Includes bibliographical references and index.

Governance characteristics and policy relevance of informal social protection services in Ethiopia -- Governance of non-state social protection services in Ghana: communication as accountability mechanisms in mutual aid organisations in Wassa -- Social protection and citizenship rights of vulnerable children: a perspective on interventions by non-state actors in western Kenya -- Governance mechanisms of burial societies in western Uganda -- Hedging against vulnerability: associational life as a social insurance strategy by the poor in the central region of Ghana -- Women's economic empowerment in Kenya: lessons from non-state social protection actors and services in Nyanza region -- Governance of non-state social protection initiatives for addressing gendered poverty in Uganda: beyond counting of women on governance committees? -- Governance dynamics in the provision of community based social protection services in Tanzania -- Conclusion, implications for public policy and governance theory