The Social Protection Policy Support (SPPS) Programme responds to deficiencies in the existing social protection system and a need for system reconfiguration. It will draw on the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS), which provides final entry point for affecting changes in the wider social protection system via better governance and oversight of the system. The programme has two main components: (1) Ensuring better governance of social protection by helping to build coordination, M&E, and reporting functions while strengthening research and analysis capacities in order to build more effective evidence base for effective policy development; and (2) Stronger Social Protection System in place with the purpose of developing a modern social protection infrastructure capable of supporting a nationally integrated delivery system for reliable, transparent, and developmental GoB social transfers and promote linkages to ensure effective coordination.
The NSSS is recognised as a reference point for the social security sector and, as a result, there is an agreed set of objectives across government and development partners. A key aspect of UNDP’s support has been to strengthen coordination across the 38 Ministries engaged in social protection programming in Bangladesh. With support of the SPPS to Cabinet Division, the Central Management Committee (CMC) on Social Protection Programmes in Bangladesh has become recognised as the main management, monitoring and coordination body for the social security sector in Bangladesh, while five social protection thematic clusters as well as sub-national level different coordination committees are also available for bringing better governance in social protection programmes implementation at the field level. A significant achievement has been made drafting the NSSS 2nd phase (2021-2026) Action Plans for each individual Ministry, focused on their implementation of the NSSS guided reforms with approval from the highest body of each individual ministry. It is expected that the NSSS Action Plan 2nd phase strengthened the leadership within the coordination structure and intensifies the coordination mechanisms more functioning. The secretaries are the members of the CMC, therefore while the CMC meets, the secretaries or representatives from line ministries are often engaged with multiple duties and do not have the adequate resources and time to become fully briefed and be the effective contributors and decision-making, especially considering the complex policy nature of social security. The transfer, positing, promotion and retirement are the regular agenda of the government civil service administration. Therefore, when new civil bureaucrats, i.e., secretaries are taking up a role in the CMC, they are not prepared or fully versed in the necessary information to contribute to meaningful decision-making. Decision-making in the coordination structure could be improved through the use of technical and operational support, as identified in the Mid-term Review (MTR). Support to key line ministries, where the most impact can be made, would strengthen the ability of representatives to more meaningful engage in the coordination structure. Technical support has been requested by multiple line ministries, including the Ministry of Social Welfare, which is supposed to become the lead coordination ministry by 2026 for the majority of social security programmes. Technical support units can also strengthen the overall line ministry response to NSSS Action Plan monitoring and implementation, and key proposal development.
The SPPS Programme, through expert, evidence-based support, is working with the government to reconfigure the current social security system so that economic growth is achieved in a more inclusive manner, with economic opportunities reaching the rural and urban poor and the protection of vulnerable groups against shocks. This work includes improving upon the country’s Grievance Redress System to ensure accountability and transparency, develop holistic Monitoring & Evaluation approaches to measuring social protection outcomes, and identifying knowledge gaps and conducting research to fill such gaps to inform evidence-based policy decision-making.
The purpose of this ToR is to provide wider guidelines to the Strategic Support Specialist to provide technical support in strengthening coordination serving as a high-level liaison between the project and GoB. In addition, the consultant will provide advisory support in effective preparation and implementation of the revised M&E Framework and guidance on how to address grievances to support the government for smooth implementation of social protection support especially shock responsive social protection support for addressing COVID19.