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TWG & Coordination

Technical Working Group on Social Assistance

Under the Sector Advisory Group for Social Protection, a technical working group on social assistance was formed. This subgroup is chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and coordinates all social assistance interventions in Zambia. The main focus of this group has been the piloting of a social cash transfers for Zambia and it has developed an implementation framework for upscaling the social cash transfer scheme. The implementation framework outlines the 

  • Institutional setup
  • Scaling up principles
  • Timetable for National Roll-out
  • Budgetary requirements
  • Funding modalities
  • Lesson Learning Agenda
  • Capacity Building
  • Advocacy

The SA-TWG has developed an Action Plan for the period September 2007 – December 2008. The action plan identifies and builds on identified priorities based on the implementation framework. The plan details activities to be undertaken in preparation for the decision to upscale the scheme in December 2008

Contribution by GRZ & Partners

MCDSS has budgeted ZKW 1.5 billion as GRZ co-financing for the SCTs in 2007. In addition, MCDSS avails officers to implement the scheme and to coordinate the pilots.

Care International is implementing cash transfer schemes in Kazungula, Chipata and Katete, providing financial and technical support up until December 2008 with DFID funding. Care also fund research listed mentioned in the below section on ”necessary studies”, relevant to the TWG-IH. CARE is also involved in advocacy initiatives with the TWG on Advocacy and Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) aimed at garnering political will for a national scale up of cash transfers.

Concern Worldwide is currently monitoring pilot activities through participation in the TWG-HI in order to learn lessons from others.  Concern is interested in actively participating in research during the period of the IF. Concern is interested in supporting implementation of the national strategy in some districts of Western Province .  Concern’s contribution is envisaged in terms of supporting the capacity building of the MCDSS structures at both district and community levels and in facilitating (at start up at least) the implementation of the chosen transfer mechanism.

DFID is Lead Donor under the harmonisation process, supporting GRZ to develop and implement its Social Protection strategy. DFID supports lesson learning, advocacy and capacity building as components of the IF. Pending final agreement with the MCDSS, DFID aims to ensure that 9,627 incapacitated households (approx 58,000 people), in 5 Districts receive a regular SCTs by the end of 2007; that a pooled funding mechanism is established between GRZ and donors by the end of 2007; that the implementation plan leads to a national social assistance plan agreed by the SP-SAG; that the capacity of the MCDSS is sufficient to implement this plan and that there is sufficient commensurate political commitment.

GTZ provides technical assistance to the national, provincial and district level (Kalomo & Monze) of PWAS for the management of the cash transfer scheme. It assists MCDSS in coordinating the social assistance sector, in carrying out advocacy activities for social cash transfers as well as social protection as well as the necessary capacity development measures so that MCDSS is in a position to manage the scheme completely independently in the future. In addition, GTZ contributes to the set up of a Monitoring and Evaluation System for cash transfer schemes as well as the social protection sector and helps advance the learning agenda up till the end of 2007.

ILO aims at furthering the policy agenda by extending the country previous overview studies into a set of country specific basic benefits that can be accurately costed using today’s baseline and projected into the medium term of at least 15 years. Some of the key questions that may be answered by ILO include: i) the status of existing social funds, ii) the cost of a set of basic social programs, iii) their impact on the poverty indicators, iv) the  budget capacity and v) shortfall in funding projected over time.

Irish Aid are in the process of submitting a proposal to headquarters outlining our intention to provide mult-annual support to the Implementation Framework. This process should be completed by the end of October.

UNICEF will provide support to the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive capacity development strategy, in the context of the
development of a national social assistance scheme. Between 2007-2008, UNICEF will play a role in the development of the national social assistance programme, focused on the analysis of institutional performance and design of multi-level support to improve service delivery. This will result in the development of a capacity building strategy and implementation plan. Between 2009-2011, as the new scheme is rolled out nationally, support will be directed to implementing the strategy identified during the first two years, building the institutional capacity to deliver effective and efficient services from local to national level.  This activity will be an intrinsic part of the national roll-out of the social assistance programme, coordinated by GRZ. Throughout this period, UNICEF will in addition play a key role in promoting national ownership of the social protection strategy, increasing commitment to social assistance and creating awareness of the links between social protection, care and protection of OVC, and the fulfilment of national and international commitments to children’s rights.

World Bank has agreed to support a comprehensive impact evaluation of the different pilot districts, a Public Expenditure Review, the development of a M&E system for the sector and further advocacy activities.

MCDSS