An ECHO-funded technical assistance facility, managed by the World Food Programme (WFP), aimed to explore how social protection systems can be strengthened in fragile and forced displacement contexts, with a view to contributing to the global learning agenda on when and how these can be used to address humanitarian needs in a more cost-effective, efficient and predictable way. This briefing note summarises technical assistance in Mali. We developed a framework for supporting the provision of social protection (transfers or basic services) in areas of the country where the presence and capacity of central Government is limited due to conflict or insecurity. The framework maps and builds upon existing approaches being employed by humanitarian and civil society actors, that are accepted by communities.