Social Protection: Retrospective

Summary of activities for the Africa Program FY04

Mainstreaming Social Protection and Social Risk Management in Bank Operations and Economic and Sector Work

· Mainstreaming Social Protection in Africa: an action-oriented learning program - Paris - 06/30/2003, (5 days), 120 participants. The main objectives of this second regional workshop included (1) reviewing country progress in analytical work and the status in the process of SP development (2) deepening the participants' understanding of selected SRM tools and policies and, (3) providing support to country teams in developing action plans toward finalizing their national SP strategies.

· Strengthening the Human Development Agenda in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) process for Africa II – Kenya - 10/20/2003 (5 days), 49 participants. This was the second workshop designed to strengthen the HD agenda in the PRSP in the Africa region. The workshop was designed to equip country teams with analytical tools for priority setting including fiscal and budgetary framework so that education, health, and social protection issues are fully integrated into the PRSPs.

· Mainstreaming Social Protection in Africa: an action-oriented learning program - Helsinki - 06/07/2004, (3 days). Over 100 participants from nine African countries and their counterparts from the Bank Operations and donor communities attended the conference and presented their Social Protection strategies and action plans for mainstreaming in the PRSP and implementation. This conference was the culmination of a 3 year program involving multi sectoral teams from client countries supported from the Bank and Donors through a package of ESW, capacity building and investment operations designed strengthen the SP agenda in the PRSP process. The Helsinki conference showed a great deal of internalization of the issues and process by our clients when compared to earlier events involving the same set of countries i.e. Paris 1 (June 2002), Paris 2 (June 2003) and Helsinki (June 2004). In Paris 1 we lectured during 80% of the time (introducing the SRM/VA concepts and the SP instruments). In Paris 2 we had a 50-50 split where we further provided training and the African teams started outlining their draft strategies and action plan for analytical work. In Helsinki the Africa delegates presented during 80% of the time good policy frameworks backed with good analytical work and strong participatory and multi sectoral processes. Encouraged by the results of this 3 year initiative (enhanced capacity among our African colleagues, the quality of the analytical work and emerging policy responses and their impact on the PRSP process and the increasing support from other Donors and development agencies), WBI, the Social Protection Hub and the Africa Region intend to build on the momentum created and continue this process through country focused activities (implementation) and regional workshops (knowledge sharing). The Conference was organized jointly by the World Bank and the Finnish National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), and hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affaires of the Finnish Government.

· Tanzania: June 29-July 2, 2004- As a follow up to the Helsinki conference, WBI supported the SP team of the Eastern and Southern African Region organize a workshop/retreat that brought together decision makers and technical staff from client countries and their counterparts from Bank Operations to discuss ways on how to strengthen the Social Protection agenda in participating countries (45 participants). The emphasis was placed on shifting the perception of SP from that of income transfer programs to that of SP interventions helping households manage risks and related shocks more effectively, enabling these households to adopt growth-enhancing production strategies for greater poverty reduction. The workshop/retreat benchmarked the performance and quality of AFTH1 country SP portfolios; reviewed the future for social funds and CDD within the social risk management framework; and introduced new SP interventions including conditional cash transfers, early childhood development and youth employment initiatives, income assistance for the elderly, and weather-based insurance. The final day included a module on monitoring and evaluation. Participating countries made presentations during this workshop in the form of stock taking of the social protection sector in their respective countries and shared their experience in selected SP interventions. The team-based approach with clients participating enhanced with field visits again proved an effective tool for learning.

Development of country-level Social Protection strategies and Action Plans

Regional workshops to discuss national Social Protection strategies

· Social Protection for Nigeria: Action Plan I- Nigeria - 8/12/2003, (1 day), 15 participants. The national level workshop was held to report the results of the second regional workshop to a wide range of national stakeholders

· Social Protection for Nigeria: Action Plan II - Nigeria - April/May 2004. Zonal Consultation Workshop will be held to review the Draft Policy Note.

· Social Protection for Nigeria: Action Plan III - Nigeria - April/May 2004. Zonal Consultation Workshop will be held to review the Draft Policy Note.

· Social Protection for Nigeria: Action Plan IV - Nigeria - April/May 2004. Zonal Consultation Workshop will be held to review the Draft Policy Note.

· Social Protection for Nigeria: Action Plan V - Nigeria - April/May 2004. Zonal Consultation Workshop will be held to review the Draft Policy Note.

· Social Protection for Nigeria: Action Plan VI - Nigeria - May 2004. National Consultation Workshop will be held to consolidate the outcomes of 4 Zonal Consultation Workshops and finalize the Policy Note.

· Social Protection for Uganda: Action Plan I - Uganda - 12/3/2003, (1 day), 14 participants. This follow up workshop was held to discuss progress made in mainstreaming SP issues in the PEAP/PRSP revision process.

· Social Protection for Uganda: Action Plan II - Uganda - 4/1/2003, (1 day). A national stakeholders’ workshop was held to discuss the draft SP strategy with a wide range of stakeholders.

· Social Protection for Madagascar: Action Plan I - Madagascar - 1/20/2004, (2 days), 133 participants. The 2-day workshop entitled "National Workshop on Social Protection: Toward the Drafting of a Social Protection Policy to Support the PRSP" was aimed at presenting results achieved so far, and engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the process of finalizing a SP strategy. The workshop was well attended including the Prime Minister, the Vice Prime Minister, and the Minister of Population and Social Protection who together confirmed the importance of social protection in the PRSP. The workshop also received a very positive media coverage.

· Social Protection for Madagascar: Action Plan II - Madagascar - 2/13/2004, (1 day), 24 participants. The workshop was held to review analytical work for the development of a SP strategy.

· Social Protection for Madagascar: Action Plan III - Madagascar - 4/7/2004, (2 day). 2-day workshop was held to discuss social protection issues particularly relevant to rural communities.

· Social Protection for Madagascar: Action Plan IV - Madagascar - 4/14/2004, (2 day). 2-day workshop was held to discuss social protection issues particularly pertinent to urban areas.

· Social Protection for Burkina Faso: Action Plan I - Burkina Faso - 2/23/2003, (1 day), 39 participants. A four-member working group from Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Social Action was created late January 2004 to finalize the Burkina Faso SP strategy.This workshop was held as a part of their initiative to move forward with the process of completing a SP strategy.

· Social Protection for Burkina Faso: Action Plan II - Burkina Faso - 5/17/2003, (2 day), 100 participants. 2-day workshop will be held to provide the working group with an opportunity to discuss an early draft of its SP strategy with a wide range of national stakeholders.

· Social Protection for Ghana: Action Plan I - Ghana – May 2003. The national workshop will be held to develop a SP strategy.

· Social Protection for Rwanda: Action Plan I - Rwanda – May 2003. The national workshop will be held to further advance the process of developing a SP strategy.

Social Safety Nets

· Food Aid and Social Protection – Washington DC – 07/21/2003 (3 days), 46 participants. The workshop was intended to provide a forum for World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Bank staff to collaborate more effectively in pursuing complementary approach to reduce hunger and malnutrition in several countries.

· Safety Nets Distance Learning West Africa - Benin, Côte D’Ivoire, Mauritania and Senegal - 10/06/2003, (20 days), 154 participants. This distance learning course was aimed at providing participants with an understanding of the conceptual and practical issues involved in the development of safety net interventions to protect poor and vulnerable population groups from income risk and to ensure they have adequate access to essential services.

· Social Safety Nets Annual Core Course - Washington DC - 12/01/2003 (10 days), 57 participants. A two-week course was designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the conceptual and practical issues involved in the development of safety net interventions.

Pension reforms

· Pension Group 1: Action Plan – South Africa - 06/30/2003. (3 days), 30 participants. This follow-up workshop addressed specific issues such as timeline for improving the administration of public pension schemes and fund management, governance and supervision and regulatory bodies.

· The Africa Pension Forum: a network of practitioner to support the reforms – South Africa – 07/03/2003, (2 days), 32 participants. An assembly of representatives from eight Africa countries approved the creation of a permanent forum to exchange regional experiences on pensions and pension reforms.

· Partnership program with Kenya’s Retirement Benefits Authority – Kenya – 02/10/2004, (3days), 54 participants. This was the first activity of a multi-year program aimed at building capacity of a pilot partner institution to design a comprehensive and feasible strategic plan for institutional strengthening. The workshop focused on designing a modern and integrated supervision strategy and redefining procedures and regulations for pension funds.

· Partnership program with Kenya’s Retirement Benefits Authority II – Kenya – 5/17/2004, (5 days). The second workshop with Kenya’s Retirement Benefit Authority focused on setting up an effective information system diagnosis and analysis, and public information issues.

· The Africa Pension Reform Distance Learning Francophone Africa – Paris – 6/2/2004. This customized modular course will address a wide range of issues from basic design issues of social security systems, common problems with existing social security systems, impact of social security on the broader economy, and alternative options for reform to social security system administration and regulation.