Stephen Kidd – Dec 2011
Stephen Kidd - Senior Social Policy Specialist
Development Pathways
[email protected]
Summary
For the past 25 years, Dr. Stephen Kidd has worked as a consultant and adviser on social development and
social protection. He is currently a Senior Social Policy Specialist at Development Pathways, a member of
AusAID’s Social Protection Expert Panel, and has previously worked for DFID as a Senior Social Development
Adviser, including leading its Equity and Rights Policy Team, and as Director of Policy and Communications at
HelpAge International. He has significant leadership experience and has worked in a number of fragile and
conflict-affected states, including Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Kenya, Papua New Guinea and the
Solomon Islands.
Dr. Kidd has engaged extensively on social protection in Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Latin America where he
has supported work on policy, research and good practice in implementation. His experience ranges from
advisory support to the development of national strategies on social protection in Rwanda, Uganda, Nepal,
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, leading the design of social transfer programmes in Uganda and Nepal,
undertaking assessments of social transfer programmes in Kenya, Ghana and Fiji, research on social
protection in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Kiribati, Fiji and the Pacific, and teaching on social
protection on the Cape Town and Chiang Mai “Design of Social Transfer programmes” course as well as on a
range of more specialised training courses in, for example, Uganda, Tanzania, Nepal, Barbados, Australia,
and the Netherlands. Dr. Kidd has also undertaken research and published on social protection, such as on
targeting – including an assessment of the Proxy Means Test methodology – conditional cash transfers
(CCTs), pensions and the political economy of social protection, including its role in state-building.
Dr. Kidd has many years of experience engaging on broader social policy and social development. He was
employed as a Social Development Adviser on DFID’s Overseas Territories, Latin America, and China
programmes, then as a Senior Social Development Adviser leading DFID’s Reaching the Poorest, Social
Protection and Equity and Rights teams in Policy Division. Between 2007 and 2009, he was Director of Policy
and Communications at HelpAge International and, more recently, has worked on an AusAID/GIZ
programme to strengthen the delivery of public services in Paraguay and led a team supporting the design of
AusAID’s rural development Delivery Strategy in Lao PDR.
Dr. Kidd is an anthropologist by training, with a Ph.D from the University of St. Andrews and spent two years
as a lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh following ten years living with indigenous
people in Paraguay, where he led an integrated rural development programme before establishing a NGO
that provided legal services to indigenous communities undertaking land and labour claims.
Key strengths






Excellent understanding of social protection policy in developing countries
Significant experience of design of social protection programmes
Experience of teaching on social protection, with good presentational skills
Strong analytical and writing skills
Good understanding of broader social development
Significant experience of leadership, both within institutions and consultancy teams
Development Pathways
1
Stephen Kidd – Dec 2011
Academic qualifications
Ph.D. in Social Anthropology
M.A. in Social Anthropology
M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering (Natural
Resource Management)
M.A. (Hons) in Geography, First Class
University of St. Andrews, UK
University of Durham, UK
Cranfield Institute of Technology, UK
2000
1992
1984
University of Aberdeen, UK
1982
Country experience
Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, St. Helena, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Asia: Thailand, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, Indonesia
Americas: Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands
Pacific: Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
Work experience
Current position: Senior Social Policy Specialist at Development Pathways
Member of AusAID’s Expert Panel on Social Protection
Consultancies undertaken from May 2009:
 Oct-Dec 2011: Member of Development Pathways team designing and delivering a one-week training
course on Social Transfers in Uganda.
 Nov 2011: Advice to Government of Indonesia on development of a national strategy for Social
Assistance and on the design of a pension and disability grant.
 Oct 2011 – Mar 2013: Adviser to GIZ programme developing a national strategy system for localised
and coordinated delivery of social services in Paraguay, representing AusAID.
 Oct 2011: Lead adviser on assessment of targeting in Kenya’s CT-OVC programme, for DFID
 Oct 2011: Scoping of options for further DFID engagement in social protection in Kenya
 Aug-Oct 2011: Team leader to develop a situational analysis and theory of change for rural
development in Lao PDR, and propose recommendations for AusAID’s rural development Delivery
Strategy.
 August 2011: Participation in national consultative forum on social protection in Papua New Guinea,
including a role as keynote speaker. Funded by AusAID.
 June 2011: Teaching on targeting and conditional cash transfers for a UNICEF South Asia social policy
workshop.
 May 2011: Member of GIZ and AusAID team designing a programme to strengthen co-ordination in
the delivery of public services in Paraguay
 Apr 2011 – May 2011: Team leader of targeting assessment of Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme
 Mar 2011 – May 2011: Social protection adviser for needs assessment of Ghana LEAP cash transfer
scheme, leading on M&E and institutional arrangements.
 Feb 2011 – May 2011: Development of implementation plan for Rwanda’s National Social Protection
Strategy
 Feb 2011 – Apr 2011: Member of team undertaking research and producing publication on good
practice in Management Information Systems for social protection.
 Nov 2010 – Jun 2011: Team Leader in research programme to develop an Evidence Paper on social
protection in Nepal, for DFID.
Development Pathways
2
Stephen Kidd – Dec 2011
 Nov 2010 – Jan 2011: Team Leader for assessment of Social Protection Management Information
Systems in Kenya, for DFID.
 October 2010: Support to development of National Social Protection Strategy in Papua New Guinea,
for AusAID
 Aug 2010 – Jun 2011: Leading team developing an initial proposal for a Child Grant in Pakistan, for
UNICEF, including policy discussions in Pakistan
 Aug and Nov 2010: Teaching on Economic Policy Research Institute’s course on Social Transfers; topics
covered were targeting, conditional cash transfers (CCTs), pensions, and the political economy of social
protection
 August 2010 – June 2011: Provision of advice to AusAID on social protection in Fiji; support to World
Bank team leading programme of reform in Fiji’s Family Assistance Programme.
 July-Nov 2010: Training and policy support on development of national Social Protection Strategy in
Nepal (for DFID).
 July 2010: Leading team undertaking a desk-based review of social protection in Africa for AusAID
 June to December 2010: Research on Proxy Means Testing targeting mechanism for AusAID.
 May-Jun 2010: Scoping study to assess potential AusAID support to development of National Social
Protection Policy in Papua New Guinea
 May – Nov 2010: Research for AusAID on social protection in the Pacific covering: a) Social Protection
in Kiribati; b) Health, Education and Social Protection; and c) Poverty, Risk and Vulnerability in the
Pacific.
 Apr-Jul 2010: Leading a team designing a cash transfer pilot programme in Nepal, for DFID and UNCDF
 Feb 2010 onwards: Provision of advice to Expanding Social Protection Programme in Uganda, funded
by DFID and Irish Aid
 Feb-Mar 2010: Support to DFID in generating evidence on Social Protection in Nepal
 Jan 2010: Desk review of social protection in Pakistan (for AusAID)
 Jan-Mar 2010: Design of Rwanda’s National Social Protection Strategy (DFID)
 Dec 2009: Review of design of a conditional cash transfer pilot programme in Nepal (DFID)
 Dec 2009: Supporting design of World Bank/AusAID programme to reform the Fiji Family Assistance
cash transfer programme.
 Oct 2009: Leading team designing cash transfer programme in pastoralist Karamoja region of Uganda,
for Irish Aid
 Sept-Dec 2009: Lead consultant in the design of a research programme on social protection in the
Pacific, for AusAID
 Aug & Nov 2009: Teaching on Economic Policy Research Institute’s course on Social Transfers; topics
covered were targeting, conditional cash transfers, pensions, and the political economy of social
protection
 July-Sept 2009: Leading a 12-person team designing a DFID-funded Social Protection programme in
Uganda, including preparation of DFID internal programme documentation and design of a cash
transfer pilot programme for 500,000 people.
 June-Aug 2009: Advising AusAID in the preparation of a programme to provide technical assistance to
support the reform of Fiji’s Family Assistance Programme, a cash transfer managed by the Department
of Social Welfare
 May 2009 onward: Provision of a HelpDesk function to AusAID on social protection.
 May 2009: Organising and providing training to AusAID staff on social protection, in Canberra,
Australia
2007-2009
Director of Policy and Communications at HelpAge International
Responsibilities:
Development Pathways
3
Stephen Kidd – Dec 2011
a) Overall responsibility for HAI’s policy, communications and advocacy work. Main policy areas covered by
department are Social Protection, Human Rights, Livelihoods, HIV and AIDS, and Ageing
b) Member of Directors’ Group providing overall leadership to HAI
c) Management of Policy and Communications Department, with 16 staff
d) Leading HAI’s policy work on social protection including:
 Co-ordinating social protection initiatives across HAI, including drafting of an institutional
strategy on pensions (March 2008)
 Providing advice on pensions to developing country governments (eg. Zambia, Malawi, Sri
Lanka, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador). This has included leading comprehensive studies on the
feasibility of universal pensions in Malawi and Sri Lanka.
 Providing training on social protection including:
 Trainer on Designing and Implementing Social Transfers course run by Economic Policy
Research Institute (EPRI) of South Africa. Courses are held twice a year in Cape Town
and Chiang Mai. I teach modules on Conditional Cash Transfers, Targeting, Pensions and
Politics and Social Protection
 Training of government, NGO and donor staff in Tanzania on broad social protection
(November 2008) and in Caribbean on pensions (October 2008)
 Training for INGOs on broad social protection (eg. Oxfam Novib in March 2009, HAI in
June and September 2008)
 Moving forward HAI’s analytical thinking on social protection, in particular on pensions,
including publications
 Speaking at international conferences and participation in international working groups
including ILO Experts Group on a Minimum Social Security Floor, OHCHR Experts Group on
Cash Transfers and Human Rights, and Inter-Agency Task Team on HIV and AIDS
 Undertaking research on pensions including:
 Leading research on the links between pensions and employment in South Africa, with
EPRI and the University of Western Cape
 Research into models of pension provision in developing countries.
2001-2007
Senior Social Development Adviser in Department for International Development (DFID)
Responsibilities
a) Team Leader: Equity and Rights Team in DFID’s Policy Division (2006-7). The team had 16 staff members
and led DFID policy on Social Protection, Labour Standards, Human Rights, Social Exclusion and Gender. Key
achievements and main responsibilities included:
 Providing regular advice and briefings for Ministers and Top Management
 Overseeing development and approval of a Gender Strategy for DFID
 Overseeing development and approval of a DFID-wide action plan on disability and
international development
 Recognition in 2006 UK White Paper of Social Protection as an essential public service and
commitments by DFID to increase significantly its spending on social protection in 10 countries
 Review - in 2007 - of 2005 Social Transfers Action Plan and endorsement by Top Management
of an increased commitment by DFID to social protection
 Provision of advice on social protection to DFID country offices including Pakistan, Kenya and
Ethiopia
 Leadership of and advisory inputs into key projects including: 1) publication - by EPRI - of
handbook on Designing and Implementing Social Transfer Programmes; 2) establishing EPRI
course on Social Transfers; 3) setting up Brazil-Africa exchange programme; and, 4) research in Mexico - of impacts of cash transfers on local markets and non-beneficiaries.
Development Pathways
4
Stephen Kidd – Dec 2011

Publication of a series of briefing papers on key social protection issues including Social
Protection and Economic Growth; Fiduciary Risk in Social Transfer Programmes; Social
Protection and Financial Institutions
 Representation of DFID in social protection forums and international conferences
b) Team Leader: Social Protection and Reaching the Very Poorest teams in DFID’s Policy Division (2004-6).
The team had 8 staff members and was responsible for a significant increase in DFID’s commitment to social
protection. Key achievements and main responsibilities included:
 Publication of a key paper on Social Transfers and Chronic Poverty. I authored the paper and
led discussions on its content with top management and Ministers. The paper was
accompanied by a DFID-wide Action Plan.
 Publication of briefing papers on key social protection issues including: Affordability of Social
Transfers; Defining Social Protection; and Social Transfers and Human Development
 Responsibility for Livingstone conference (with HAI) - in 2005 - that led to endorsement of
social protection by 13 African countries.
 Provision of social protection advice to DFID country offices including Zambia, Kenya, Pakistan
and Brazil
 Representation of DFID in social protection forums and international conferences
 Funding of research on social protection eg. on conditional cash transfers with UNDP
International Poverty Centre;
c) Social Development Adviser on DFID’s Latin America Programme (2003-4). My main responsibilities were
to build a partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). This included leading the design of
IADB trust funds on 1) Markets and Trade, and 2) Social Inclusion. I also provided advice to DFID country
offices in Latin America.
d) Social Development Adviser on DFID’s China Programme (2001-3). My main responsibilities were to
provide social development advice in the design of three major World Bank/DFID projects on health,
education and rural development. I also initiated DFID’s work on health promotion; oversaw research on
health financing and access to health services of vulnerable groups; and led work to increase civil society
participation in ethnic minority regions.
2000-2001
Independent Social Development Consultant
I mainly undertook consultancy work for DFID including:
 Providing part-time cover as Social Development Adviser in DFID’s Overseas Territories
Department. I undertook a human rights review of St. Helena making recommendations on
governance, gender equity, domestic violence and addressing social exclusion. Most
recommendations were taken forward. I reviewed a DFID cash transfer programme on
Montserrat and undertook a review of DFID’s work on Turks and Caicos
 Governance review of DFID’s programme in Pacific, including visits to Fiji and Solomon Islands
 Temporary cover as Social Development Adviser in DFID’s China programme
1999-2000
Lecturer in Social Anthropology and Consultant on International Development at
Edinburgh University
My main responsibilities included:
 Undertaking consultancies for DFID. This included reviewing project proposals and reports for DFID’s
Civil Society Challenge Fund. I also provided cover as a Social Development Adviser on DFID’s St.
Helena programme and undertook a review of a Gender Rights programme in the Pacific - RRRT visiting Fiji and Vanuatu.
 Lecturing on various social anthropology topics including 1) Introduction to Social Anthropology; 2)
Indigenous People in South American Lowlands; and 3) Philosophy of Social Anthropology
Development Pathways
5
Stephen Kidd – Dec 2011
1993-1996
Chief Executive of Paraguayan NGO “Tierraviva”
I established the NGO Tierraviva in 1993. The organisation employed 9 staff and provided legal advice to
indigenous communities on land and labour rights. As a result, indigenous communities gained land titles to
80,000 hectares
1984-1992
Co-ordinator of La Herencia Rural Development Programme in Paraguay
La Herencia was an integrated rural development programme working with indigenous communities in the
Paraguayan Chaco, under the auspices of the Anglican Church. Between 1984 and 1986 I supervised support
to 1,000 indigenous people settling on a 10,000 hectare colony. Subsequently, I co-ordinated La Herencia’s
overall support to more than 40 indigenous communities and initiated a programme providing support to
indigenous communities’ land claims.
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS ON SOCIAL PROTECTION
Forthcoming: Social Transfers in Pakistan: an alternative approach. Publication commissioned by UNICEF
(with Emily Wylde)
Forthcoming: Evidence Paper on Social Security in Nepal. Publication commissioned by DFID (with Emily
Wylde).
Forthcoming: Poverty and Vulnerability in the Pacific: the Role of Social Transfers. To be published by
AusAID.
Forthcoming: Achieving Health and Education Outcomes in the Pacific: is there a Role for Social Transfers? To
be published by AusAID.
Forthcoming: Social Protection in the Pacific: Focal Country Study – Kiribati. To be published by AusAID (with
Ueantabo MacKenzie)
2011:
Targeting the Poorest: An Assessment of the Proxy Means Test Methodology. Report
published by AusAID, Australia. (With Emily Wylde)
2011:
Good Practice in the Development of Management Information Systems for Social
Protection. Published by HelpAge International, Pension Watch Series (with R. Chirchir)
2011:
Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes: what does the evidence tell us? Published by DFID
Nepal (with Rebecca Calder)
2011:
Assessing options for Nepal’s Social Grants: what does the evidence tell us? Published by
DFID Nepal (with Rebecca Calder and Emily Wylde)
2010
Social Protection in the Pacific: A Review of its Adequacy and Role in Addressing Poverty
(with Nick Freeland, Frank Ellis, Mike Samson and Bernie Wyler). Published by Australian
Government/AusAID.
2009
“Equal Pensions, Equal Rights: Achieving Universal Pension Coverage for Older Men and
Women in Developing Countries.” In Gender & Development, 17:3, 377-388
2009
“Pensions and Old Age Poverty” (with Ed Whitehouse). In: Closing the Coverage Gap: the
Role of Social Pensions. Eds. D. Robalino, R. Holzmann. Published by World Bank
2009
“Rethinking the Role of Social Security in Development” (with Michael Cichon, Rudiger
Krech, Christine Behrendt, Krzyzstof Hagemaier and Peter Townsend); published in P.
Townsend (ed): Building Decent Societies: Rethinking the Role of Social Security in
Development. International Labour Organisation
2008
Tackling Poverty in Old Age: a Universal Pension for Sri Lanka. Published by HelpAge Sri
Lanka (with Larry Wilmore).
2005
Social Transfers and Chronic Poverty: Emerging Evidence and the Challenge Ahead. DFID
Practice Paper
1997
The Working Conditions of the Indigenous People of Paraguay. In Enslaved Peoples in the
1990s: Indigenous Peoples, Debt Bondage and Human Rights. Anti-Slavery International and
IWGIA
Development Pathways
6