Social Policy Impact on Vulnerable Groups

Executive Summary

This course aims to enhance participants’ ability to analyze social policies and assess their impact on vulnerable groups such as children, women, persons with disabilities, and low-income communities.

The training introduces analytical tools from a social justice and inclusion perspective and offers practical methodologies for assessing social and economic impacts.

Through hands-on exercises and case studies, participants will learn how to formulate evidence-based policy recommendations that ensure no one is left behind.

Introduction

Vulnerable populations often face systemic barriers to accessing fair and effective public services and protections. This requires inclusive and evidence-informed policy analysis.

This course provides a structured framework for evaluating whether social policies meet the real needs of marginalized groups and how they can be improved.

It blends both qualitative and quantitative methods, emphasizing participatory approaches and a rights-based policy perspective relevant to national and local contexts.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the fundamentals of social policy and who qualifies as vulnerable groups
  • Analyze the impacts of existing social policies on marginalized populations
  • Use tools and indicators for social impact evaluation
  • Integrate transparency, accountability, and social equity into policy design
  • Develop policy recommendations based on solid evidence
  • Incorporate human rights principles into policy analysis
  • Apply real-world case studies and comparative models from different contexts

Target Audience

  • Employees in ministries of social affairs, planning, health, and education
  • Civil society professionals and humanitarian workers
  • Experts working in social protection and development programs
  • Researchers in public policy and social sciences
  • Policy advisors, planners, and government stakeholders

Training Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Social Policies and Vulnerable Groups

• Definition and goals of social policies

• Who are vulnerable groups? Criteria and classification

• Dimensions of vulnerability: economic, social, gender-based

• The link between poverty, exclusion, and social disadvantage

• Examples of successful and failed social policies

Day 2: Tools for Social Policy Analysis

• Analytical frameworks in public policy

• Quantitative and qualitative analysis tools

• Assessing institutional, political, and social context

• Data collection and interpretation on vulnerable populations

• Indicators of equity and social justice

Day 3: Evaluating Social Impact

• Differences between monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment

• Approaches to impact evaluation: experimental, participatory, comparative

• Designing impact assessments for vulnerable groups

• Methodological challenges in measuring social change

• Using evidence to guide policy recommendations

Day 4: Community Engagement and Amplifying Voices

• Principles of community participation in policy-making

• Strategies for inclusive outreach and engagement

• Gathering feedback and public opinion

• Empowering vulnerable groups to influence policy decisions

• Case studies from Libya and the Arab region

Day 5: Designing More Inclusive and Equitable Policies

• Key principles for inclusive, responsive policy design

• Incorporating international human rights frameworks into national policies

• Drafting policy recommendations based on analysis

• Developing an analytical matrix for decision-makers

• Applied workshop: group analysis of an existing social policy

Conclusion

This course equips participants with essential tools and methodologies to evaluate and improve social policies from an inclusion and justice perspective.

It enables institutions to assess social outcomes more effectively, make evidence-based decisions, and craft policies that reach the most vulnerable in society.

iOpener Training