Atos Consulting led a consortium in delivering a large and multi-faceted programme in support of poverty reduction in the Leningrad Oblast (SPRILO) in Russia.

Business Challenges

The programme operated at both central Oblast level and at municipalities and institutions. At Oblast level, the work included:

Strategic Planning/Coordination and Poverty Monitoring – Supporting the development of evidence-based strategy, including using a comprehensive household poverty survey.

Social Budgeting – Strengthening financial planning, budgeting and performance monitoring/management, by introducing medium-term and output-based approaches.

Solutions

• Social Exclusion (Children and Families at Risk) – Supporting major reform of social care services, to apply enhanced strategic planning and social budgeting approaches
• Enterprise Development – Supporting growth in private sector activity (particularly SMEs) as a key driver for poverty reduction within the Oblast’s overall strategy

Benefits

At sub-oblast level, the SPRILO programme operated by means of pilot projects, concerning each of the four component areas listed above. The programme also developed and ran a small grants programme that provided support to civil society organisations and institutions to improve local social protection initiatives and increase civil society oversight.

SPRILO’s success was acknowledged by the Oblast government: “The programme was of major benefit to Leningrad Oblast in the development of our policy to reduce poverty and inequality. This has resulted in 360,000 of our citizens moving out of poverty.” (Vice Governor Dvas). .

Download the DFID - Russia - Support to Poverty Reduction in Leningrad Oblast (SPRILO) - Case Study