Delegation from Uzbekistan during a work session organized by the World Bank in its premises in Bucharest, as part of the study visit organized by the EU Facility SOCIEUX+. Photo: DM.
The delegation from the National Agency for Social Protection, headed by a deputy director-general, included 10 officials in charge of different aspects of social protection for persons with disabilities and older people, including finance, human resources and training, disability assessment, services provision for adults and children, as well as operation of centers “Inson”, multifunctional structures that allow to implement solidarity and social assistance measures locally.
The study visit was hosted by the National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANPDPD) and by the General Direction for Child Protection and Social Assistance of the second district of Bucharest. Peers from the national policy-making body and a local administration in charge of implementation of social protection measures presented to the delegation the evolution of the Romanian legal framework, models of care provision, and current challenges of the system.
Besides, a comprehensive agenda of field visits prepared by the ANPDPD expert mobilized by SOCIEUX+, Carmen Rotaru, gave a large overview of the services available, and their practical organization and management, as it included both public facilities under the General Direction, and those managed by the civil society organizations. Additionally, representatives from the National College for Social Workers explained how education and training of social work professionals is organized in Romania.
The delegation was also received by the World Bank office in Bucharest, which is a part of the same Europe and Centra Asia regional network as the one in Tashkent. As it has supported Romania in implementation of some of the reforms, this meeting was an occasion to share the international vision on how the services and assessment system are being transformed.
This study visit is a part of a larger cooperation action between SOCIEUX+ and the National Agency for Social Protection. It was preceded by an assessment of current services provided to persons with disabilities and older people in Uzbekistan, as well as by several webinars to present EU experience. The next step will be focused on the formulation of a roadmap to reinforce community-based services and to make them more efficient and accessible.
In this context, the study visit provided the National Agency for Social Protection with inspiration for the reform it is engaged in, as well as good practices and applied EU examples in the areas that are now most relevant for the Agency: services provision for vulnerable citizens, including the services that do not exist and are yet to be developed in Uzbekistan; rules for cooperation between the public and private sectors and civil society; capacity reinforcement for social work professionals
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Daria Mamontova
SOCIEUX+ Action Manager
(SOCIEUX+ cooperation 2022-09)
