Operating instructions included : a review of social investment fund operations manuals

Social investment funds are being used in a growing number of countries, to alleviate the impact of political, social, and economic crises, cushion the impact of adjustment programs, generate employment, and, finance small-scale investments in poor communities. The social funds operations manuals promote transparency with respect to social fund organization, and the administrative, financial, and technical arrangements used by the fund to execute its program. This study reviews the operations manuals of fifteen social funds, notes variations in content, and structure, and, discusses elements that are essential, and those that are unique to some of the funds. It proposes a set of guidelines for addressing some of the core issues in the preparation of social fund operations manuals. The paper concludes with some recommendations for improving the quality, and utility of the social fund operations manuals.