly from rural applications due to distinct challenges such as unstable housing and the absence of traditional land use. This ongoing adaptability reflects a commitment to effectively addressing the specific vulnerabilities of participants in diverse environments.
Scaling the Graduation Model
Despite the widespread success of the graduation approach, significant challenges remain in scaling the program globally amid changing funding landscapes. The program demonstrates a promising return on investment, estimated at around $1,000 per household to lift families out of ultra-poverty, suggesting that with adequate resources, the challenge of extreme poverty could be effectively addressed if integrated into existing governmental frameworks. However, to maximize impact, governments must enhance their capacities to implement successful poverty alleviation strategies rather than solely increasing financial outlay. Collaborative efforts with various stakeholders, including governments and NGOs, are necessary to ensure that best practices are shared and adopted on a larger scale.
The Graduation approach to helping people to escape from poverty was pioneered in 2002 by BRAC in Bangladesh. Today the approach is used around the world. In more than 20 years, what have we learned about how it works, when it works best, and how to implement it at scale? Shameran Abed, the Executive Director of BRAC International talks to Tim Phillips about how the Graduation approach reaches people that other programmes miss, why it works, and how it can be scaled up to meet needs around the world.
