Project Info
Project Code
2427AB
Tranche
T16
Tranche Type
Regular
Status
Active
Title
Bridging the Social Protection Gaps in the Arab and Africa Regions
Entities
Implementing Entity (Lead)
ESCWA
Jointly Implementing DA Entities
ECA
Other Collaborating Entities
Other UN entities
Financial and Evaluation Info
Total Budget
$514,498.00
Project Selected for Evaluation
No
Countries and Regions
Countries or Areas:
Djibouti, Ghana, Morocco
Regions:
Africa
Sub-Regions:
Intermediate Regions:
Countries in Special Situations:
Least Developed Countries (LDC)
Areas of Work
SDG
1
10
13
16
2
3
4
5
8
SDG Targets
1.3
10.4
13.1
16.6
2.1
3.8
4.1
5.4
8.10
8.5
Brief Description
While 47% of the global population is covered by some form of social protection, the rates for the Arab region and Africa are 35% and 17% respectively. The coverage gap affects a range of different population groups, frequently a substantive section called the “missing middle” (typically those working in the informal economy) is excluded.
This project aims to strengthen the capacity of countries of the Arab and African regions to identify and assess social protection needs and gaps and to design, adapt and implement policies and programs to close these gaps. Using ESCWA’s newly developed self-assessment template to establish Comprehensive National Social Protection Systems and Reforms Country Profile Reports, ESCWA’s social protection team will guide and coach key government officials and relevant actors (including Think Tanks) in identified countries in jointly applying the template, enabling them to design effective and sustainable solutions to address social protection gaps that are tailored to the specific country context.
Through their expertise, in-country presence, and real-life data collection, the local think tanks will be able to conduct in-depth analysis and evaluation of the various components of social protection systems, programs, and their related impact vis-à-vis social protection policy objectives. Their research provides valuable, objective insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs and helps identify gaps and areas for improvement. Moreover, their localized perspective and understanding of the beneficiary countries' social, economic, and administrative context allow for tailored recommendations that are more likely to be practical and sustainable post-project.
This work is expected to contribute to strengthening policy makers’ capacity in beneficiary countries to identify risks and needs to inform effective social protection design and implementation; to identify and address social protection gaps in terms of coverage, financing, delivery mechanisms, and shock-responsiveness of their social protection systems and programmes. As a result of the project, it is expected that the beneficiary countries have in place plans or strategies to close the gaps in social protection coverage and financing.
This project aims to strengthen the capacity of countries of the Arab and African regions to identify and assess social protection needs and gaps and to design, adapt and implement policies and programs to close these gaps. Using ESCWA’s newly developed self-assessment template to establish Comprehensive National Social Protection Systems and Reforms Country Profile Reports, ESCWA’s social protection team will guide and coach key government officials and relevant actors (including Think Tanks) in identified countries in jointly applying the template, enabling them to design effective and sustainable solutions to address social protection gaps that are tailored to the specific country context.
Through their expertise, in-country presence, and real-life data collection, the local think tanks will be able to conduct in-depth analysis and evaluation of the various components of social protection systems, programs, and their related impact vis-à-vis social protection policy objectives. Their research provides valuable, objective insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs and helps identify gaps and areas for improvement. Moreover, their localized perspective and understanding of the beneficiary countries' social, economic, and administrative context allow for tailored recommendations that are more likely to be practical and sustainable post-project.
This work is expected to contribute to strengthening policy makers’ capacity in beneficiary countries to identify risks and needs to inform effective social protection design and implementation; to identify and address social protection gaps in terms of coverage, financing, delivery mechanisms, and shock-responsiveness of their social protection systems and programmes. As a result of the project, it is expected that the beneficiary countries have in place plans or strategies to close the gaps in social protection coverage and financing.
Objective and Expected Outcomes
Objective
To strengthen the capacity of countries of the Arab and Africa regions to identify social protection needs and gaps and to design, adapt and implement policies and programmes to close these gaps
Expected Outcome 1
Enhanced understanding and capacity of policy makers in the target countries to identify risks and needs to inform effective social protection design and implementation
Expected Outcome 2
Enhanced capacity of policy makers in the target countries to identify and address social protection gaps in terms of coverage, financing, delivery mechanisms, and shock-responsiveness of their social protection systems and programmes
Expected Outcome 3
Strengthened capacity of policy makers in target countries to design and implement effective and efficient social assistance programmes, aiming to close identified social protection gaps