The Social Protection Policy is a sectoral framework designed to promote equal opportunities for women, provide childcare, protect persons with disabilities, support unemployed people, ensure fair remuneration for workers, and provide regular pensions for older persons. It brings together the efforts of various Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs) under a unified and coordinated approach to addressing vulnerabilities and social risks throughout the life cycle. The Policy defines the interventions, expected outcomes and associated costs required to achieve social transformation and advance the development goals set out in relevant international, regional and national frameworks, legal instruments and conventions. Ultimately, it seeks to establish a comprehensive and inclusive social protection system that safeguards people at every stage of life and ensures that no one is left behind. By adopting a lifecycle approach, the Policy seeks to ensure a comprehensive and effective response to the risks and vulnerabilities faced by Namibians at different stages of life from birth through to old–age. To improve programme efficiency, an Integrated Management Information System for social protection will be implemented. This will be linked to the National Population Register and other enabling databases to ensure all social protection programmes use the rich data in Government systems for identification and verification, as well as for the management of registration, approval, payments and monitoring. The specific objectives of the Policy are (i) increase coverage and access to social protection services for all Namibians; (ii) improve coordination and integration mechanisms to strengthen and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of social protection interventions; (iii) enhance the institutional framework for the delivery of social protection; (iv) improve government’s ability to respond to sudden or severe shocks that may affect many households simultaneously and food security; (v) improve monitoring and evaluation of social protection. To achieve its objectives, the Policy aims to address current challenges in providing social protection, such as fragmentation, poor coordination, limited coverage and inadequacy of benefits as well as the lack of integrated management information systems for social protection. The Policy identifies specific strategies to advance each of its objectives, combining the expansion of social protection programmes with measures to strengthen coordination, institutional capacity and accountability. These strategies are (i) Increase coverage and access to social protection services for all Namibians. The Policy seeks to extend the reach of existing social protection programmes by strengthening and expanding child, old-age, veterans’ and disability grants, while promoting the socio-economic inclusion of marginalised communities. Particular attention is also given to creating employment and economic opportunities for women and young people, expanding financial assistance for tertiary education and improving access to affordable housing. In the longer term, the Policy envisages the gradual development of more comprehensive social protection schemes, including health coverage, pensions, maternity support and unemployment insurance; (ii) Improve coordination and integration of social protection interventions. To make social protection provision more coherent and effective, the Policy envisages the development and operationalisation of an Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) linking social protection programmes and relevant databases. This will be complemented by efforts to strengthen the National Population Register and case management systems, establish clear arrangements for information sharing and data protection, and improve coordination among the government bodies responsible for delivering social protection services; (iii) Enhance the institutional framework for the delivery of social protection. The Policy aims to strengthen institutional oversight and clarify responsibilities for implementation through the establishment of a High-level National Social Protection Steering Committee and a National Core Team. Effective implementation will also depend on closer coordination among the institutions involved, regular quarterly monitoring of progress and the introduction of corrective measures whenever implementation falls behind schedule; (iv) Improve the Government’s capacity to respond to sudden or severe shocks and ensure food security. The Policy seeks to strengthen disaster-risk management through more systematic vulnerability assessments, improved early-warning and preparedness systems, and increased contingency funding. At the same time, it places emphasis on reinforcing food security through school feeding programmes, higher food production, the provision of agricultural inputs and extension services, and measures to address malnutrition. It also envisages the gradual conversion of selected in-kind food assistance programmes into cash transfers, with a view to improving the delivery of support to vulnerable households; (v) Improve monitoring and evaluation of social protection. To assess progress and ensure that interventions deliver their intended results, the Policy calls for the development and application of appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools, alongside regular reporting on implementation. It also seeks to strengthen the monitoring and analytical capacities of the institutions involved, mobilise the resources needed for data collection and analysis, and undertake periodic studies and impact evaluations.
Намибия · 2021-03-01