The PSNP Programme Implementation Manual.

The Programme Implementation Manual (PIM) for Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme Phase 5 (PSNP5) serves as the authoritative guide for programme design, objectives, principles, and operational procedures. It is legally binding under the Financing Agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the International Development Association and requires annual review and World Bank approval for any amendments. PSNP5 builds on previous phases to address persistent rural poverty and vulnerability to shocks. It shifts focus from chronic food insecurity to extreme poverty, aligning with Ethiopia’s Ten-Year Development Plan, the Social Protection Policy, Disaster Risk Management Policy, and other national strategies. The programme also supports the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to poverty reduction, food security, gender equality, and climate resilience. The overarching goal is to contribute to reducing extreme poverty in rural Ethiopia, while its core outcome is enhancing resilience of poor and vulnerable households to idiosyncratic and covariate shocks. This is pursued through six outputs: timely and adequate transfers; shock-responsive assistance; public works that promote livelihoods and climate adaptation; linkages to social services; tailored livelihood options; and strengthened management and capacity. PSNP5 operates under mandatory principles, including fairness in targeting, predictability of transfers, prioritization of cash over food where markets function, gender equity, nutrition sensitivity, and integration into local systems. It emphasizes scalable safety nets, productive public works, and livelihood pathways tailored to household capacity and context. Environmental and social safeguards are integral to implementation. The Environmental and Social Management Framework governs risk mitigation for public works and livelihood activities, while additional standards address labor conditions, resource efficiency, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and stakeholder engagement. Gender equity measures include childcare support, exemptions for pregnant and lactating women, and quotas for women in livelihood grants. Institutional arrangements span federal, regional, woreda, and kebele levels, with the Ministry of Agriculture as lead agency supported by other ministries and development partners. Governance relies on formal accountability mechanisms, performance-based conditionalities, and multi-tiered committees to ensure transparency and adaptive management. It integrates linkages to health, education, and nutrition services, promotes climate-smart public works, and strengthens financial inclusion and job creation, particularly for women and youth. The programme adopts a systems-based approach to ensure sustainability, resilience, and measurable contributions to Ethiopia’s poverty reduction and development objectives.