CS launches Joint Mid-Term Review Mission for National Safety Net Programmes, spells out government priority issues
Consolidation of the Nation-al Safety Net programme (NSNP) and the streamlining of implementation process is one of the government’s priority issues in the Programme, the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Labour & East Africa Affairs, Social Security and Services, Susan Mochache said recently.
Mrs. Phyllis Kandie, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Labour & East African Affairs
CS Kandie made these remarks in a speech read on her behalf by the Principal Secretary, Social Security and Services Susan Mochache during the official launch of the Joint Mid-Term Review Mission for NSNP and Implementation Support Mission for Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) Programme at the NSSF Building in Nairobi on 12th February 2016.
Other priority issues include the need for a strategy to wean beneficiaries out of safety net programmes, strengthening of legislation for safety net programmes e.g. the National Social Protection Bill, strengthening the capacity of the Social Protection Secretariat through human resource revamping, strengthening the capacity of relevant staff at national and county levels and the expansion of cash transfer programs to cover 70-80% of the counties, the PS added.
The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Labour & East Africa Affairs, State Department of Social Security and Services, Susan Mochache addresses participants at the official launch of the NSNP Mid Term and Joint Review Mission in NSSF Building in Nairobi on 12th February 2016.
Development partners at the function also highlighted some of their priority issues including the need for the National Registration Bureau to assist beneficiaries in acquiring national identity cards, the need for a government plan beyond the current donor funding period for NSNP (which ends in 2017), the need to expand coverage and the strengthening of payments system to ensure regular and timely payments to beneficiaries.
Other issues in partner’s priority list include the need for a common approach in targeting, timely preparation of internal audits and the creation of a system to address possible risks e.g. fraud in the programme.
The two weeks mission gave participants an opportunity to identify key actions for propelling NSNP to achieve its intended results before the end of 2017, define areas for partners support to government towards achievement of NSNP goals and to define areas of common interest for further government and development partners collaboration beyond 2017 in regard to NSNP.
Participants at the launch were drawn from the ML&EAA, the National Drought Management Authority, the National Registry and representatives from development partners institutions including the World Bank, UNICEF, World Food Programme and DFID.
Brief field visits to Machakos and Turkana counties were made for consultations with local implementers to gain on-the-ground implementation perspectives, particularly on the challenges faced in order to inform the national-level discussions.