Assessment-based National Dialogue: Towards the Establishment of Social Protection Floors

South-South solutions build national social protection floors for all in African, Arab and Asian countries

ABNDs have been completed or are ongoing in 16 countries in Africa and Asia. The dialogues have been completed in Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. Ten countries – Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Philippines, Timor-Leste, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia – are currently conducting assessments. ABNDs are also planned in several other countries of the South.

In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the assessment exercise was accompanied by several other South- South initiatives, such as supporting the extension of social health protection (the Social Security Law adopted in 2013); regulations of the national health insurance scheme; the technical guidelines for the pilot scheme; and capacity-building of national stakeholders, including for the National Social Security Fund. In Egypt, the assessment exercise is running in parallel with the reform of the social health insurance system and helps to build coherence between different processes on social protection. In Kyrgyzstan, the assessment exercise will be followed up with a maternity protection scheme project.

It is important to establish a technical multipartite team whose mandate is to conduct and complete the assessment process and propose joint recommendations to policymakers for endorsement and follow-up. Continuous follow-up is crucial. Strong involvement of national stakeholders and particularly high-level government officials is critical and can help to foster ownership of the final recommendations.

Knowledge and expertise acquired in countries on social protection floor policy and component design and implementation provide a good basis for countries seeking assistance to overcome challenges. South-South training for 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October 2012 on ABND methodology led to the development of a good practice guide, which three ASEAN countries used to conduct their assessments. A website, which complements the guide, contains testimonies, videos and practical exercises. The ABND exercise can be conducted in countries planning to define a national social protection floor, design and adopt a national social protection plan or strategy, or develop an implementation plan for an existing national social protection plan or strategy. The assessment can also be conducted in countries looking to pursue national dialogue on social protection and build consensus on priority areas of action.

The direct recipients of the project are national governments, decentralized government agencies, social protection institutions, employers, workers, civil society organizations, academia and other national stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of social protection policies and programmes. The ultimate beneficiaries are beneficiaries of social protection schemes, workers of small enterprises, informal-economy workers and those unable to work. The assessment process takes into account the views of representatives of women and persons with disabilities as well as the concerns of beneficiaries and workers through local governments, civil society organizations and worker organizations.