What is social analysis?

Social analysis at the World Bank involves examining the socio-cultural, institutional, historical and political context within which the World Bank works. Through social analysis the World Bank assesses whether its programs and operations are likely to meet their social objectives and identifies measures that will ensure that these objectives are achieved. Social analysis also helps to assess the likely outcomes, impacts and social risks that need to be considered in the design of projects and programs, including the views and priorities of relevant stakeholders.  

Complementing economic analysis, social analysis assesses the likelihood that the World Bank’s operations will be socially sustainable and that its social benefits and economic opportunities will be widely shared. It identifies opportunities and constraints arising from the country's socio-cultural, institutional, historical and political context to prepare strategies and programs that contribute to the country's development objectives as well as to the Bank's core mission of poverty reduction. In particular, social analysis helps to incorporate the goals of equity and social inclusion into the World Bank’s projects and programs.

At the World Bank, social analysis is undertaken on multiple levels.  The World Bank conducts social analysis on the country-level, as inputs into the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) process or other key policy documents, on the sector-level to support policy reforms and sector strategies, and on the project-level, as an integral part of project appraisal to judge whether the project's social development outcomes have been clearly identified and Bank support is justified. Additionally, a social assessment may be undertaken by the Borrower for the purpose of obtaining the views of stakeholders in order to improve the design of the project and establishing a participatory process for implementation and monitoring