A seven point research agenda to facilitate better understanding between cash transfer programmes and building social worker capacity in sub-Saharan Africa in the context of national social protection plans of action.

Thematic Round TableSocal welfare services

Roger PearsonSenior Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF EthiopiaChildrens Rights at a CrossroadsA Global Conference on Research and Child Rights30 November - 2 December 2009UNECA Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Several UNICEF staff contributed to the preparation of this presentation.

Carlos Alviar, Cash transfer specialist, UNICEF Kenya

Benjamin Davis, Regional Social Policy Advisor, East and Southern Africa

Aaron GreenbergChild Protection Specialist, UNICEF New York

Anthony Hodges, Regional Economic and Social Policy Advisor, West and Central Africa

Mayke Huijbregts, Chief Social Policy, UNICEF Malawi

Douglas Webb, Chief of Adolescent Development, Child Protection and HIV/AIDS, UNICEF Ethiopia.

What is Social Protection?Reduces either the risk of experiencing an economic or social shock, or reduces the welfare loss after shocks occur.

Alleviates extreme or chronic poverty and enables chronically poor to eventually overcome poverty.

Limits fluctuations in welfare (both social and economic shocks) and addressws structural stresses associated with chronic poverty.

TypologySocial InsuranceHealthSocial LegislationEducation

The floor Voluntary insuranceMandatory social insurance / social security benefits of guaranteed levels to covered persons The Africa Union minimum package Essential Social ServicesSocial Transfers (pensions; child benefits; guaranteed work, disability grants )Mix contributory & non-contributoryWhat African Union Social Policy Framework says on Soc. Prot. (Jan 2009)

What African Union Social Policy Framework says on Soc. Prot. (Jan 2009)Investment in and access to SP. Build SP and social security; national SP action plans; chapters in national development plan revisions. Measures include:minimum package; essential health care; benefits for children, informal workers, unemployed, older persons; persons with disabilities a platform for broadening and extending SP as fiscal space expands.extending social insurance (subsidies for those unable to contribute); build community and occupation based insurance;social welfare services, employment guarantee schemes, extend public-financed, non-contributory cash transfers.

Rationale 1: SP deep roots in African society But complexities of modern world breaking down efficacy of traditional systems

Rationale 2: Growing evidence of efficacy in reaching MDGsAccelerate reduction in malnutritionReduce povertyAccelerate declines in fertilityAccelerate educational outcomesAccelerate economic growth

Pensions reduce fertility rates hence reduce population growth

Where parents take care of older people as well as children, a guaranteed old age income means more resources directed to children.

In Namibia , 55% of the pension is spent on grandchildren.

In South Africa, children who live with pensioners in South Africa are 3-4cm taller; there is an 8% increase in school enrolment among the poorest 20% of households as a result of the pension.

Example: Arguments for pensions

Pensions reduce fertility rates hence reduce U5MR and Maternal Mortality rates and allow more investment in each child

Examples of universal and near-universal pensions

CountryCoverage Benefit level per monthNew Zealand93% (over-65)$737South Africa85% (over-65)$75Mauritius100% (over-60)$84Kosovo100% (over-65)$50Namibia93% (over-60)$26Botswana96% (over-65)$30Samoa100% (over-65)$33Lesotho95% (over-70)$25Nepal77% (over-75)$2

Sex ratio among children attending primary school(8-10 year-olds, 2002)

Children not completing grade 5

Children not completing grade 546%51%74%77%

Rationale 3: Enhances productivity and Growth Economic theory: investing in social protection is growth enhancing; rationale does not rest on redistribution or human rights principles alone

Micro-level credit market failures inhibit growthLack of insurance or credit markets make poor farmers conservativegrowth stifled by lack of risk taking and innovationIrreversible asset depletion lowers productivityInequality creates conflict

The world agrees that its citizens have a right to social protectionUniversal declaration of Human rights articles 22 and 25UN covenant of economic social and cultural rights article 9ILO conventionsUN CRC

Claim holders have a right to social protection.

This implies other parts of society have a duty to provide the protection

In the long-term most resources will have to come from taxes

How much a society chooses to invest in social protection is mainly a matter of political choice

Two Key issues in realizing these rightsFinancing social protection is a major challenge across SSAthere are ways forward: taxation, natural resources and aid

Capacity issues; institutionalisation is keypolicies not projectspermanent institutions not emergency safety nets

Numbers of people living on less than $2 per day, 2005

Numbers of wealthy people

No fiscal space for SP?Arbitrary to specify a benchmark percentage of GDP for social protection spending.Government faces hard choices between social sectors, infrastructure, agriculture, stimulating entrpreneurs etc.Dialogue and informed political choiceMedium to long term strategy

Variations in revenue as per cent of GDP

UNICEF involvement in SP incl. cash transfers in SSA

Ethiopia at -1.1Overall fiscal balance, including grants (% of GDP), 2007Cote d'Ivoire, 0.3Guinea, 1.0Liberia, 1.2Gambia, 1.8Nigeria, 2.3CAR, 2.5Chad, 3.5Cameroon, 4.2Gabon, 9.8Congo, 9.9DRC, -0.1Eq Guinea, 22.7Ghana, -6.3Burkina Faso, -6.3Senegal, -4.8Mali, -3.6Niger, -3.6Cap Verde, -3.4Togo, -2.5Benin, -2.0Sierra Leone, -0.3Guinea Bissau, -17.3-20-15-10-50510152025

The 2008 global finance, food, fuel and crisis has added impetus to social protectionon the expenditure side, it would be desirable , with external support, to adopt and gradually scale up safety net programmes, targeting them carefully and building in countercyclical properties. Existing programmes that are performing well should be scaled up first; in the short run, though, the capacity of Sub-Saharan African countries to set up new programmes is limited.

IMFs SSA Regional Economic Outlook 2009: Weathering the storm

De Facto SP programme in Ethiopia

ProtectHumanitarian emergency programmes. (2-7 million people)Targeted work guarantee scheme; PSNP (8 million)Prevent30,000 salaried health extension workers providing a package of 20 free services, to people previously not accessed by health sector e.g. targeted supplementary feeding; therapeutic feeding.Food subsidies in urban areas.PromoteMicro credit (small).ResettlementFertilizer subsidies ($300 million allocation in 2008).Last 3 million children into school (feeding, ABE centres, mobile schools).Fuel subsidies (now cancelled).Vocational skills training for youth (small).Small scale disability support projectsSocial InsuranceTransformChapter on SP in PASDEP. New legislation on SP the national social protection platform

Some examplesGhana recently increased VAT by 2.5 per cent to pay for free health care for all under age 18 and pregnant mothers

Lesotho recently introduced universal non contributory pension at a cost of 7 per cent of GDP

An integrated child friendly social protection service

Complementary role of transfers & social welfare servicesNeed for an integrated approach to SP: Dimensions of vulnerability are many: economic & socialDifferent types of intervention are needed: services and legislation as well as transfers and insurance2. Specialized social welfare services are needed to support people who are particularly vulnerability

Social welfare staff actions improve the reach, effectiveness & enhance the impact of cash transfers:

Community-based family support workers (para-professionals) assisting families access entitlements National documentation schemes (e.g. civil reg.); Raise awareness on eligibility & entitlements; Parenting support services; Oversight of SP contractors and civil society by government welfare staff.Carmona consensus, Spain, April 2009

Child sensitive socialprotectionCash transfersFamily support servicesAssistance with social servicesLegal empowermentAlternative Care e.g. adoption; temporary shelters; Protective servicesSupport for special needs Enforcement of laws e.g. child labourSocial work case managementEarly detection of neglect & abuse

1Enrollment2IdentificationMonitoring of school attendance and health facility visitsComplaintsPayments3456First PaymentKenya cash transfer programme; social workers and community groups key roleAwareness and community development sessions7

Some lessons learnedMinimize administrative programme burden; avoid complex targeting or monitoring of conditionsWhere affordable, universal approaches are more practical and less prone to corruption Give high priority to capacity building of the responsible government bodies

Generate more evidence on impact of community-based family support (social workers and social work para-professionals) in enhancing child-well being outcomes. Understand better good practices in relationships between community-based paraprofessionals & state social welfare officers. Agree on core social welfare indicators to include in cash transfer evaluations.A research agenda from Carmona

Other research beyond Carmona agendaMapping out de facto social protection programming including budgetary allocations and source of fundingCost various scenarios for revised social protection plans of actions Understanding current capacities of paraprofessional and paraprofessional social workersUnderstand better current appetite among policy makers and the public for more social protection

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