Tools

Quantitative tools

  • ILO Quantitative platform on social security (QPSS) QPSS tools support evidence-based policy analysis and reforms. The ILO QPSS platform includes the Actuarial Pension Model (ILO/PENSIONS), the Social Security Inquiry (ILO/SSI), the Actuarial Health Models (ILO/HEALTH), the Social Protection Costing Tool (ILO/RAP) and the Poverty Impact Assessment Tool (ILO/POV)
  • World social protection data dashboards This is the leading global source of in-depth country-level statistics on various dimensions of social protection systems, including key indicators for policymakers, officials of international organizations and researchers. It is used for both the UN’s monitoring of the SDGs and national monitoring of social protection indicators.
  • Social Protection Monitor ILO’s Social Protection Monitor is based on a systematic analysis of media/news published online. The Monitor tracks announcements of measures that affect the functioning of a social protection system, from minor parametric adjustments to major developments and reforms, as well as social subsidies. The Monitor is a useful source to update and complement the comprehensive global social protection statistics reported in the ILO Social Security Inquiry.

Training tools

  • Making Universal Social Protection a Reality This free self-paced course provides an introduction to social protection. It covers different issues including the human right to social security, the need for social protection over the life cycle, the process of building universal social protection systems and the key role of social protection in confronting the major challenges that the world is facing. The MOOC is a useful resource for policy makers, social partners, civil society organizations, development actors, university students and others who may or may not be directly involved in social protection issues but who work or are likely to work in a related field such as development cooperation, public finances, economic and social development, rural development, environmental issues, etc.
  • Extending social security coverage to workers in the informal economy. Lessons from international experience This policy resource package serves as a reference for policy makers, workers’ and employers’ organizations and other stakeholders engaged in the development of social protection strategies, or the planning, design, implementation and monitoring of systems and schemes. This practical tool can help in developing viable policy options to address the multi-fold challenges of extending social protection to workers in the informal economy and facilitating transitions to formality.
  • TRANSFORM is an innovative interagency training initiative that strengthens individual and institutional capacity for the management of national social protection systems. It offers a variety of learning modalities, including introductory courses, in-depth modules and online trainings for all important building blocks of social protection system building. Trainings are delivered through accredited local trainers. Trainers and materials are available in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic. The initiative started out providing content and approaches relevant for the African context. Subsequently, the same approach was developed for the Arab States.
MOOC MOOC FR

Tools for country diagnostics

  • ISPA tools – are a suite of tools for analyzing the performance of national social protection systems, programmes or delivery mechanisms. The tools offer analytical frameworks with performance criteria, data collection frameworks and guidelines for a participatory implementation process. Available tools include the Cored Diagnostic Instrument (CODI) for overall systems analysis, a tool to assess social protection policy options, Food security programmes, Public Works Programmes, Social Protection Identification Systems, Social Protection Payment Mechanisms and digital social protection information systems.
  • Fiscal space for social protection. A handbook for assessing financing options This handbook provides guidelines to assess financing options to extend social protection coverage and benefits. All of the financing options described in this handbook are supported by policy statements of the United Nations and international financial institutions – and governments around the world have been applying them for decades, showing a wide variety of revenue choices.
  • Social protection assessment-based national dialogue. A global guide This guide helps users to conduct assessment-based national dialogue (ABND) exercises, which are the first step towards implementing nationally defined social protection floors. The ABND exercise is based on national multi-stakeholder dialogue concerning social protection strategies, challenges and concrete areas of action. It offers a unique opportunity for UN agencies to build on the synergies of one another and deliver as “One UN” for more efficiency and greater impact. Access the online e-learning package

Guides & Manuals

  • Toolkit on ILO social security standards This toolkit was developed with the aim of raising awareness about ILO social security standards and promoting their ratification as well as increasing their impact and application in national contexts. It provides practical and useful insights as to the ratification procedure, model instruments of ratification as well as interactive information on the relevance and key provisions of the ILO standards.
  • Toolkit on Social Health Protection - An effective social health protection system provides universal access to needed health care that is affordable, available, of adequate quality and offers financial protection in times of illness, injury and maternity. The ILO supports its constituents in this endeavour, see our service offer and flagship thematic pages. This Toolkit provides a gateway to relevant material on social health protection for practitioners as well as for those who wish to learn about the topic.
  • Extending social protection to migrant workers, refugees, and their families This ILO/ISSA guide provides an overview of policy options and country practices to extend social protection to migrant workers, refugees and their families.
  • Pension primer. A toolbox to achieve equitable and sustainable pension systems This online pension primer provides key learning materials on pension system design, policy options, benefit adequacy, statistics, video tutorials, country cases and more. The pension primer includes three video tutorials on administration, design options and reform of pension systems.
  • Unemployment protection. A good practices guide and training package This unemployment protection guide provides guidelines and tools to conduct training sessions and workshops on unemployment protection. In addition, it can be used as a toolkit by policy-makers to conduct feasibility studies for the design of unemployment benefits schemes for both informal and formal economy workers that are linked with employment promotion policies.
  • Financing social protection This book offers a comprehensive overview of the many financing options available while also provides a thorough analysis of their advantages and disadvantages and their financial and economic implications. It presents a "methodological toolbox" from which social protection planners, managers and social policy analysts can work.