UN Joint Programme to support Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Nets (PSSN)

Introduction

The United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP) to support implementation of PSSN is the results of the initiatives of the government of Tanzania to bring on board the United Nations (UN) to support implementation of the Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Nets (PSSN) Project. The project is implemented by four UN agencies namely: ILO, UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA.

The project to support the scaling-up of the PSSN is implemented under the auspices of the UN Development Assistance PLan (UNDAP) Outcome: the Social Protection Cluster: Government of Tanzania coordinates a multi-sectoral social protection response to the needs of the economically deprived and vulnerable groups in the country.

Brief Background

The joint Program was envisioned to support the government of Tanzania through the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) to implement the Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Nets (PSSN) by providing technical support to policy frameworks in implementing PSSN as one of the components of social protection while ensuring alignments to the National Social Protection Framework. This project is mainly aimed at contributing to accelerate achievements in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; reducing child mortality and reduce maternal mortality respectively.

Objectives/Outcomes

The program supports strengthening of the social protection systems in three levels in Tanzania:

• At macro level, this project will support the finalization and operationalization of the new Social Protection Framework (NSPF) to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination to address supply-side issues
• At the meso level, the program seeks to strengthening implementation of the PSSN with improved delivery systems to ensure its enhanced efficiency and effectiveness
• At micro level, the joint program focuses on strengthening sustainable livelihoods and resilience mechanisms of PSSN that will allow its beneficiaries to accumulate human capital, improve consumption and their well-being.

Main activities/Implementation strategy

ILO is supporting implementation of the following outcomes:

• Social protection interventions are coordinated across sectors under National Social Protection Frameworks through finalization and implementation of the NSPF and Sustainability mechanisms for the NSPF and PSSN program results strengthened; through institutionalization of pro-poor and child-sensitive social protection at all levels to prevent inter-generational poverty. In addition, the project focuses on strengthening of public works approaches and public-private partnerships (PPPs) for employment creation through labor-intensive based approaches.
• The Joint Programme is implemented in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including learning from their experiences, twinning and leveraging on their programmes. CSOs are also engaged in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and to provide information and services to beneficiaries where required. Targetted CSOs are those with a proven track record of achieving results with sound financial management. Support is targeted to geographic areas where there is a high concentration of beneficiary households.

Outcomes/Expected Deliverables

• Comprehensive M&E system including functional MIS established
• Comprehensive M&E system including functional MIS established
• Increased number of households participating in community sessions by type of session.
• Surveys collecting SP indicators disaggregated in regard to gender, age, and disability
• NSPF Implementation Plan produced, taking into account gender, climate change,HIV/AIDS, nutrition and family planning
• Increased number of decision makers trained in social protection by level and gender
• Increased number of social protection sensitive policies and programs that integrate Poverty-Environment, gender and CC produced
• Increased number of households benefitting from rural economic empowerment programmes
• Increased number of Youth trained on entrepreneurship