social protection in the caribbean: processes, lessons learnt and institutional context puente in...
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Social Protection in the Caribbean: Processes, Lessons Learnt and Institutional Context
Puente in the Caribbean Program – Phase IIIntroductory Workshop
May 27-29, 2009Castries, St. Lucia
PRESENTER: MS. JOVIL MARTIN, DIRECTOR COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
St. Kitts and Nevis
Profile
• Two island Federation, Nevis being the smaller• Population: 47,000 (2003), Nevis (9,600)• 2004 UNDP Human Development Index ranks St. Kitts and Nevis 39th
among 174 countries
• St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest nation in the Caribbean region
siteresources.worldbank.org/.../StKittsandNevisCountryOverview.pdf
Political context
• Independent since 1983
• Last election was held in 2004. The current administration, the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party, has three terms
• There is a National Assembly in St. Kitts that provides for eleven elected representatives, eight from St. Kitts and three from Nevis.
• Separate elections are held for the National Assembly and the Nevis Island Assembly. The executive function of government is carried out by the Cabinet while legislative authority rests with the Parliament.
• There is no local government in St. Kitts
• The Nevis Island Assembly and the Nevis Island Administration have legislative and administrative responsibility for Nevis within the confines of the Federal structure
• Nevis, has its own executive branch (Nevis Island Administration)
• A number of referenda on secession from St. Kitts have been held, but have not passed.
Economic Context
• Sugar industry closed in 2005• Undergoing a transition to tourism and financial services
• GDP (2007): $477.4 million.• GDP growth rate (2006): 5.8%. • Per capita GDP (2006): $8,546.• Inflation (2006): 5.25%.
• In2007 the main economic activity in the country were banking and insurance, construction, manufacturing and wholesale/retail representing 55.5 percent of GDP
• Total public and publicly guaranteed debt grew from 178.32% in 2005 to 185% in 2007
Economic Context
• There is a self-imposed structural programme
• A programme of investment incentives for businesses, to encourage domestic and foreign private investment
• Policies provide liberal tax holidays, duty-free import of equipment and materials, and subsidies for training provided to local personnel.
• Official exchange rate: EC$2.70 = U.S. $1.
Social Context
• Life expectancy for men 65, women 75
• The literacy rate is 98%.
• Education is compulsory for all children 5-16
• Since 1972 all students reaching the age of twelve are guaranteed a place in secondary schools
• Universal access also to health care
• 2002 pegged poverty at 30% with 14% of the people living below the indigence line of EC $200.00 month
• 67.8% of the poor are under twenty-five years of age,
• 56% of the poor are women
• Inherited a social assistance policy model based on the English Poor Law tradition
• Social Assistance Act 1998
• Crime and violence on the increase
• Teenage pregnancy
• Drug abuse
Programmes Areas of focus Persons targeted Institution
School Uniforms
National Skills , Project Strong
School feeding programme
Day care centers
Student education and learning fund
School buses
Education
Education/Labour markets
Nutrition, human capital
Education
Children of parents earning minimum wage or unemployed
School leavers/drop outs
All Primary school children
Children from poor households
All primary and exams fees
All primary school children
Public
Public Private partnership
Public and Private
Public
Public
Travel and medical care
Prescriptions, dental
Lenses
Fee waivers for health care,
Health Poor households
Children and elderly
Children and poor adults
Children and elderly
Public/NGO
Public/private
Private
Public
Funeral grants
Food vouchers
Cash transfer
Rent assistance
Fire victims
Home repairs
Low cost housing
Social assistance
Hunger/nutrition/poverty reduc
Housing
Social assistance
Housing/environmental health
Housing
Poor households
Women w/childre, eldery, disable, mentally challenged
Poor households
Poor household
Poor households
Women w/children/poor househols
Public
Public
Public
Public/NGO/CBO
Public
Public
INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING
Programmes Area of focus Persons targeted Institution
Basic Needs Trust Fund Infrastructure, construction, minor maintenance for education and health facilities, skills training and upgrading, institutional strengthening, public awareness and information and project management and implementation
Communities
Poor people within communities
Public/CDB/CIDA
Home care for the Elderly Home for the Elderly
Home for vulnerable children
Foster Care Programme
Health and social care
Health, housing, social care
Housing & social care
Social care, housing
Elderly
Elderly, disabled, mentally challenged
Children, teenagers
Children, teenagers
Public
Public and private
Public
Public
INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
Ministry Programmes Targeting
Ministry of Health, SDC & GA Food voucher, cash transfers, school uniform, funeral grants, home repairs
Travel and medical care, Prescriptions, dental
Lenses
Fee waivers for health care and medicines
Home care for the Elderly, Home for the Elderly, Home for vulnerable children, foster care programme
Basic Needs Trust Fund
Community Development
Means tested
Categorical/means tested
Means tested, plus contingency targeting
Categorical
Categorical targeted plus means tested
Expressed need
Ministry of Education and Youth
Youth Skills, Project STRONG
School feeding programmes school buses
Student education and learning fund Social Security
Self targeting
Non targeting, universal
Categorical , self selected
Ministry of lands and Housing Low income homes and land Means tested
REGISTRY SYSTEM
WHO WHEN BY WHOM Information required
For what purpose Are there multiple systems mechanisms
Women with families
Elderly
Poor households
Vulnerable groups, unemployed
By referral
Either by self or other
When application is made
Min. H,SDC & GA
Min Education
Min. Lands and housing
Social Security
Income, expenditure
Nature of problem
Medical reports
Pay slips
Declaration of all sources of income
Inability to provide service requested
For making a judgment of service benefit and level of benefit
Most programmes are means tested but some are more well targeted than others.
Some have leakage to the non poor and significant pressure by the non poor to access the services
Services in different agencies
Key issues
• St. Kitts and Nevis has many good social protection programmes Shows government commitment.
• Services are Non conditional, systems of graduation not built in. Creates a high level of dependency
• Improvements are needed in the coordination of the different agencies and services
• There is a lack of a social policy framework which contributes to overlapping of functions and duplication of effort/services
• Shift from social assistance to social development is required
KEY ISSUES
• Economy is vulnerable and Public debt will remain high for many years to come
• Social Services have suffered /shrinking budget in the face of downturn in economy
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS For Social Development and Poverty Reduction
European Union funded Institutional Strengthening for Social
And Economic Development Project 1. Policy Review • Rationalization of policy/operations to match resources• A transparent targeting framework• Capacity Building to withstand external pressure
2. Systems• Streamline systems of delivery of the various benefits• Means testing to minimize leakage• Reviewing targeting mechanisms
3. Resources
• Institutional Review• Financial management systems
Concordia University1. Management Information System
UWI
1. Research
Building Partnerships
Chile Puente Programme
Implementation of Chile Puente in St Kitts and Nevis will need thesebasic processes addressed in order to succeed
THANK YOU