• Support to the extension of social protection in Cambodia

    Start activities
    oct-2016
    End activities
    nov-2016
    Partner Institution
    Ministry of Economy and Finances
    Type of Assistance
    Organisational management (structures & functions)
    Code
    2016-02
    Description
    An initial fact-finding mission aimed at narrowing down the areas of support drawn from the request submitted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Cambodia (MEF). Following activities resulted in a general mapping and assessment of the country’s social protection framework, which allowed to identify gaps and areas of improvement in coverage. Finally, a training on pension systems for MEF officials allowed EU experts to present different pension systems and how they are governed and regulated by line ministries. The actions, which mainly consisted in knowledge transfer and resulted in enhanced regulatory capacities for relevant personnel, saw the involvement of EU public experts from France, Germany, and Lithuania.
  • Support to revise the SP Strategy of the MoSD in Jordan

    Start activities
    aug-2015
    End activities
    dec-2015
    Partner Institution
    Ministry of Social Development
    Type of Assistance
    Policy development
    Code
    2015-11
    Description
    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.
  • Training on the pension systems and a capacity development needs assessment

    Start activities
    jun-2014
    End activities
    jun-2014
    Partner Institution
    National Pensions and Occupational Risks Office
    Type of Assistance
    Individual capacity building (human resources development)
    Code
    2014-02
    Description
    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.
  • Supporting contributory pensions coverage extension, investment management and administration

    Start activities
    End activities
    aug-2014
    Partner Institution
    Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato [Instituto de Seguridad Social del Estado de Guanajuato]
    Type of Assistance
    Organisational capacity building
    Code
    2014-04
    Description
    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.
  • Supporting vocational rehabilitation of persons living with disabilities

    Start activities
    feb-2015
    End activities
    feb-2015
    Partner Institution
    Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Familiy
    Type of Assistance
    Individual capacity building (human resources development)
    Code
    2014-13
    Description
    The Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family (MLSPF) is the national authority having overall responsibility for the development, promotion and implementation of social protection for people with disabilities. MLSPF plays a directing role in implementing the Social Inclusion Strategy for Persons with Disabilities (2010-2013) approved by law in 2010. Among one of the first steps taken by the Ministry for the implementation of the Strategy was the plan for the creation of a small department in charge of services for vocational rehabilitation of persons with severe disabilities within the Republican Experimental Prosthetic, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Centre (CREPOR). Knowledge from the provision of such services in the EU and focusing on the practical organisation and implementation of these by the CREPOR. A study visit to in Ireland was organised for senior staff of various Moldovan institutions in charge of rehabilitation services. Within a second activity, a general training needs assessment of the newly created vocational rehabilitation department was conducted with the support of a EU peers. This was the occasion to identify the needs and challenges in the provision of such services and the specific training needs of the CREPOR.
  • Support to non - and contributory pensions

    Start activities
    jun-2015
    End activities
    nov-2015
    Partner Institution
    Institute of Social Security of the State of Guanajuato [Instituto de Seguridad Social del Estado de Guanajuato]
    Type of Assistance
    Policy development
    Code
    2014-25
    Description
    Follow-up from action 2014-04 This action built on these achievements of the first action with the ISSEG, and allowed European experts and their Mexican peers to formulate practical recommendations for the coordinated development at federal level of state pension funds. Exchanges addressed in particular legal, actuarial and administrative aspects. ISSEG’s experience and leadership was first presented to two Mexican States pension funds, which was a significant step to boost state-level coordination and cooperation. The final action’s activity was a National Inter-State Pensions Conference which brought together all state funds of Mexico. The first conclusion reached by consensus during the conference was the need to work towards establishing a new framework law, which contains general principles aimed at guaranteeing a "decent" and coordinated pension system for all Mexicans and which is disassociated from salaries.