PUENTE IN THE CARIBBEAN BACKGROUND and IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE THE I.S.E.E. BRIDGE PROGRAMME OF BARBADOS

THE I.S.E.E. BRIDGE PROGRAMME OF BARBADOS A highly interactive programme which focuses on: targeted intervention at the household level, addressing the needs of each member of that household; and seeking to transform their lives.

The four areas of critical intervention Identification/Assessment: Where the poor and vulnerable are identified and their needs assessed. Stabilisation: The immediate needs are addressed. Enablement: Skills to survive are imparted. Empowerment: where individuals are imbued with the capacity to succeed and excel in this society.

THE BRIDGE The Bridge; is the gateway to social inclusion and integration of participating individuals into society. is the conduit for individuals to take up opportunities that are being offered in the wider society. places the individuals concerned, within the households, at the centre of the programme. provides households with essentials, along with a psycho-social component to improve their quality and standard of living.

THE BRIDGE cont’d Building a Road for Individual Development: towards the Goal of Empowerment

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES National Commitment: Buy-in at the highest level is critical. Legal considerations-Social Protection Laws:. There is no specific law but specific commitment by Government through the rights based approach. The problem is that the Act does not go far enough. Plans are therefore on stream to revise the Act to make it more relevant to the framework of Social Protection Polices.

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d Administrative : Coordination and collaboration in setting up the various committees, sub-committees and key stakeholders that will give oversight to the implementation of the pilot and the programme. Developing Eligibility Criteria that seeks to ensure equality, equity and social inclusion for all vulnerable persons. Training and supervision: The area of psychosocial training is central to the success of the programme and thus technical assistance is vital in this area. Some training has already taken place but there is a need for financial support for ongoing training

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d I.T. I.T. and database support are necessary elements. (Universal Intake Form, NASCIMS and the computerisation of Social Services agencies. Monitoring and Evaluation: Design of relevant M&E tools that will allow for a critical assessment of the programme. These will be crucial to the success of the programme and need to be urgently set up.

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d Cultural: Development of tools and resource Materials that are culturally relevant. (Agreements and Contracts,“Storage shed”, Board Game, Cards) Greater responsibility for good Public education and Public Relations. Cultural Connotations “household” vs “family” to describe the unit of intervention.

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d Family/Household Dynamics: Barbados’ norms, customs and values must be reflected in the ISEE programme design as well the following issues will need to be considered: Prevalence of single-parent headed household and extended households Roles of women and men Incidence of behavioural challenges within households

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d Service Delivery challenges: The challenge of overcoming departmental” territorialism is paramount in achieving success in this programme.

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d We also need to: Know all of the social safety net services that are available Avoid duplication of services Establish what needs to be improved Carry out mapping of comprehensive set of social services Establish transparent eligibility criteria for all Services, Make information on all services easily accessible to the public in print and electronic form

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES cont’d Technical Challenges Establishing the Pillars and Minimum Conditions. Clarification of Preferential Access and Guaranteed Access. What other monetary allowances will be granted for participants; and What complimentary programmes will enable the sustainability of the I.S.E.E. Bridge Programme.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE Training Public promotion Materials Benefits and Programmes Management of the Programme/Pilot Launch of Pilot

Thank You.