Zambia: Assessment-Based National Dialogue

The Government of Zambia has recently adopted a National Social Protection Policy (NSPP). The NSPP’s comprehensive five pillar structure (Social Assistance, Social Security/Social Insurance, Livelihoods & Empowerment, Protection and Disability) offers ground for a more integrated, coordinated approach and informed scale-up decisions. It contains references that underline the opportunity to establish an integrated framework of social protection programs. 

While the NSPP provides an overall policy framework, the options in terms of specific methodology that will constitute its implementation still need to be formulated and agreed upon, as do coherent procedures for the implementation of these programs. This process should lead to a clear definition of program targets, the programs that will be expanded and their roll-out plan, but also the programs that will be phased-out, integrated or merged. These decisions should have implications across the different pillars in order to rationalize the provision of Social Protection and to lead to reductions in terms of fragmentation, leading to an increase on the impact of Government intervention.

With the aim of establishing and integrated framework of the social protection programme, the government of Zambia, particularly the Ministry of Community Development Mother Child Health (MCDMCH) has engaged with the UN in the Social Protection Floor Assessment based National Dialogue (ABND) exercise. 

The ABND exercise has three major phases:

Step 1 - Building the assessment matrix including the identification of priority recommendations

Step 2 - Costing policy options using the Rapid Assessment Protocol (RAP) model

Step 3 - Assess the Fiscal Affordability

Step 4 - Validation of policy options

Step 5 - Functional review

The MCDMCH started consultative discussions with relevant stakeholders (particularly key line ministries and management development division at Cabinet Office) on exploring methodologies to be used in the development of a blueprint that will give explicit detail on the operationalization of the National Social Protection Policy.

Workshop Objectives

The first meeting/workshop will therefore focus on the following objectives:

  • Agree on the most effective methodology to use in developing the integrated framework for social protection programs
  • Identify clear milestones to be achieved at the different stages of the methodology 
  • Define the different roles and responsibilities identified stakeholders will play
  • Identify research topics that may be undertaken
  • Agree on the next steps

Targeted Participants

The initial workshop is targeted at tapping into knowledge base of government technocrats from ministries directly or indirectly engaged in implementation of social protection programs. Senior technical officials are therefore expected to attend. 

See the ILO Presentation.

Building the assessment matrix

Based on the 5 NSPP pillars, the assessment matrix will list and describe the existing social protection programs, identify policy gaps and implementation issues, and provide policy recommendations to further design and implement social protection provisions.

Costing policy options using the Rapid Assessment Protocol (RAP) model

The RAP enables users to evaluate the cost of taking certain steps to close social protection coverage gaps . The objective of using the RAP is that it can rapidly illustrate different policy options in terms of its costs and provide a tangible basis to initiate and facilitate national dialogue. It deals also with long-term sustainability of the different option by comparing the cost of implementation with economic indicators like GDP and government expenditure Based on the previous step where the various policy options should be defined the model would be used to estimate the cost and affordability of implementing the previous recommendations. Based on several combined benefits packages it should present for each the results of the cost calculations and projections. Low and high combined benefit packages should be included in order to provide several options for the national dialogue. The different scenarios should also include the analysis and harmonization of different eligibility criteria/target options for interventions under the various pillars. An updated version of the Social Budget prepared by the ILO for Zambia can be an important basis for the costing of the various policy options.

Assess the Fiscal Affordability

Compare the costs for the various combined benefits package with the existing fiscal space and propose feasible strategies in the short and mid-term (up to 10 or 15 years) to increase fiscal space for social protection benefits. Additional fiscal space can be created by raising corporate income taxes, value added taxes or personal income tax, borrowing from international institutions or markets, or cutting down or low-priority expenses. It can include increasing efficiency in terms of social expenditures and looking for instance at duplications or programs with less cost effectiveness relation within the broad spectrum of the NSPP.

Validation of policy options

The participation of the various Ministries with responsibilities in the five pillars of the NSPP is required from earlier stages. This entails that the different stages in the process should be done in consultation with a broad base of stakeholders, both from Government and the civil society. This validation involves discussions with extended partners to ensure the ownership of the plans associated and create the condition for an effective implementation. The product of the validation workshop can be the creation of a document associated with the review of the programs, including the goals in terms of up-scaling/phase out/ merging/ new rules and coverage objectives. This document should be the ground for the definition of the new/revised manual of procedures for each program.

Functional review

After having defined the new integrated framework in terms of services and programs, it is possible to do an analysis of the current government structure used at different levels to deliver these programs and assess its adequacy (including human, material and financial resources) to implement them under the new framework. This review will allow the formulation of recommendations in terms of restructuring the delivery structures, in order to allow for increased efficiency in a coordinated approach to social protection delivery.
 
Assessment Albania , Zambia
31.03.2015
2880