Alumni

Dr. Maria Klara Kuss

Thesis:
The Negotiations of Zambia’s Welfare Regime: The Transformative Potential of Social Cash Transfers

Year: 2021

Promotor(s):
Allister J. McGregor, Mark Bevir and Franziska Gassmann

Abstract:

The great paradox of international development is the persistence of poverty despite half a century of development and anti-poverty efforts, volumes of positive impact studies, and the expenditure of unspeakable amounts of resources. Poverty reduction has been declared the central goal of international development, and yet many development endeavours have largely failed to transform the lives of poor people in developing countries in Africa and beyond. This dissertation unravels this paradox by dismantling the complex relations and dynamics that reproduce poverty and provide limits to forces for change. This is done by offering a detailed examination of the political settlement process of Zambia’s welfare regime through a multilevel analysis of the policy process of Zambia’s first National Social Cash Transfer scheme.

Theoretically, the dissertation advances a distinctive understanding of the development and settlement process based on a critical engagement with the welfare regime approach for developing countries and the constructivist institutionalist perspective. The proposed theoretical framework goes beyond simplistic assumptions about change and takes account of the ideas and the institutional context which influence the evolving negotiations of welfare regimes and inexorably interplay with development and policy reform efforts. The application of this framework to the policy process around social protection in Zambia generates novel insights into the interactions between a range of actors situated in political and policy processes who have certain beliefs and power positions. The analysis reveals how Zambia’s development practice and neopatrimonial dynamics depoliticised, overlooked, and resisted competing sets of beliefs in order to maintain prevailing power relations. It argues that precisely the lack of politicization and problematisation entrenches poverty and adversity for women and children in Zambia. The analysis suggests that exposing the clashes of beliefs, and the power relations between actors are key requirements to sustain progressive efforts and transform poverty.



Selected publications by Maria Klara Kuss


Articles (journal, professional, popular)
Kuss, Maria Klara, Franziska Gassmann & Firminus Mugumya, 2021, `How Inclusive are the Local Economic Impacts of Social Protection in Uganda?, The European Journal of Development Research, Online, More information


UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Kuss, Maria Klara, Patrick Llewellin & Franziska Gassmann, 2018, The economic impacts of a social pension on recipient households with unequal access to markets in Uganda, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2018-006
Kuss, Maria Klara, Franziska Gassmann & Firminus Mugumya, 2018, The relevance of local structures for economic multiplier effects of social pensions in Uganda, UNU-MERIT Working Paper 2018-004


External working papers
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2015, The Prospects and Politics of Social Protection Reform in Zambia, IDS Working Paper 453, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, awarded with Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) Publication Grant, More information


Research reports
Institute of Development Studies, IDS & Maria Klara Kuss, 2014, The Wider Impacts of Social Protection: Child Grant Study Findings: Rounds 1 and 2, April 2014, Final Draft Report, In Association with RuralNet Associates Limited; the Platform for Social Protection, Department for Development Studies, University of Zambia, Lusaka: Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, Government of Zambia (IDS Research Officer), More information
Institute of Development Studies, IDS & Maria Klara Kuss, 2014, The Wider Impacts of Social Protection: Report on the 10% Inclusive SCT: Kalomo, Monze and Choma, Final Draft Report, In Association with RuralNet Associates Limited; the Platform for Social Protection, Department for Development Studies, University of Zambia,Lusaka: Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, Government of Zambia (IDS Research Officer), More information
Schultze-Kraft, M., M. Rew & Maria Klara Kuss, 2014, How does state fragility affect rural development? Evidence from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Nepal and Bolivia, Eschborn: German Development Cooperation GIZ (Research Assistant), More information
Schultze-Kraft, M., M. Rew & Maria Klara Kuss, 2014, What works for rural development in fragile states? Evidence from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Nepal and Bolivia, Eschborn: German Development Cooperation GIZ, More information
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development , OECD & Maria Klara Kuss, 2013, Building Tax Culture, Compliance and Citizenship: A Global Source Book on Taxpayer Education, Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD (Research Assistant), More information


Conference contributions
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2021, Profound clashes of beliefs: social protection policy processes in Zambia, Paper presented at the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) International Conference, Online, 10 March 2021
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2020, Extending Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Social Policy in Developing Countries, International Workshop co-convened, organised and chaired, together with Andrew Fischer, María Gabriela Palacio Ludeña, and Hayley Jones, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, 10-11 February 2020
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2020, The limitation of technocratic narratives: a bottom-up perspective on social protection policy processes in Zambia, Paper presented at International Workshop, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, 11 February 2020
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2019, Understanding Social Protection as Technologies of Social Ordering and Reproduction within Contemporary Development, Panel co-convened and chaired, together with María Gabriela Palacio Ludena, Hayley Jones, and Andrew Fischer, at the Development Studies Association 2019 International Conference, Milton Keynes, 20 June 2019
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2019, Implementing social protection in rural Zambia: why the transformative expectations remain unfulfilled, Paper presented at Development Studies Association 2019 International Conference, Milton Keynes, 20 June 2019
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2019, Why does nobody talks about care? A bottom- up perspective on social protection policy processes in Zambia, Paper presented at UNU-Merit Conference 2019, Internal Conference, Maastricht, 26 June 2019
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2018, The deep politics of social protection: Understanding the transformative implications of SCTs for the perceptions of social justice, Paper presented at the 16th Development Dialogue 2018 International Conference, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, 2 November 2018, awarded with ISS Conference Participation Grant
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2018, The local politics of social protection in Zambia, Paper presented at Development Studies Association 2018 International Conference, Manchester, 28 June 2018
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2018, The transformative implications of SCTs for Zambia’s local welfare regimes, Paper presented at UNU-Merit Conference 2018, Internal Conference, Maastricht, 27 June 2018
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2018, The Constructivism of Welfare Regimes: Understanding the Emergence of Social Protection Policies, Paper presented at Political Studies Association 2018 International Conference, Cardiff, 28 March 2018
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2017, The de facto negotiations of Zambia's welfare regime, Paper presented at UNU-Merit Conference 2017, Internal Conference, Maastricht, 29 June 2017
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2017, Who decides who gets the money and why? The political settlement of Social Cash Transfers in Zambia, Paper presented at Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management 2017 International Conference, Brussels, 13 July 2017
Mugumya, Firminus, Maria Klara Kuss & Franziska Gassmann, 2017, Beyond aggregate measures: Exploring the impact of local structures on economic multipliers of social pensions in Uganda, Paper presented at Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management 2017 International Conference, Brussels, 14 July 2017
Llewellin, Paddy & Maria Klara Kuss, 2017, Zooming in: Market access and livelihood impacts of Uganda’s Senior Citizens Grant, Paper presented at Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management 2017 International Conference, Brussels, 14 July 2017
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2016, Towards an understanding of the political settlement of social cash transfers in Zambia, Presentation at SAIPAR Annual Research Conference 2016, Lusaka, 30 June 2016
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2016, The issue of ‘viability’ in Zambia’s Social Protection system, Presentation at Round Table Discussion with Key Informants, Lusaka, 5 August, 2016, awarded with German Development Cooperation (GIZ) Grant


Theses
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2021, The Negotiations of Zambia’s Welfare Regime: The Transformative Potential of Social Cash Transfers, PhD dissertation Maastricht University / United Nations University


Briefs
Kuss, Maria Klara & Franziska Gassmann, 2018, The Economic Impacts of Social Cash Transfers in Integrated and Remote Areas in Uganda, UNU Policy Brief, Number 1, 2018, More information
Kuss, Maria Klara & Paddy Llewellin, 2016, Social Cash Transfers as Economic Investments: Contextualising the Transmission Channels between Uganda’s Senior Citizens Grant and Economic Growth, UNU Policy Brief No. 1, More information


Other (editorship, media appearance, keynote, etc.)
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2018, , BLISS blog, The Hague: International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), More information
Kuss, Maria Klara, Edith Vos & Hannah Grijns, 2018, , UNU-MERIT blog reposted on INCLUDE Platform, Leiden: INCLUDE Secretariat, More information
Kuss, Maria Klara, Edith Vos & Hannah Grijns, 2018, , UNU-MERIT blog, Maastricht: UNU-MERIT and Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, Maastricht University, More information
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2018,
Kuss, Maria Klara, 2017, , INCLUDE Online discussion, Leiden: INCLUDE Secretariat, More information
Kuss, Maria Klara & Miguel A Rivera Quinones, 2017, , More information
Kuss, Maria Klara & Anthony Kadoma, 2016, , UNU-MERIT blog, Maastricht: UNU-MERIT and Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, Maastricht University, More information

UNU-MERIT