Politique publique de protection sociale au Burkina Faso : vers une compréhension des logiques des acteurs de la mise en forme et de la mise en œuvre

The development of social protection policies in Africa raises complex issues, including its rationale and choice of content (Merrien, 2013). This thesis is the first of its kind to analyze the development of social protection policies in Burkina Faso other than those in the field of health. Through an analysis of the National Social Protection Policy and pilot program of Social Protection in the Health of the Poor, this thesis answers the following questions: why and how social protection has become a government priority; and what factors have influenced the shaping of these two public policies and the implementation of the solidarity program? Based on analytical frameworks from various disciplinary perspectives (political science, sociology, anthropology), the process of developing public social protection policies is the result of the interaction of a multitude of actors and their diverse interests: international organizations, bilateral cooperation, state structure, associations, and local NGOs. The methodology is essentially qualitative. This thesis collects data thorough semi-structured interviews, literature review, and informal interviews. The results are structured in five scientific articles. The desire for social cohesion to maintain peace and social order motivated the decision to formulate these two policies (Articles 1 and 4). The formulation process did not lead to a reflection on the problem to be solved, to identify the specific needs of the beneficiaries, to evaluate the capacity of the solutions to choose the appropriate ones. The motive of the national actors was to maintain their financial assets and to mobilize additional resources. International actors have been guided by the logic of promoting a social protection instrument in line with their values, their ideas, and their missions, for the implementation of their institutional mandate. This implementation gave rise to the empirical observation of "non-design" or non-formulation (Article 2 and 4), revealed the influence of the ideas and interests of the actors in the choice of solutions, but also showed that it is important for choices to meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable. In addition, knowledge derived from research data was used very little compared to knowledge from gray literature (Article 3). Political gains, that is, the perception of social and political consequences associated with a recommendation based on scientific knowledge, influence the latter's consideration. The iv analysis of the implementation of the solidarity program shows that formulation gaps influence the effectiveness of a policy. Thus, the implementation offers opportune circumstances for adaptations and reformulations to integrate the specificities of the context and the needs of the beneficiaries with an aim of improving efficiency (Article 5). However, these opportunities have not been utilized by program implementers, helping to keep those who are impoverished excluded from health services.

Keyphrases: Non-design, Burkina Faso, Social protection policy, Public policy analysis, Emergence, Policy formulation, Use of scientific knowledge, Implementation, Social cohesion, Poor people