A vulnerability lens for greater resilience

Vulnerable people bear the brunt of crises and shocks, with more households and communities throughout Europe being exposed to poverty, exclusion and displacement. The urgency of the CEB’s social mandate has led to the development of a “vulnerability lens”, an operational tool that will allow the CEB to better target its social investments where they are most needed and reaffirm its focus on assisting the most disadvantaged and marginalised members of society.

Vulnerability is a threat to social cohesion more broadly and has always been a core concept for the CEB. Too many Europeans lack access to good quality education, healthcare, housing, water and sanitation, and consequently lack resilience in times of crisis. The CEB considers vulnerability in terms of the degree to which individuals and communities face adverse economic, social or environmental outcomes, including due to shocks or long-term changes. People’s jobs, socio-economic status, living environments and personal characteristics, such as their skill levels, are also taken into account.

The new vulnerability lens, which the Bank started to deploy in 2023 in alignment with the Strategic Framework 2023-2027, allows such considerations to be taken into account at the operational level. It serves as a tool for systematically evaluating all new investment projects, bridging gaps and shaping solutions that ensure high project quality while leaving no one behind. Applying the vulnerability lens can also contribute to a better understanding of the drivers of long-term social development. The vulnerability lens will feed into the CEB’s corporate results framework as a key performance indicator (KPI), making it a valuable metric for the Bank and its member states as they strive to strengthen Europe’s resilience and social cohesion.

©CEB 2024

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