Social funds do not operate in a vacuum. The broad trends and changes occurring in the countries in which social funds operate form a back- drop for the subsequent discussions and debate to take place during the next three days of this meeting. Experiences with social funds show a great deal of heterogeneity. A va- riety of players are involved in social funds. The content of social funds programs themselves vary greatly, and views about their efficacy di- verge. The Bank hopes that this workshop will be able to characterize what works and under what circumstances, what does not work and why it does not, and what can be.
