Study investigates use of ‘Graduation Approach’ in combating poverty

AMMAN — The Resilient Youth, Socially & Economically (RYSE) partnership, under the lead of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), on Wednesday released a joint research study with the Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) on the barriers and opportunities for the use of the Graduation Approach, a framework built on “internationally recognised” best practices for poverty alleviation, according to Rima Al Qaisi, the RYSE Consortium Chief of Party.

RYSE is a consortium that includes the Jordan River Foundation, Generations for Peace, Mercy Corps, INJAZ, led by DRC, and is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, according to a DRC statement. 

“It [the graduation approach] proved international success in helping vulnerable individuals carve a path out of poverty. The graduation approach is based on the idea that poor and vulnerable households can and must be equipped to do more than just cope,” said Qaisi.

The report launch included a panel discussion that featured panellists from the Ministry of Social Development, the RYSE Consortium and UNHCR, according to the statement.

With the Syrian conflict now in its 12th year, vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees in Jordan continue to face a fragile economy with limited prospects for self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods, the statement said. 

To date, most livelihood programming in Jordan has focused on “push strategies” such as vocational training, short-term job matching and cash-for-work programming. 

However, with Jordan’s “stagnant private sector growth”, high public sector unemployment rates and reliance on the informal economy, these interventions that focus on building the capacity of individual level actors to engage in markets “have not proven sustainable”, according to the statement. 

Notable opportunities within the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and food processing and agribusiness have been identified as high-growth opportunities that would also be appropriate for women, youth, and Syrian refugees, who often face additional barriers to market engagement, the statement said. 

The Graduation Approach can help displaced people meet their needs in a sustainable way and therefore contribute to supporting pathways towards durable solutions for refugees that enable them to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity, the statement concluded.