Meeting at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, with the GS-National Social Protection Council in Phnom Penh, within the framework of the SOCIEUX+ ex-post evaluation mission, held between the 9th and the 13th of May 2022. Photo courtesy of NSPC.
In 2022, the SOCIEUX+ Facility completed the second ex-post evaluation of its projects. This evaluation focused on the Facility’s efforts to accompany the General Secretariat for the National Social Protection Council (GS-NSPC) in Cambodia in establishing an inclusive and financially sustainable social protection system. Activities of the technical cooperation primarily focused on building staff capacity on designing and managing the functions of regulation and supervision of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), understanding the financial sustainability of pension schemes, and increasing knowledge on disability-inclusive social protection policies.
In-country activities were conducted by international experts on 4 different actions between August 2018 and December 2021. In addition, a delegation from GS-NSPC also traveled to Finland to observe firsthand the regulation and supervision of social security systems and investment funds.
The ex-post evaluation interviewed 18 people, including staff of the GS-NSPC as well as partner organizations such as the German development organization GIZ, the EU Delegation, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Cambodian Disability Action Council (DAC). The evaluation focused on the relevance, effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and complementarity of the Facility’s activities.
The evaluation found that the GS-NSPC had increased its abilities to perform the additional role as the Social Security Regulator (SSR) with the mandate to regulate, supervise and resolve the dispute in the social security system, as empowered by the Law on the Non-Bank Financial Service Authority of 2021. It is also noted that the Department of Supervision, under the governance structure of the GS-NSPC, is mainly conducting works to support the functions of the SSR and is now tasked to develop the regulatory framework and to supervise the social security operations and the investment of the social security funds. The evaluation further found that there is an existing monitoring and evaluation mechanism as well as a social protection communication strategy, both currently run and managed by the GS-NSPC.
The evaluation observed also the relevance and the importance of the works of the GS-NSPC and the SSR, which potentially contribute to socio-economic impact in Cambodia. With limited human resources and expertise, it is imperative for the GS-NSPC and the SSR to strengthen and develop their capabilities to tackle the current shortcomings and prepare for potential challenges ahead.
In addition, SOCIEUX+ activities contributed to the improvement of the regulatory framework for disability-inclusive social protection policies. The recommendations of Facility experts were incorporated into the first integrated national framework for social assistance of vulnerable people, as well as the adoption of a human rights-based approach to disability identification.
Although challenges remain, such as the capacity of the GS-NSPC to effectively collect and invest contributions, and the excessive institutional fragmentation, it is undoubtedly positive that GS-NSPC staff strengthened their skills thanks to the exposure to EU and international experiences and good practices for the supervision of social security schemes and the financial sustainability of pension funds.
About SOCIEUX+
The SOCIEUX+, the European Union (EU) Expertise on Social Protection, Labour and Employment Facility, expands and improves access to better employment opportunities and inclusive social protection systems in EU Partner Countries through technical cooperation and knowledge development activities. Based on the peer exchange model, SOCIEUX+ facilitates the exchange of knowledge and good practices between EU Member States and partner institutions around the world through targeted, short-term activities. Its specific objective is to enhance partner countries’ capacity to design, manage, and monitor inclusive, effective and sustainable employment strategies and social protection systems.
SOCIEUX+ was established and funded through the European Commission’s Directorate for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) and is implemented by a partnership led by Expertise France, BELINCOSOC (Belgian International Cooperation on Social Protection), the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), and the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel).
(SOCIEUX+ 2018-04, 2018-28, 2019-26, 2020-09)
Read more about this cooperation:
- SOCIEUX+ News: Cambodian delegation visits Finland to study social security system
- SOCIEUX+ News: SOCIEUX+ in Cambodia: Financial regulations for social protection
- SOCIEUX+ Technical Reports: Social Security Investments for the Sustainability of the Future Pensions Guarantees
