The Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine reached out to SOCIEUX+ to assist in increasing their scope of action to incorporate coordination with NGOs providing social assistance to war veterans and their families. A fully at distance action translated into two activities led by Lithuanian expertise, aiming at showcasing existing initiatives and mechanism of social assistance provided to veterans and their families, as well as a proposition of a coordination mechanism with NGOs and Civil Society Organizations providing social assistance to war veterans. The MoVA of Ukraine had as a result of this technical assistance, a proposal for regulations to create council of Veterans as well as requirements for the development of a program for the socialization and employment enhancement of veterans.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine
Type of Assistance
Institutional capacity building, Policy development
The Social Security Commission of Namibia aims to enlarge its offer of social security schemes to encompass unemployment benefits. The contribution requested to SOCIEUX+ was mainly on exploring policy and organizational possibilities according to the context; to this purpose, SOCIEUX+ mobilized experts from France, Lithuania, Romania, and Spain. They have first been looking into the recent COVID-related stimulus package to protect laid-off workers and explore possibilities to integrate those measures into a structural instrument. Experts then looked at options for financing such a scheme, and how it would be governed and administered by the Social Security Commission. Such technical background will prove useful in the event Namibia will decide to move forward with the introduction of unemployed benefits.
The Ministry of Social Affairs of Lebanon asked SOCIEUX+ support in the establishment of a unified registry for social protection (USRP), according to the National Social Protection Strategy. The goal is to have available a comprehensive data platform of beneficiary households of the existing social assistance benefits and schemes. In fact, today Lebanon’s economic crisis translates into persisting hardship for the poorest and impoverishment of the medium class; in such a situation, social transfers and basic services are key to secure essential livelihood and ultimately social stability. As those are massively funded by international donors, a national URSP would allow the Lebanese Government to steer social assistance delivery based on comprehensive data and IMS infrastructure. In this context, the planned EU support will be key to provide the necessary technical expertise to set up a functional and technological solution for setting up the URSP. The present Action – and the mobilized Spanish and French expertise - helped to prepare the terms of reference for the selection of the consultancy that will be in charge of ERSP’s development. The consultancy was actually selected, and the project started beginning 2024.
In 2022, NHIMA collaborated with SOCIEUX+ to evaluate its scheme implementation, leading to a review of its Strategic Plan and a transition to the Ministry of Health. Now, NHIMA seeks to develop an independent operating model for HR and scheme implementation, reducing reliance on third-party administrators. This action led by German, Estonian, Belgian, and Polish expertise, resulted in a proposal for a new operating and organizational model and a study visit to the Polish National Health Fund for insights on IT and organizational capacities.
Previous partner of SOCIEUX+, the Social Security Regulator (SSR) of Cambodia identified the technical knowledge, guidelines and expertise necessary to effectively fulfill its supervisory role of the National Social Security Fund. SOCIEUX+ stepped in to provide support by enhancing the operational and administrative capacities of the SSR staff. Romanian, Finnish, and Slovakian expertise worked with the SSR on establishing principles and modalities for effective supervision of administrative operations within the social security scheme’s management.
The social and child welfare and protection system implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Montenegro is oriented towards the development of social and child protection services to prevent the separation of children from their biological families, guarantee alternative forms of care and achieve reintegration, wherever possible by its international commitments. Ending institutionalisation has been a priority for Europe and is also one of the conditions for accession to the European Union. Experts from Hungary, Croatia, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands mobilised by SOCIEUX+ supported the Institute for Child and Social Welfare in the development of a Foster Care Action Plan and the design of a curriculum for the Institute's social workers on foster care competencies.
Partner Institution
Institute for Social and Child Welfare [Zavod za socijalnu i dječju zaštitu]
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Montenegro, this initiative identified institutional and organizational capacity gaps, empowering the MoH to lead the development of a quality of care framework. Leveraging expertise from multiple EU countries—including Slovenia, Portugal, Croatia, Estonia, and France—the MoH gained insights and lessons from diverse perspectives. Emphasis was placed on enhancing governance and health information systems.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy requested development of counselling standards and services for children and youth at risk implemented in the institution of 25.maj in Skopje. The peer-to-peer technical assistance represented by Croatian, French and Czech expertise allowed to develop a methodology and standards for new services. These standards create an enabling environment for empowerment to the vulnerable youth, children and families at risk and will serve as a pilot project in the country with the possibility for multiplication.
The Inter-African Conference on Social Welfare (CIPRES) reached out to SOCIEUX+ in view of reinforcing its Executive Secretariat in training engineering capacities. CIPRES aims to put in place a training center that will provide trainings to technical staff. This action, led by French and Belgian experts, produced a complete training engineering guide tailored to CIPRES needs. The guide includes step by step instructions to do a training design, assessing training needs of an organization, operational aspects of delivering a training, and monitoring and evaluation of training delivery.
Partner Institution
Inter-African Conference on Social Welfare [Conférence Interafricaine de la Prévoyance Sociale] (CIPRES)
Type of Assistance
Institutional capacity building, Organisational capacity building
The Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Kenya was committed in 2023 to transforming the current employer liability provisions with a system of workers’ compensation based on social insurance. The mobilization of public expertise from Spain, Estonia, Germany, Slovenia, and Czech Republic in the framework of SOCIEUX+ played a significant role in advancing the adoption of a reform proposal for the current Workers' Compensation (WC) framework in Kenya. The results of the collaborative efforts included a comparative analysis of WC systems based on social insurance and a presentation of international good practices, an assessment of the current legal framework, a policy paper setting the stage for a reform proposal, including the insurance scheme’s main components and the strategic and operational steps to be undertaken, and the drafting of specific parts of the new regulatory framework. The activities emphasized the link between prevention, compensation, and rehabilitation, and cultivated support from social partners for the proposed legislative reforms.
Partner Institution
Directorate of Occupational safety and Health Services
The Training, Assessment and Research Institute for Labor and Social Protection of Mongolia works on methodological improvements in data collection on social protection matters, which reverberate on the quality and relevancy of data analysis and, therefore, policy advise. Experts from Belgium, Finland, Portugal, and Slovakia mobilized by SOCIEUX+ have collaborated with the partner in reengineering data-collection methods (sampling and questionnaires) and provided examples of modern tools and methods for data analysis. The partner has engaged into the elaboration of policy advise, thus building the ground for the development of knowledge-based policy making in the area of social policy.
Partner Institution
Training, Assessment and Research Institute for Labor and Social Protection (TARILSP)
Through two activities, Finnish, French, and German experts mobilized by SOCIEUX+ provided the State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan with EU good practices in collecting voluntary contributions to non-state pension funds, followed by a strategy to create, attract and create incentives to non-state pension funds.
The Social Security Corporation of Jordan provides social insurance to employees of the public and private sector, and retirees. They do not, at the stage of the request, provide health insurance. The SSC is planning to establish a health insurance scheme to cover private sector workers and relatives and to be made compulsory to SSC contributors and their family dependents. This action, supported by Belgian and Portuguese expertise, provided the SSC with a mapping of approaches to referral mechanisms with their pros and cons as well as a roadmap for adopting a referral system.
The Action has mainly resulted in information sharing and methodological support. The General Authority for development of persons with disabilities intended to develop a strategic approach for serving persons with disabilities at its best. To this goal, SOCIEUX+ mobilized an extraordinary, diversified expertise from Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden, for the very purpose of exposing the Partner to a varied set of models and practices. Individual capacity building of Partner’s staff has been part of this strategy. The last step of the cooperation has been to set up a full-fledged methodology on how to develop a medium-term action plan for persons with disabilities and their families, inclusive of potential actions and services inspired by EU best practices fostering social inclusion and independent living.
Partner Institution
General authority for development of persons with disabilities
Type of Assistance
Policy development, Individual capacity building (human resources development)
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia embarked on a significant reform initiative to transition towards the ICF-based approach for disability assessment and eligibility rule, establishing 48 ICF Disability Assessment Centres (DACs) nationwide. Through peer-to-peer cooperation with experts mobilized by SOCIEUX+ from Greece and Cyprus, a Training of Trainers Manual was developed to implement the new methodology, alongside an e-learning course template for assessor training and certification. Staff at the DACs was trained to use the available test results and to better assign the correct IFC qualifier. A workflow tool was created to streamline administrative and scientific procedures at DACs, emphasizing the role of case managers and 86 trainee case managers were trained to support assessment committees effectively, managing e-code information and enhancing vignette development quality. Paramedics and active case managers participated in workshops to optimize test usage and appointment scheduling for clients to be assesed. This comprehensive approach enhanced the operational efficiency and quality of disability assessment services in Armenia.
The Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) of Palestine is the leader, coordinator and organizer of the social development sector and is responsible for developing policies and trends, in addition to the tasks of control and supervision. The MoSD is committed to invest in developing the skills and knowledge of all employees to boost performance, achieve strategic objectives, and enhance service delivery to citizens. As a result of the mobilization of public expertise from Bulgaria, Belgium and France in the framework of SOCIEUX+, an assessment of capacities and skills requirements was conducted. This led to the formulation of a capacity-building and monitoring & evaluation (M&E) training strategy for the MoSD, along with providing the necessary functional design, elements, and tools for establishing a Training Management System (TMS).
Technical assistance for the evaluation of the real cost of health care procedures and the updating of the basic prices for the reimbursement of health care services
The National Health Insurance Institute (INAM) of Togo is a SOCIEUX+ long-standing partner. Together, strategic and organizational topics have been addressed, thus enhancing INAM’s role into the management of health insurance, particularly in view of the roll-out of the 2021 Law instituting the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This Action focused on specific components of health insurance management such as tariffication of health procedures and the assessment of the quality/performance of health service provision covered by the insurance. Experts from Belgium and France helped updating the reimbursement prices of a sample, based on a price-setting methodology that will remain in INAM’s availability.
Partner Institution
National Health Insurance Institute [Institut National d?Assurance Maladie du Togo] (INAM)
The Department of OSH at Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs of Botswana was working on exploring whether and how it would be feasible to replace employer liability provisions with a system of workers’ compensation based on social insurance. As a result of the mobilization of public expertise from Germany, Italy, Spain and Slovenia in the framework of SOCIEUX+, the current national legislation and regulatory framework on workers' compensation was assessed against existing best practice and international standards and guidance and recommendations were provided for updating the current national legislation and regulatory framework, based on feasibility, technical capacity and sustainability considerations.
The Associação Cearense dos Economiários Aposentados e Pensionistas (ACEA) reached out to SOCIEUX+ in order to provide capacity building, in the form of e-learning courses, to members of Brazilian organizations defending the rights of pensioners. ACEA noticed a clear need for members of such organizations to gain more extensive knowledge on governance, management, and supervision of occupational pension funds, in order to detect shortfalls in the system, apply due diligence, and prevent mismanagement and fraudulent behaviors. The e-learnings, crafted by Portuguese, Spanish, German, and French expertise covered topics such as basic knowledge of the functioning of second pillar pension funds, best practices for regulation and supervision of funds, legal and regulatory frameworks governing second pillar pension funds. This successful e-learnings were followed by hundreds of participants from various parts of Brazil.
Partner Institution
Cearense Association of Economists Pensioners and Retirees (ACEA)
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
The Action contributed to a process of improvement of the institutional framework and enhancement of the Partner’s individual capacities to establish relationships with the external environment on matters relating to the protection and development of persons with disabilities. , both in terms of working in synergy with potential/existing partners (result 1) and increasing their outreach to the larger public (result 2). Empowerment, leadership and advocacy have been addressed as key elements for empowering the Secretaría Nacional de Discapacidad to outreach target groups, including the vast landscape of NGOs defending and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. Peer experts from Portugal and Spain delivered a mapping of the institutional landscape, deployed training on advocacy, communication and networking, and finally drafted a roadmap aimed to strengthen institutional relationships and governance mechanisms for the disability sector.
Partner Institution
National Disability Secretariat [Secretaría Nacional de Discapacidad]
Characterisation of the social protection’s supply and demand of the population of informal street vendors in two pilot cities in Colombia (Barranquilla and Cali)
The Ministry of Interior of Colombia wished to look into the issue of informal street vendors with the support of SOCIEUX+. The Action contributed to the territorial implementation of the Public Policy for Informal Vendors in 2 pilot cities (Barranquilla & Cali). Spanish experts participated to the development of at least two major practical instruments, namely a socio-economic analysis of informal street vendors, and a toolkit apt to guide the analysis of the demand of and needs in social protection of informal street vendors, and mapped available social protection options that may be used to cover informal workers from basic risks, such as health coverage, family support, and professional sickness and accidents.
Partner Institution
Ministry of the Interior [Ministerio del Interior]
This action was implemented in parallel to the action 2020-35, with the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, in view of complimenting the efforts to create the action plan for Persons living with Disabilities. Experts from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Finland worked towards a goal of having a comprehensive picture of the current actors, governance mechanisms, services, legislation, and policies for persons with disabilities in Mauritius.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity
The Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity and its Disability Empowerment Unit requested SOCIEUX+ assistance in designing the National Action Plan 2021-2025 for Persons living with Disabilities (PwD). The peer to peer technical assistance represented by Swedish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, and French expertise allowed to develop a plan focusing on services provided to PwDs as well as governance of the disability sector. This plan aims to improve the policies concerning PwDs in the State of Mauritius, as well as the services provided to them, and creates an enabling environment for collaborative social initiatives to empower persons with disabilities.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity
The request concerned a single activity for SOCIEUX+ to participate in a national conference on child and maternal health, organized by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the EU-funded PIMI II’s programme. Due to the COVID-related travel restrictions, SOCIEUX+ experts from Portugal remotely participated to the national conference showcasing EU experiences relating to social protection financing and access to health, especially in the field of child and maternal health.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Public Health [Ministério de Saúde Pública] (MINSAP)
This one-off action aimed to raise general awareness on communication strategies for reaching out to local communities, including but not limited to Covid-19 response. The activity consisted in a series of workshops providing a general-purpose methodology on social marketing and a series of relevant case studies. The result is a set of tools that the Partner will integrate in the current communication strategy.
Partner Institution
National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO)
This Action fell within the scope of DEVCO-ILO project with NASSCO “Strengthening and Expanding the National Social Registry (NSR) as a shock-responsive social protection system in Nigeria”. Experts from France and Germany first assessed individual capacity needs on knowledge management for informing policies for building social protection systems. Based on the assessment a training was delivered and a methodology and a series M&E tools on tracking staff performance were jointly built. Experts from Belgium and France then provided guidance on data security for NASSCO’ monitoring and information system (MIS). The activity consisted in the combination of synchronous and asynchronous training modules on SOCIEUX+ e-learning platform around the two topics of data policies and procedures and data sensitivity and security.
Partner Institution
National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO)
The Action served the purpose of assessing the state of the art and actual institutional arrangements involved in the implementation of the Zanzibar School Feeding Programme (SFP), providing fresh meals to all Zanzibar’s pre-primary public schools. A situation analysis was carried out by experts from Bulgaria and Italy who focused on three key aspects: the optimal capitation grants to adequately cover the SFP’s operational costs; the current school feeding supply chain, as well as the administrative and organizational arrangements in place; and the identification of operational bottlenecks to the efficient running of the SFP. The report shall be of use for the institution – namely the Ministry of Education of the Government of Zanzibar - that will be in charge of running the SFP.
Partner Institution
President’s Office, Regional Administration, Local Government and Special Departments (PORALGSD)
The Caisse des Pensions et des Prestations Familiales des Agents de l'Etat (CPPF) of Gabon is a long-standing SOCIEUX+ partner. In this circumstance, CPPF wished to explore suitable options for extending social assistance coverage, in particular with regards to health and social action policies for government employees in vulnerable situations. Experts from Finland and France, plus a former SOCIEUX+ partner from Ivory Coast, have showcased EU and international models of health and social action policies for state agents, then co-drafted a strategic and operational guidance note that details the set-up of the institutional and organizational arrangements needed to deploy such a social assistance scheme.
Partner Institution
Pension and Family Benefits Fund for State Agents (CPPF)
The Action targeted organizational and individual capacities in the area of internal risks management. Peers from Germany and France first analyzed the mechanisms and procedures for analyzing and managing insurance-related risks pertaining to various schemes run by the CPPF. They further deployed training sessions to the benefit of CPPF’s relevant staff on insurance-related risk mapping and management.
The National Social Protection Council (NSPC) of Cambodia has the mandate to develop, supervise and regulate the social protection system and to ensure harmonization of the different strategies, policies and other social protection activities, including for the people with disabilities. To the three activities, deployed at distance, contributed experts from France, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Finland, who first presented international and EU best practices and cases with regards to social protection coverage of people with disabilities. A mapping of the existing policies, measures, initiatives, both from national institutions and development partners was then co-developed, with a view to identifying possible coverage gaps or inconsistencies. The final activity coached NSPC’s staff on building a methodology for developing an action plan for disability-inclusive social protection.
The Workers Compensation Fund (WCF) of Tanzania leads the Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) insurance branch. It requested SOCIEUX+ to enhance its internal capacities to deal with rehabilitation of workers affected by work-related injuries and/or sickness. In the course of four training activities experts mobilized by the German Association of Accident Insurance (DGUV) provided to WCF staff an introduction on rehabilitation management, tackled procedures case managers have to deploy, and strengthened WCF and its partners’ knowledge in the field of labour medicine. The four training activities involved WCF technical and administrative staff as well as staff from collaborative medical facilities and touched up several OSH-related areas such as legislative framework, case management, medical notions, communication to right-holders. The activities progressively identified gaps and proposed recommendations for further action.
Partner Institution
Workers Compensation Fund (WCF)
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
SOCIEUX+ has been solicited by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the Province of Kongo Central to formulate a feasibility study regarding the establishment of a compulsory or voluntary health insurance mechanism in the Province. To this end, SOCIEUX+ facilitated exchanges (on site and on-line) between the national partners (including mutualist organizations) and European experts in the field of health systems (financing, governance and health care delivery). Several experts from France delivered an inventory of the health system’s components in place in the province of Kongo Central, then a study on the financial feasibility of the health insurance system, and a prospective study on how such a health insurance system should be governed and organized.
Partner Institution
Kongo Central Provincial Government [Gouvernement provincial du Kongo Central]
The Workers Compensation Fund (WCF) of Tanzania asked SOCIEUX+ to help looking into its own rehabilitation strategy, in the perspective of addressing gaps and plan improvements thanks to inspirational exchanges with EU peer experts. Experts from Germany (the German Association of Accident Insurance – DGUV) and Lithuania first overviewed the existing WCF’s rehabilitation strategies, then provided technical advice for its improvement; they particularly stressed the importance to conceive rehabilitation work in relation to the three distinct dimensions physical, social, and vocational rehabilitation, all important for allowing injured works to go back to active professional life.
Only one activity was carried out following a request from Mexico’s National System for Integral Family Development to elaborate and transfer to case managers and prosecutors a set of guidelines for tackling bullying and violence in schools. Experts from Portugal and Spain brought examples from their own systems to the attention of partners and produced a first draft of the guidelines, according to a psycho-social approach incorporated as a basic targeted social service as part of the school system.
Based on the outcomes of previous Action 2016-15, which resulted in the preparation of a text of Law for updating the social security Law of the Mexican State of Campeche, the present action co-constructed the administrative regulations necessary for the Law's implementation. This process was steered by a team of experts coming from Spain throughout three activities, which also included a capacity-building of ISSSTECAM staff on regulatory methods.
Partner Institution
Institute of Security and Social Services of Workers
This Action provided the partner with a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the situation and the formal framework of social action in Côte d'Ivoire, particularly with regard to the situation of the elderly. Furthermore, experts from France have developed draft national policy documents including concrete recommendations of policy measures – some immediately exploitable, other requiring more preparation and concertation – the partner has agreed with, which may support decision-making and policy dialogue, both at the intergovernmental level and with regards of other stakeholders (particular attention is paid to the territorial level and the role of voluntary and non-profit organizations).
Partner Institution
Ministry of Employment and Social Protection [Ministère de l?Emploi et de la Protection Sociale] (MEPS)
The Institute of Social Security for State Workers of Yucatan requested SOCIEUX+ assistance in view of the reform of the State Law on Social Security with the goal of introducing normative arrangements that may ensure the financial sustainability of services and payments to rightsholders. The comprehensive reform proposal is largely based on European experiences of similar reforming efforts of pensions systems. In particular, the teams of public experts from Spain have focused on the existing challenges to the Institute’s financial reserves and formulated proposals aimed to increase the financial sustainability of the Institute’s accounts; they have taken inspiration in the formulation of reforms’ proposals, to European trends in the determination of the balanced income of the system, formulas of taxation, determination of the requirements for access to pensions and their calculation. The final, concrete result of the cooperation is a reviewed text of Law introducing articles and norms that act on the economic and financial sustainability of the Institute’s accounts.
Partner Institution
Institute of Social Security for State Workers of Yucatan [Instituto de Seguridad Social de los Trabajadores del Estado de Yucatan] (ISSTEY)
The second cooperation between IPES and SOCIEUX+ aimed to guide the implementation of the psychosocial care component of the strategy “Modelo de Atencion Integral” intended to provide ad-hoc support to vulnerable informal street vendors in the streets of Bogota. The ultimate aim of the strategy and the “Modelo” is to provide some sort of social security coverage and support to a category that has traditionally be excluded from formal social security schemes. Experts from Italy and Spain have facilitated the creation of a working group made up by local entities that are in a position to, or actually provide social services to which the target population would be eligible. They then helped defining of a unified conceptual and methodological psycho-social intervention model applicable by the IPES sub-directorates and exploitable by field agents.
Partner Institution
Institute for Social Economy [Instituto para la Economia Social] (IPES)
The Pension and Family Benefits Fund for State Agents (CPPF) of Gabon shared with SOCIEUX+ its intention to expand the package of benefits available to its right-holders, namely State agents, by including insurance coverage for professional accidents and diseases State agents may run into in the deployment of the statutory functions. In that perspective, mobilized public experts from France and Luxembourg have first established an inventory of the existing system of coverage of risks linked to occupational diseases and accidents at work of Gabonese public officials, then drafted normative texts that can duly amend the scope of the system of benefits provided by CPPF, for extending coverage to occupational safety and health risks.
Partner Institution
Pension and Family Benefits Fund for State Agents [Caisse des Pensions et des Prestations Familiales des Agents de l'Etat] (CPPF)
This technical cooperation action has allowed to deepen the Partner’s understanding of the possibilities (and the difficulties) linked to the promotion of micro-insurance for providing essential coverage to uninsured workers. A specific target population has been indicated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion of Peru as main target group: the dockers of the agricultural market of La Vitoria, in the outskirts of Lima. Experts’ teams – from France, Italy and Spain - have met and discussed with the representatives of the dockers and their unions, in order to explore whether the option of a micro-insurance that meet basic-coverage needs with regards to pensions and the risk of running into working-related sickness or accidents, could represent a suitable option for the workers. Experts also met with private micro-finance organizations in order to explore the actual micro-insurance plan that could be proposed to the dockers.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion [Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo]
The Action has channeled knowledge to the staff of the Cambodia’s National Social Protection Committee (NSPC ) on the guiding principles inherent to investment policies, regulation and supervision of the social security system. This happened in a phase of passing legislation building the social security system governance in Cambodia, as well as its core rules of functioning. Mobilized experts from Finland and Lithuania accompanied the Partner’s reflection on the role of the NSPC as main regulator and supervisor of the social security system in Cambodia. In that purpose, regulatory texts have been jointly prepared, such as one settling the function of regulation and supervision of social security operator, the code of conduct for staff of the NSCP, the guidelines for policy disclosure, for e-audit and risk management within social security schemes, and investment guidelines. A study-visit to Finland was also implemented in the framework of the Action: the Cambodian delegation has been hosted by the University of Helsinki, the Finnish Pension Alliance, the Finnish Centre of Pensions, the Finance inspection, and the Social Insurance Institution.
A series of training sessions and a study visit to Germany have addressed the partner’s request to promote a preventative safety and health culture in the workplace. The Safety Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation cooperates with the Lagos State Safety Commission in view to ensure the adequate occupational safety and health preventive and reactive measures are in place in the factories and firms of one of the most industrialized regions in the whole Africa. Training delivered by experts belonging to the German Association of Accident Insurance (DGUV) concerned principles of prevention, assessing risks in the workplace, the ‘Vision Zero’ concept, and the specific area of road safety.
Partner Institution
Safety Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
The Action has served the purpose of preparing the terms of reference for the provision of technical assistance for “Strengthening (…) the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system of the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development (MoSD)”. The outcome of the Action is also at a more general level. An assessment of the current weaknesses of the M&E in operation at MoSD has allowed to open a debate about the possible ways to improve it, which resulted in the definition of a shared vision by the management of MoSD on the nature and purposes of a M&E system. Peer experts working with Palestinian counterparts came from public administrations of Ireland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.
An assessment report of the existing pension legal framework has been elaborated by experts from Bulgaria and Latvia identifying gaps, risks and challenges, and formulating specific mitigation strategies and measures. The experts also prepared a compendium of requirements for the implementation of the legal framework, taking into account the administrative functions needed to operationalize the system. Following this, experts from Latvia and Lithuania produced a functional assessment and reviewed the business processes and workflows of the Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions (ASIP) of Tajikistan in view of their adequacy in terms of human and material resources, technical competencies and tools, corporate organization and workflows. In particular, experts reviewed the current methodologies, formulas and processes used by ASIP for the calculation of pension benefits.
The Action had an essential capacity building motive. The National Social Protection Committee of Cambodia – a long-standing SOCIEUX+ partner - wishes to enhance its role as a guardian and a regulator of an expanded and reformed social protection system. The present Action focused on pensions, in the light of the planned reform, which finally came into force in 2022, bringing in the system private sector workers, together with public civil servants. NSPC’s staff have received significant exposure to EU and international cases and practices, particularly on the issue of (sustainably) financing pensions. Relevant international standards were presented by experts from Finland and Lithuania, with a focus on taxation, collection of contributions, the very build-up of a pension system, and its financing.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Economy and Finances
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
Peer-to-peer exchanges involving experts from Croatia, Estonia, France, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom supported the State Agency for Mandatory Health Insurance (SAMHI) of Azerbaijan in setting the stage for the introduction of a mandatory health insurance scheme. First, experts advised on the national policy paper “Concept for Health Financing Reform and Introduction of Mandatory Health Insurance” and the Action Plan for its implementation, with a particular attention to the development of indicators for performance assessment of healthcare providers. A study-visit to Estonia allowed Azeris officials to witness how mandatory health insurance was introduced in a country transitioned from a former Soviet model. The final action’s deliverable was a roadmap detailing the concrete steps for the reform of the health system based on mandatory health insurance.
Partner Institution
State Agency for Mandatory Health Insurance (under the Cabinet of Ministers)
The Conférence Interafricaine de la Prévoyance Sociale (CIPRES) is a long-standing partner of SOCIEUX+. It gathers social security entities from 18 countries, mainly from Francophone Africa. In this circumstance the CIPRES Secretariat requested SOCIEUX+ to mobilize two public experts to share their country experiences and models on the occasion of the annual Forum on health coverage in the CIPRES area. Experts from France and Luxembourg have covered the following themes: an intervention of the financing of universal health coverage and good practices on the governance of organizations running health insurance schemes. The Forum took place in Lomé (Togo) in March 2019.
Partner Institution
Conférence Interafricaine de la Prévoyance Sociale (CIPRES)
The Conférence Interafricaine de la Prévoyance Sociale (CIPRES) is a long-standing SOCIEUX+ partner. It gathers social security entities from 18 countries, mainly from Francophone Africa. In this circumstance the CIPRES’ Secretariat requested SOCIEUX+ to mobilize public expertise to share EU country experiences and models on the occasion of the annual Forum on pension systems in the CIPRES area. A single expert from Lithuania took part to the Forum and delivered a presentation entitled: "Towards new models of pension system: European Union recommendations and comparative analysis".
Partner Institution
Conférence Interafricaine de la Prévoyance Sociale (CIPRES)
The East and Central Africa Social Security Association (ECASSA) brings together social security entities in the African subregion. Through its partnership with SOCIEUX+, it aimed to deploy a set of training modules intended to upgrade the skills and competences available to staffs of the constituent organizations, on a number of relevant managerial and topic-related themes. A single training on “Human Resource Management for Non-Human Resource Managers” was delivered by experts from Belgium, with the participation of the ECASSA organizers and 10 relevant resource-persons of ECASSA member institutions. A compendium of 17 presentations has been made available by the experts to all participants of the training, and to ECASSA, which has further disseminated them among the larger membership.
Partner Institution
East and Central Africa Social Security Association (ECASSA)
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
The Pension and Family Benefits Fund for State Agents (CPPF) of Gabon requested SOCIEUX+ support on organizational matters. In particular, CPPF wished to review and eventually improve its actual human resources management system. In the course of two activities, French experts have accompanied the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of HR management at CPPF and put forward proposals and recommendations for improvement, mainly concerning the recruitment process, the (re)formulation job descriptions and the reorganization of functional and hierarchical responsibilities and workflows.
Partner Institution
Pension and Family Benefits Fund for State Agents [Caisse des Pensions et des Prestations Familiales des Agents de l'Etat] (CPPF)
The Action supported the Ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children of Zanzibar in the roll-out of the MIS system for social pensions in Zanzibar (Pemba and Unguja). Experts from Germany and Spain provided technical advice and quality assurance, and ensured, with the participation of the UNICEF country office, that all actors achieved their tasks in due time. The main contribution of the experts was to keep the process on the right track, both in terms of technical requirements and implementation pace.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children
The Organización Nacional de Instituciones Estatales de Seguridad Social (ONIESS) is a platform gathering social security agencies of adhering Mexican states. Its role is one of policy coordination, capacity support of member organizations, and advocacy towards federal authorities in areas related to the social security mandate of the member organizations. In practice, ONIESS is primarily concerned with pension systems. Through this action, ONIESS has been supported by SOCIEUX+ mobilized experts from France and Spain to assess the needs in capacity building of the staffs of ONIESS’ member organizations and, on this basis, to formulate a comprehensive training plan. The plan encompasses four principal areas of concern, namely professional risks, the future of social security policy, financial and actuarial techniques, and administration and planning of social security schemes.
Partner Institution
Organización Nacional de Instituciones Estatales de Seguridad Social (ONIESS)
The Organización Nacional de Instituciones Estatales de Seguridad Social (ONIESS) is a platform that brings together social security agencies from adhering Mexican states. SOCIEUX+ has supported the emergence and formal establishment of ONIESS through various actions (including 2017-17, 2015-24, and 2014-25). The present action supports ONIESS’ initial endeavors as decided by the General Assembly. ONIESS has been provided by experts from Belgium and Spain with two important tools, which are, from one side, the questionnaire for defining the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of the different State social security systems and, from the other side, a draft proposal for a General Social Security Law. This document is to be conceived not as a ready-to-be-approved proposal of Law, but rather as a tool that allows ONIESS to set up a minimum common denominator defining their social security systems and engage in policy dialogue with the federal authorities over future proposals of reform of the social security system at large.
Partner Institution
Organización Nacional de Instituciones Estatales de Seguridad Social (ONIESS)
The technical cooperation developed with the Ministry of Economy and Finances of Cambodia has firstly contributed to building the capacity of policymakers and technical staff with regards to the design and set-up of a supervisory mandate over social protection schemes, in view of EU and international best practices and affirmed mechanisms. Furthermore, experts from Bulgaria, Germany, and Lithuania, and the partner, jointly identified concrete options of financial supervision and regulation of Social Protection schemes which are applicable to the Cambodian context.
The Action contributed to an increased understanding among relevant stakeholders and the National Health Insurance Board’s (NHIB) staff on the need for having a clearly defined benefit package included in health insurance, on the functions of a health insurance management agencies, and on their role in ensuring quality of healthcare services. Mobilized experts from Estonia, France, Hungary and Italy have also addressed the institutional, administrative and technical aspects required to hand over the management of the formal sector health insurance schemes to the NHIB in line with the national policy and regulations.
Experts mobilized by SOCIEUX+ contributed to the panel "Reconciling sufficiency and sustainability. Lessons and experiences " through a presentation on the financing of Social Security in France, especially the design, implementation and results of the Generalized Social Contribution (CSG). A report prepared by the expert also addressed other components of Social Protection, including health expenditure, family benefits, compensation for loss of employment and insurance against occupational risks and diseases.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MTEySS)
This was the first request that the Ministry of Social Development of Armenia submitted to SOCIEUX+, in view to adopt a new methodology for disability assessment that be based on functional capacities rather than on purely medical conditions. In the course of four activities, managed by Greek expert’s teams, the partner accomplished the preparatory work required for the adoption of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and constructed most of the necessary components (scales and formulas) for a reliable, fair and suitable disability assessment system. Experts showcased the practical implications of the transition towards the ICF-based approach, then presented the processes and tools pertaining to disability assessment, and finally set up a strategy for communicating policy changes to relevant constituencies. An Armenian delegation, led by the vice-Minister of Social Development, visited assessment centers in Cyprus.
The experts’ contribution targeted several dimensions of organizational capacities and tools that are key to allow the Institut National d’Assurance Maladie (INAM) of Togo to efficiently run an extension of health insurance coverage to private sector’s workers and aim to full, universal coverage. Among the matters tackled by mobilized teams of experts from France, Italy, and Romania were contracting capabilities and management of agreements with health care providers, costing of medical procedures, and economic and actuarial analysis. The technical assistance has thus provided very specific, methodological and operational recommendations that aim to enlarge INAM’s set of tools and knowledge necessary to efficiently run health insurance.
The SOCIEUX+ contribution was mainly directed to uphold the current, joint Government of Malawi – ILO efforts towards the establishment of the Workers Compensation Scheme for Malawi. The Government of Malawi has embarked on the process of establishing a social insurance-based employment injury insurance system through the Workers Compensation Fund. The system is to replace the existing employer-liability system and functions on the basis of risk pooling. This reform entails the development of a system that mandatorily collects appropriate premiums from all employers and provides compensation towards injured workers from a Government-managed fund.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
The action aimed to contribute to policy dialogue on social security in Kenya. Participation of experts from France in a round table on employment injury insurance, maternity protection and the role of social partners and social dialogue in insurance schemes took place on demand of the National Social Protection Conference on the occasion of a national conference held in Nairobi from 20 to 23 March 2018.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), has a core mandate and leading role in the planning, implementation and coordination of social protection policies in Ghana. In particular, the Ministry’s Directorate for Policy, Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation is responsible for assessing the progress in implementation of the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS). An updated 2012 NSPS aimed at bringing the multitude of social protection programmes under a common umbrella. However, the NSPS 2012 had not been approved as from June 2014 when the MGCSP approached SOCIEUX.
Mobilised experts addressed key issues for the approval of the updated NSPS including coordination local stakeholders. The reviewed with their peers functions of the social security agencies and provided recommendations on organisational issues, more specifically on coordination and decentralisation of social protection service provision. They facilitated a workshop for high-ranking civil servants and representatives of NGOs. Finally, they contributed to the reflections of a high-level working group by sharing social protection policy development in the EU.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
The action has supported the Ministry of Social Development of Panama to define the goals of poverty-reduction strategies in connection with the Multidimensional Poverty Index. Together with expert teams from France, Italy, Portugal, and Colombia, the Partner increase its staff’s understanding of multidimensional measurements and their relationship with the design of public policies. Furthermore, the methodology of microsimulation of multidimensional poverty goals was presented and the steps for its implementation in the STATA software were identified. Finally, a systematic review of the existing policy instruments for reducing poverty has been conducted, which helped to determine how they might be adapted in view to tackle multi-dimensional poverty. Particular attention was dedicated to the “Plan Cero Pobreza” and the development of multidimensional poverty-related indicators.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Social Development [Ministerio de Desarrollo Social]
The primary outcome of the action has been to position the Directorate for Social Security of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion (MTPE) of Peru in the policy area of extending social protection to atypical workers. The report prepared by the experts from France and Spain was meant to constitute a piece of comparative knowledge to feed the institutional debate. The peer-to-peer dialogue allowed to broaden the horizon of the debate and reflection on the state of social protection of independent workers and workers of small and medium enterprises in Peru, but also to formulate a policy report which puts forward reasonable tools and approaches for advancing social protection in the area of atypical work.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion [Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo]
The Institute for Labour Science and Social Affairs (ILSSA) of Vietnam has expressed to SOCIEUX+ a particular interest in knowing more about multi-dimensional poverty-measurement approach. The ultimate goal was to increase ILSSA’s role in the support to policy-making. The first activity was conceived as a training involving ILSSA’s researchers in view of increasing knowledge and analytical capacities involved in the analysis of the economic and social context in terms of multi-dimensional poverty. The second activity has allowed to look into the organizational capacity of ILSSA as a public research institution. Experts from Ireland, Italy, and France have participated to the peer-to peer exchanges with ILSSA’s staff.
Partner Institution
Institute for Labour Science and Social Affairs [Viện Khoa Học Lao Động Và Xã Hội]
The Ministry of Health and Childcare of Zimbabwe was committed, through this action, to engage the Cabinet of the President in the process of creating an inter-ministerial committee for national health insurance in collaboration with the other main institutional stakeholders. Experts from France, Germany, and Italy developed together with the partners a roadmap consisting of 9 different steps, including institutional tasks (set-up of an inter-ministerial steering committee, establishment of a statutory body in charge of pooling funds and enrolment of population), and technical ones (costing estimates, enrolment and contribution procedures, legal framework for the implementation of NHI).
The main outcome of the technical assistance has been to put high in the local political and institutional agenda the issue of extending social protection coverage to the informal street vendors of Bogota, which are the main target population of the Instituto para la Economia Social (IPES)’s efforts in the area of local socio-economic development. Experts (three different teams coming from France, Italy, and Spain) first of all succeeded to clarify the terms of the debate through a stakeholders’ mapping and a feasibility study in view of the current situation and status of informal street vendors. Thanks to IPES’ proactive role, the missions of experts have become a tool for mobilizing a number of local actors, starting from the Municipality of Bogota and State agencies, all the way to local NGOs, around the idea of ensuring some sort of social support against life’s risks faced by informal street vendors.
Partner Institution
Institute for Social Economy [Instituto para la Economia Social]
Experts from France and Luxembourg provided two written (paper) and visual (PowerPoint) presentations as background documents for the International Forum on Health Coverage in the CIPRES area, expected to take place in Brazzaville on 4-6 October 2017.
Partner Institution
Inter-African Conference on Social Welfare [Conférence Interafricaine de la Prévoyance Sociale]
The technical assistance was instrumental in letting emerge policy options for the financing of the health system in Saint Lucia in view of the introduction of a national health insurance (NHI). Experts from France, Germany and Italy accompanied emerging policy options on a concrete context analysis. A second outcome was an individual capacity development of key staff of the Ministry of Health and Wellness on policy design in relation to public health policies. The theoretical learning was linked to the current project of introduction of NHI, with experts helping to outline the distinct phases and steps that shall be accomplished for introducing NHI in Saint Lucia.
The main outcome of this action in partnership with the Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato (ISSEG) was the establishment of the National Platform of State Social Security Institutes, namely the Organización Nacional de Instituciones Estatales de Seguridad Social (ONIESS). Members agreed on a light legal basis and substantiated it by displaying a working process with clear objectives and a one-year action plan. The role of experts from France, Germany and Spain was, beside technical expertise, one of facilitators of the debate among the participating State institutes. They contributed to the work with technical inputs, work methodology, examples from relevant EU and personal experiences, their overall spirit and the motivation to achieve a common goal.
Partner Institution
Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato [Instituto de Seguridad Social del Estado de Guanajuato]
The outcome of the action relates to the development of individual capacities of staff of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion (MTPE) of Peru with regards to the conduct of bilateral negotiations for the establishment of social security conventions. It has regarded several dimensions of bilateral conventions, from the legal and technical spheres, up to the negotiations techniques and the follow-up of the implementation of the convention. In particular, the Partner wanted to get detailed information on social security systems in countries – such us Germany and Belgium – with which bilateral negotiations were ongoing. The Partner’s relevant staff has proactively interacted with experts, thus generating a peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge, and received detailed information and data on the two distinct social security systems.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion [Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo]
The action aimed to strengthen the capacity of the East and Central Africa Social Security Association (ECASSA) to design and conduct training in favor of its member organizations The three activities’ deliverables are similar and consist in the materials presented by SOCIEUX-mobilized experts/trainers throughout the three sessions and pertaining to social protection coverage, leadership and ethics, and occupational safety and health. The participating experts came from Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands
Partner Institution
East and Central Africa Social Security Association
The technical assistance – its first phase of contextual analysis and technical recommendations, the second one allowing to observe the real practice of administrative workflows in the execution of sentences – helped the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) to lay down an internal strategy and adopt organizational tools allowing to reduce the time needed for the execution of sentences on claims brought by social security right-holders. At the same time, the Action actually improved intra-department communication and workflows. The measures introduced under the experts’ guidance produced practical and visible effects in the short term, with a significant reduction in the time needed to execute sentences. An ISSSTE delegation travelled to Madrid to observe the organizational practices of the Spanish Ministry of Social Affairs in the field of claims’ management.
Partner Institution
Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers [Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado]
The Executive Secretariat of the Sistema Nacional de Protección Integral de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes (SIPINNA) has engaged with peers from Spain. In the course of four activities experts brought an external view allowing to accompany SIPINNA’s staff and executives to review the institutional and organizational capacities necessary for the Executive Secretariat to carry out its role of coordination and propulsion of the overall system of protection and promotion of children’s rights in Mexico. Experts formulated organizational scenarios and identified practical tools for their implementation, including with regards to the coordination of the local SIPINNA’s Secretariats.
Partner Institution
National System for the Comprehensive Protection of Children, Children and Adolescents [Sistema Nacional de Proteccion Integral de Ninas, Ninos y Adolescentes]
The Action contributed to achieve two significant results: first, to overview the state of the art of the financial reserves available to the Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado de Campeche (ISSSTECAM) and to critically overview the management arrangements in view of their sustainability; secondly, to draft a text of Law of reform of the State Law on social security and pensions, which was later on presented to and approved by the State Parliament. In the course of three activities, the Partner’s staff worked closely with public experts from France and Spain.
Partner Institution
Institute of Security and Social Services for Workers of the State of Campeche [Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado de Campeche]
This action results from 5 distinct requests by the Caisse des Pensions et des Prestations Familiales des Agents de l'Etat (CPPF). The action's technical products - an assessment report on the organizational strategy of CPPF; recommendations on the development of social marketing and communication policy; recommendations for a revised IT architecture; a roadmap in view of the development of a new insurance branch, namely a complementary pension scheme – were all intended to contribute to the strengthening of the organizational capacities of the young CPPF. Teams of experts with different profiles and country origin (France, Morocco, the Netherlands) have exchanged with the Partner’s teams in the course of four activities.
Partner Institution
Pensions and Family Benefits Fund of State Agents [Caisse des Pensions et des Prestations Familiales des Agents de l'Etat]
The Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo de la Familia (SNDIF) requested SOCIEUX+ support to evaluate the National Strategy for the Prevention of Bullying and Other Types of Violence as well as to enhance the capabilities of municipal community agents in their efforts to foster community involvement in order to modify cultural behaviors as to lower the levels of violence. The “Guides” developed by experts from Argentina and Spain, based on the assessment of the National Strategy, are online courses intended to prepare community promoters to the role that the Strategy assigns to them, in connection with the community and families.
Partner Institution
National System for Integral Family Development [Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia]
The Ministry of Public Function, Labour, Administrative Reform and Social Protection of Togo requested SOCIEUX+ support to reshuffle the institutional framework for social dialogue, notably the role of the Conseil National pour le Dialogue social. Deepening the social dialogue is seen as part of an economic development strategy based on greater social cohesion and a fair allocation of the dividends of growth. Experts from Belgium and France have analyzed the current situation and provided methodological recommendations with a view to organising a round table aimed to renew and restart the institutional framework for social dialogue; to this purpose, experts have prepared an orientation note, a proposal of agenda, and supporting documentation.
Partner Institution
Ministry for Public Function, Labour and Administrative Reform [Ministère de la Function Publique du Travail et de la Réforme Administrative]
Experts from Finland, Lithuania, Romania and the United Kingdom first assessed the competences and analytical tools available to the Scientific Research and Training Center on Labour and Social Problems of Azerbaijan to conduct research and policy advise on social security matters, particularly that of access and inclusion of persons with disabilities. A training of researchers presented indicators for measuring accessibility and inclusion and how state policies respond to the specific needs of persons with disability.
Partner Institution
Scientific Research and Training Centre on Labour and Social Problems [Əmək və Sosial Problemlər üzrə Elmi-Tədqiqat və Tədris Mərkəzi]
French experts accompanied by regional experts from Cameroon and Madagascar assessed the Income-generating Activities (AGRs) programme of the Fonds Nationale d'Aide Sociale (FNAS) of Gabon, as well as the capacity building needs of its staff. Strategic and technical support was provided to the elaboration of the FNAS’ plan of action for 2021, followed by a strategic orientation to the definition of corporate long-term objectives. The third activity focused on the formulation of a Logical Framework mirroring the three axes of the strategic orientation, namely: Governance, strategic approach and framework of actions; Financial capacity and autonomy; Development of operational modalities and FNAS procedures for AGRs. A final training clarified ways for FNAS staff to play a role in implementing the objectives and expected results of the new Logical Framework.
Partner Institution
National Fund for Social Assistance [Fonds Nationale d'Aide Sociale (FNAS)]
The Administrative Department for Social Prosperity [Prosperidad Social] integrated towards end of 2015, the National Agency for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (ANSPE) which coordinates the implementation of the National Strategy for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (UNIDOS) created in 2008. UNIDOS currently brings together a large number of entities involved in the provision of basic social services for the extremely poor. The Strategy is complemented by the departmental and municipal governments, including over 1000 municipalities, more than 50 strategic partners from the private sector, and stakeholders in social innovation and from international cooperation.
Social Prosperity has engaged a process of re-designing the UNIDOS to strengthen its conceptual and operational aspects such as the design of the surveys, aspects of monitoring, the assistance given to families as well as the information system. The aim was to make Social Prosperity more efficient through better technical and technological tools and instruments, and human and physical capital.
SOCIEUX+ mobilised experts conducted with the peers an assessment of the technical capacities of ANSPE to identify gaps and training needs. The scope of the technical assistance extended to red-design of beneficiaries identification mechanisms, information management systems and instruments for monitoring and evaluation. The latter having focused on analysis and further development of business and of information-data under the General Sub-Directorate for Overcoming Poverty, which is part of Social Solidarity.
SOCIEUX+ supported also individual capacity building workshops which resulted in the development of a step-by-step guide to impact evaluation planning for the three key programmes led by Social Prosperity’s programmes (UNIDOS, Jóvenes en Acción, and Red de Seguridad Alimentaria). Additionally, technical advice was provided on determining pertinent criteria for the exit and entry of beneficiary families to the “More Families in Action” cash transfer programme.
Partner Institution
Social Prosperity agency [Prosperidad Social - formerly Agencia Nacional para la Superación de la Pobreza Extrema]
The action was instrumental to present to the Ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children of Zanzibar a relevant European experience in establishing and managing Universal Social Pensions. Experts from Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa and Spain provided technical advice on what is affordable for Zanzibar in relation to its policy, fiscal, and demographic environment. They particularly focused on the information management system needed to deploy a social pensions scheme. They helped to draft an implementation plan, then supported the development of a project proposal and the technical specifications needed to develop a management information system.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Empowerment, Social Welfare, Youth, Women and Children (MoESWYWC)
The Social Security Commission Development Fund (SSC-DF) is a Government-owned institution mandated to design and operate several social insurance schemes that cater for matters such as maternity leave, occupational injuries, extended sick leave, medical cover and retirement benefits. It also has a non-contributory branch which acts as a labour market institution to promote employability and stimulate employment creation. The SSC-DF aspires at becoming the leading agency for social security and insurance in Namibia.
The original objectives of the action were to support the extension of the coverage of social protection to the informal economy, and to explore the feasibility of setting up a national internship and/or apprenticeship programme, helping to bridge the transition from school to work for recent graduates.
Upon an assessment mission which reviewed and provided the SSC-DF with recommendations on how to address the existing political and institutional processes associated with the extension of social protection coverage to the identified target groups. The needs however to implement these recommendations were beyond sole short-term technical assistance as what SOCIEUX could provide alone.
Experts mobilized from France and Lebanon delivered an analysis of Togo’s Institut National d’Assurance Maladie (INAM)’s institutional organization and capacities. The assessment focused on the challenges faced by INAM in view of the extension of health coverage, clarified the institutional responsibilities, while identifying issues requiring further technical assistance to INAM, such as the preparation of a strategic plan, the enhancement of internal capacities in the field of “risk management,” and the development of a management information system. The first two topics were then addressed by experts through peer-to-peer exchanges with the relevant INAM’s executives and staff, presenting models and good practices applicable to INAM’s context and needs.
Following an initial capacity assessment of the Department of Social Services of the Ministry of Social Development of Nevis, a proposal describing the training needs, the target group, the duration, the proposed training activities, was prepared by experts from Croatia and the United Kingdom. The following training involved case workers of the Restore, Inspire, Secure and Empower social-support Program (RISE) and included: engagement with people in need of assistance; people’s risk assessment; attitudes and professionalism of social workers; confidentiality; managing people’s anger; managing information and data; engagement with other public agencies; understanding family dynamics; assessing cases of child sexual abuse. Finally, experts summed up all materials, methods and information delivered throughout the training and compiled a practical manual that is now available to train the newly hired RISE Program case managers.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Social Development - Department of Social Services, Nevis Island Administration (NIA)
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
In response to a request of from the Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato (ISSEG), this action started the process of constitution of a national platform of social security State Institutes, with the objective of setting up a framework for cooperation and information-sharing among State Institutes. Spanish experts supported ISSEG in finalizing a declaration for the creation of a National Pension forum, to be delivered to the 16th edition of the National Social Security Conference. Experts also advised ISSEG and other State Institutes on the specific stages required for establishing a National coordination body, including the elaboration of the constituent documents and the legal framework of a national platform (which will become the Organización Nacional de los Institutos Estatales de Seguridad Social - ONIESS).
Partner Institution
Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato (ISSEG)
The specific objective was to support the development of the MoSD Strategy for 2016-2020 and the related Action Plan, and to share best practice from the EU in strategic planning for social protection policy.
Experts from France and the United Kingdom worked together with staff of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSAVY) in view to elaborate an Orientation Report providing recommendations for implementing the relevant country’s regulations governing the Community-based Pension Support Scheme in favor of poor persons with disabilities and their households. The report provides analysis and recommendations with regards to three main areas: Policy, implementation and institutional development; Legislation; Disability assessment mechanisms.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSAVY)
The Centre for Social Research and Studies (CRES) is a public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs mandated to carry out operational research and studies, and provide decision and policy-making support in the field of social protection.
The Tunisian Government relies on the competence of the CRES to implement reforms that are based on sound evidence. The agency’s main task consists in carrying out studies and assessments of the current gaps and weaknesses of the social protection system. The CRES has therefore developed a business intelligence system (BIS) since 2012 which builds the basis of CRES’ research activities.
Experts mobilised by SOCIEUX worked with their Tunisian peers in analysing existing BIS and assess the CRES team’s capacities to upgrade, capitalise and maintain its data warehouse. They also to strengthened knowledge and skills in key areas such as statistical analysis, design social security indicators and drafting analytical reports on pension and health insurance schemes. Exchanges were continued through a study visit to Belgian institutions.
Partner Institution
Center for Research and Social Studies [Centre de Recherche et d’Etudes Social]
The Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) is responsible for the provision of social services to a wide range of beneficiaries, including young people and children, families and people living with disabilities. These services are provided at a local level though social service directorates and offices. The strategic objective of the MoSD is to contribute to the development and implementation of an integrated social policy in Jordan.
Social protection is delivered through four major public programmes: a social insurance programme; a public programme for the civil service and military (phasing out); a social assistance programme; and, an assistance programme for Palestinian Refugees (delivered through the UN Relief and Works Agency). There was a need to strengthen and rationalise programmes so that they better serve the most vulnerable. Moreover, addressing needs of the Syrian refugee crisis, and its impact on the country, remains a major challenge for the Government. Jordan had recently drafted a Poverty Reduction Strategy (2013-2020) and the Response Plan for the Syria Crisis. In this context the MoSD engaged in a more strategic planning approach to rationalise and strengthen existing programmes, and the needed capacities to do so.
Over a period of several months, experts mobilised by SOCIEUX work with the peers on the elaboration of a draft Strategic Plan 2016-2021 for the MoSD entitled “Together – Tackling Disadvantage: Realising the potential of all our citizens and building sustainable communities”. Moreover, the experts submitted a roadmap for a communication strategy for the dissemination and endorsement of the Strategic Plan as well as a monitoring and evaluation framework for its implementation titled Business Performance.
The Social Cash Transfer Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender and Development is responsible for the management of the National Social Cash Transfer Programme.
As an element of the social protection system, a social cash transfers were piloted at programme level, in 2011.
The number of pilot sites was to be scaled up from two to five (third of the 15 counties forming the administrative segments of the country). To achieve this scale-up individual, organisational and institutional capacities of the Secretariat need to be strengthened.
Experts mobilised worked with their Liberian peers in an assessment of institutional capacities for this action, and to provide proposals both to improve the organisation Programme and strengthen the individual capacities of the Secretariat’s staff.
The National Office for Pensions and Occupational Risk (ONPR) for civil servants, magistrates and judicial personnel implements contributory pensions, vocational hazards and associated benefit social insurance in Burundi since 2010.
The ONPR faced challenges of efficiently managing increasing expansion of the scheme including at organisational level. To address these challenges, experts mobilised by SOCIEUX+ worked with their peers on the elaboration of an internal management strategy, the establishment of monitoring and control procedures, and the improvement of quality assurance mechanisms.
The staff of ONPR, and other stake holding institutions in the area of pension, was to be trained key concepts of social protection to widen their understanding of the functioning of pension systems. Further, the intervention assessed and formulated recommendation on how to best respond to identified needs of the partner institutions for the efficient and effective management of the pension scheme.
Partner Institution
National Pensions and Occupational Risks Office
Type of Assistance
Individual capacity building (human resources development)
The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIoJ) is the foremost economic and social planning agency of the Jamaican Government. The PIoJ had a leading role in the elaboration of the Social Protection Strategy of the country, in 2014. Further, the PIoJ is in charge of coordinating the implementation of the Strategy’s actions and monitoring and evaluation corresponding operations. The success of which depends to a large extent on a careful and effective financial management to withstand economic shocks, which have been frequent in the Caribbean region.
Experts mobilised transferred their experience and knowledge to their peers of the PIoJ in the areas of financing, monitoring and evaluation social protection. In addition, experts were to support the costing the existing Social Protection Floor [the minimum package of social assistance and protection services already in place] and the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework for social protection.
The Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato (ISSEG) is responsible for providing insurance benefits to the formal sector [public employees and civil servants] in the Mexican State of Guanajuato.
The amounts of pensions originally guaranteed by the ISSEG were pre-defined as a percentage of the affiliate’s wage at time of compliance of retirement criteria. The underlying solidarity fund is financed by contributions of workers and employers, as well as the returns generated by investments. Due to the challenges in funding the existing system, the ISSEG was considering reforms to set benefits on actual historical contributions.
Mobilised experts contributed in building capacities of the ISSEG for planned reforms by addressing issues with their peers in policy definition and administrative requirement definition by sharing EU Member States and common experience in making pension schemes affordable in the face of changing economic, policy and demographic environments. In particular, they transferred understanding on legal, actuarial and financial implications of the implementation of the proposed reforms.
Partner Institution
Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato [Instituto de Seguridad Social del Estado de Guanajuato]
State Secretariat for National Solidarity (SESN) is a public entity directly attached to the Prime Minister of Djibouti. It coordinates the implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation processes of the national strategy for socioeconomic development "Vision Djibouti 2035".
In 2013, Djibouti adopted a safety net-based National Social Protection Strategy [Stratégie Nationale « Filets Sociaux de Sécurité » 2013-17]. The Strategy, developed by SESN, serves as a road map for the design and implementation of social safety nets, the widespread promotion of employment and equity, and the strengthening of synergies between all stakeholders. For overseeing the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy, the Inter-sector Committee for Social Protection. The Committee was to rely on a permanent technical secretariat, the STP-CI/PS, within the SESN.
Mobilised experts contributed in the building of institutional capacities of the SESN and individual technical capacities of its key staff for the setting up of the STP-CI/PS. This was primarily by working with their peers on assessing existing capacities of the SESN, formulating their needs and appropriate responses for the setup of the STP-CI/PS.
Partner Institution
State Secretariat for National Solidarity [Secrétariat d’Etat auprès du Premier Ministre chargé à la Solidarité Nationale]
The Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion (MTPE) has the responsibility for conducting negotiations on bilateral and/or multilateral social security agreements and acts as a liaison body with regard to requests for information on the nationals of the contracting parties concerned by such agreements.
Skills and knowhow required to negotiate effective and appropriate social security agreements strengthened among the staff of the MTPE’s require good knowledge General Office for Cooperation and International Affairs.
Mobilised experts trained their Peruvian peers in key concepts of which’s knowledge would prepare them to face the challenges of the complex and lengthy negotiations drafting of agreements, in particular on social protection floors, minimum content of social security agreements and the implementation of such agreements.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion [Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo]
Within the Framework of Pakistan’s membership in the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Provincial Government of Punjab organised a three-day Ministerial-level conference under the theme "South Asia Labour Conference" (SALC) with support of the Federal Government of Pakistan.
SALC’s objective was to bring together representatives of labour and social affairs ministries from the Federal Government of Pakistan and the SAARC countries, representatives of employer and worker organisations, civil society, selected dignitaries from neighbouring countries and EU representatives in a first step towards regional collaboration to promote labour productivity and improve working conditions and rights in the region.
The SALC brought together 250 representatives of the concerned ministries and other stakeholders from Pakistan and SAARC. A SOCIEUX mobilised expert participated in two technical sessions of the Conference, providing a contribution on the coordination of social security schemes for migrant workers within the EU. In particular, he illustrated topics such as like the EU migration context and common coordination principles and practices.
Partner Institution
Department of Labour, Provincial Government of Punjab
The Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development (MSCD) is the central Government authority responsible for the delivery of social services and the implementation of social protection programmes, which are designed to promote social development and reduce poverty in Barbados.
A number of important initiatives have been undertaken by the Government to enhance institutional and administrative mechanisms for addressing poverty reduction and monitoring results, as well as general service delivery. For these, the MSCD’s functions in data collection and analysis require substantial capacities, in particular adequate information management systems.
Mobilised expert carried out an assessment of the existing structures, capacities and gaps in the administration and management of information by the MSCD and their supervised programmes. Priorities for technical assistance were so identified for the development and of a central and comprehensive social relational database within a future management information system.
Partner Institution
Ministry of Social Care, Constituency, Empowerment and Community Development
