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The STEP programme plays a key role in the development of social protection for the poor around the world. The programme has two main priorities:
Extending social protection
The STEP programme supports the extension of social security through advocacy and technical assistance. Advocacy aimed at public authorities, social partners and civil society fosters the emergence of a strong national consensus on the issue of extension in countries where the programme operates. It also promotes the recognition of micro-insurance as a key instrument for extension. Technical assistance provided to public authorities and social partners focuses on the formulation of national extension strategies and the design of coherent social protection systems. STEP also provides support to social partners, socio-professional groups, associations, microfinance networks, etc. in relation to the establishment and daily management of community-based social protection systems.
A new promising approach consists in the development of coherent and linked national health insurance systems based on several mechanisms (insurance, universal systems, targeted social assistance), which rely on a variety of actors (community-based systems, social security institutions, public programmes) and a variety of sources of financing (direct or indirect contributions from insured persons or their employers, taxes, social transfers, etc.). This new approach gained success in an increasing number of countries: Colombia, Uruguay, Philippines, India, Rwanda, Senegal, etc. The STEP programme supports this approach in the countries where it operates, through the several partners' networks at a regional and international level (La Concertation in Africa, AMIN in Asia, ACYM in Latin America and the International Alliance at the global level) and through the GIMI / GESS web 3.0 Internet platforms.
The Government of Belgium represents the main donor of funds for this component of the programme. Other donors complete the action of STEP within the framework of specific actions, in particular in the field.
| Key publication on social protection |
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Linkages between statutory social security schemes and community-based social protection mechanisms: A new approach
Coheur, Jacquier, Schmitt-Diabaté, Schremmer, 2007 (17 pages)
The extension of social security is very urgent for those most exposed to health and accident risks, such as informal economy workers: This paper intends to both underline the high potential of coverage extension strategies that build on linkages between various extension mechanisms and to respond to the existing gap of both empirical and conceptual considerations on linkages. It focuses on statutory social security (SSS) schemes and community-based social protection (CBSP) mechanisms in order to develop a typology of potentially promising linkages between these types of mechanisms. Both SSS schemes and CBSP mechanisms have each their specific advantages and disadvantages in terms of their capacity to cover different types of population groups in developing countries. Linking the two in order to compensate for their respective weaknesses and to exploit their respective strengths therefore appears to have important potential. And indeed, this paper provides innovative empirical examples on some of these types of linkages based on a joint ILO/ISSA/AIM study covering a number of countries in three regions. Country reports are accessible on the ISSA Extranet site and the ILO/GIMI platform.
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Fighting social exclusion
Research on social exclusion shows that approaches focusing on a single dimension or cause of social exclusion are not very effective. While theoretical and analytical works on the issue abound, there are few technical reference materials available on the implementation of a local approach, which combines integrality, participation, partnership an territoriality. It is therefore necessary to draw up a framework for action that can articulate the various sector contributions (health, work, social protection, housing, etc.), which would otherwise remain limited. The Government of Portugal represents the main donor of funds for this component of the programme. Other donors complete the action of STEP within the framework of specific actions, in particular in the field.
Overall, STEP attaches special attention to the most vulnerable groups of the informal economy, particularly women, and to excluded people. STEP also attaches great importance to excluded people's participation and to the strenghtening of their organization.
| Key publication on fighting social exclusion |
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Concepts and strategies for combating social exclusion. An overview.
Jordi Estivill, ISBN: 92-2-213652-3, 2003 (131 pages)
This book describes different strategies and concepts used in the fight against social exclusion. It underlines its complexity and the diversity of strategies dedicated to fight social exclusion around the world. It gives basic knowledge to field operators to define and locate their actions, and to end with “simplifying” visions of exclusion.
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