Social Protection Floor concept and assessment methodology Bangkok, 10 August 2011 Valerie Schmitt ILO Social security specialist

SPF concept and assessment methodology Agenda: –What is social security?  explain the SPF concept –Assessment methodology, outputs and next steps

What is social security? When you don’t have a sufficient income to enjoy a decent life Health infrastructure are lacking (geographical, not-functioning) Health services are unaffordable (financial) You cannot work: you are unemployed, disabled, injured, old, you just gave birth, etc. You are working but poor, you are underemployed You should not work but don’t receive family support to guarantee access to basic needs such as nutrition, education (case of some children) When you don’t have sufficient access to health care Social security = all measures providing benefits in cash or in kind to secure protection

What is social security? Social security = all measures providing benefits in cash or in kind to secure protection Poor - Informal economy - Form. Sect. Higher levels of benefits Basic provision : universal or targeted schemes Social security schemes can be contributory (social insurance) Non contributory (universal schemes, targeted transfers) This is a very schematic description of the population and the social security provision in a country

What is social security? The social security staircase Poor - Informal economy - Form. Sect. Higher levels of benefits Basic provision : universal or targeted schemes Describes the social security situation in most countries Describes the two dimensions of the extension of coverage: increase levels of benefits (vertical dimension) and increase number of persons covered (horizontal dimension)

What is social security? Level of coverage Provide a minimum level of coverage to the whole population: the Floor The Social protection floor is the minimum entitlement that all the population should enjoy SPF Poor - Informal economy - Form. Sect.

What is social security? Level of coverage Based on this universal floor provide higher levels of benefits through contributory/subsidized schemes Towards higher levels of SP benefits SPF Poor - Informal economy - Form. Sect.

The SPF concept One of the nine initiatives of the UN CEB to face the crisis and accelerate recovery (2009) –ILO, WHO, UNICEF, UNDESA, WFP, UNESCO, FAO, UN HABITAT, UNFPA, World Bank, Helpage, … New recommendation on the SPF is being prepared and will be adopted at ILC 2012 SPF at the agenda of the G20 under French presidency ASEAN SOM-SWD meeting in Sept in Bangkok on the SPF (19-22 September 2011) Questionnaire please submit before 1 Nov 2011

The SPF concept  All residents have access to essential health care  All children enjoy income security through transfers in cash or kind  access to nutrition, education and care  All those in active age groups who cannot earn sufficient income enjoy a minimum income security (transfer in cash or in kind & employment guarantee schemes)  All residents in old age and with disabilities have income security through pensions or transfers in kind Is defined in terms of guarantees Not a one size fits all approach : each country defines the levels of benefits that it can/is willing to provide

Examples of benefits (4 guarantees)  Health care  Children  Working age  Elderly & vulnerable (that cannot work) Income security (transfers in cash or in kind) for: Targeted tax-funded schemes – Viet Nam, India, Indonesia (Jamkesmas / Jamkesda) Universal tax-funded schemes (UCS) - Thailand Scholarships, food school, school buses, conditional cash transfers (4Ps Philippines) Food distribution, Housing programs, Minimum living standard (China), Income guarantee schemes and Public Employment Progr. (India) Food distribution, Minimum pensions

India: RSBY, NREGA Thailand: UC scheme, minimum pension scheme (500 THB) Cambodia: CARD’s SP strategy for the poor and the vulnerable with clear reference to the SPF … including HEFs, CBHIs, Food distribution, Cash transfers, PEPs… Lao: extension of SHP for all Vietnam: 10 years Social security strategy There are elements of the SPF in Asia Indonesia: Implemen- tation of SS Law starting with health: Jamkesmas China: minimum living standard guarantee program; new rural corporative medical care (NRCMC); health insurance for urban uninsured residents (HIUR); rural old-age pension Philippines: 4Ps

SPF concept and assessment methodology Agenda: –What is social security?  explain the SPF concept –Assessment methodology, outputs and next steps

Assessment methodology All population should AT LEAST be entitled to the Social Protection Floor Is it the case in Thailand? We can use the SPF framework to assess whether all the population has already access to this minimum entitlement (access to health care, income security for children, the working age, the elderly and the disabled) or if there are some gaps. The SPF framework is a tool to assess social security situation and to plan priority actions

Assessment methodology For each guarantee What are existing programs? Inventory Is all population covered? Are benefits adequate? Other issues? Analysis New schemes Recommendations Expansion of existing schemes Higher levels of benefits Creating scenarios based on assumptions Calculating & projecting the costs Scenarios & costing Implemen- tation issues Gaps

Assessment methodology provides an answer to the questions: Is there a complete SPF or some elements of the SPF in this country?  1. Inventory of schemes for the four guarantees: Health, children, working age, elderly & disabled How far a country stands from the implementation of the floor?  2. Analysis & identification of Gaps If the government is willing to further develop the SPF what should be done?  3. Recommendations And how much it would cost?  4. Scenarios & costing

Assessment outputs The Assessment matrix The Scenarios and costing The Costing tool that you can use to develop and cost new scenarios A dialogue is facilitated … participatory process NATIONAL DIALOGUE

What’s after the assessment? Share the recommendations with policy makers Engage in a discussion on future steps: what recommendations will be followed Some of these recommendations will be included in the UNPAF implementation plan ( ) Government, national institutions, civil society … with support from UN (if needed) start design & implementation: –Extension of existing schemes : more people covered, higher levels of benefits –Trying to find solutions to implementation issues –Creating new schemes

Today’s workshop? Present a first draft of the Assessment matrix. It includes many schemes already… –If a major scheme is missing please mention it! It identifies the gaps and implementation issues –If some of them are missing please provide inputs! Develop together some recommendations –We will need your active participation!

Next steps? The UN SPF Team will finalize the matrix through additional consultations The recommendations will be translated into concrete scenarios –These scenarios need to be realistic / in line with the strategy of the government And each scenario will be costed using the ILO- UNICEF RAP protocol (costing tool) A validation workshop will be organized

… Take away message The SPF is a basic right that all population should enjoy The assessment, based on social protection floor framework, can identify the gaps and implementation issues The assessment tells us how far is the full realization of the SPF The assessment provides recommendations on “how to close the gaps?”