STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR CREATING EFFECTIVE LINKAGES IN
SOCIAL PROTECTION – TRYING THE KNOTS
ISPA
Mutale Wakunuma
Institute for Social Policy in Africa, Strategy Division • 215 Desmia Crescent, Annlin Ext. 36, Pretoria North, 0182 South Africa • Tel: +260 97 81 50 613(Zambia) • email: [email protected]. • [email protected]
Institute for
Social Policy
in Africa
Introduction
At what level and to what extent should SP and other fields be integrated?
Evidence shows that there is huge development potential in creating linkages within SP and between SP and other public services; relationships and interactions between tasks, functions, departments, and organizations, which promote flow of information, ideas, and integration in achievement of shared objectives.
A recent review of the literature by ISPA on SP linkages found that integrating SP and other public services was feasible. This evidence of
both potential and actual linkages was also found during a case study comparative analysis of a few countries.
However, few rigorous evaluations that allow for the identification of evidence based recommendations on effectively integrating SP services exist. Nevertheless, implementing agencies and partners are pursuing and/or scaling up programmatic SP linkages. Most evidence on
linkages is based on sporadic project trials and program based linkages and very rarely thoroughly linked vertically through policy or horizontally through bidirectional conceptual, design, practical and results linkages.
Given the limited scientific evidence available to define a set of integrated best practices, this document aims to provide stakeholders with
strategic considerations for implementing or strengthening integrated Social Protection services. As the policy field keeps evolving, it
remains imperative to reflect on how and when to create effective linkages within and between SP and other public services. Linkages are
complex but feasible.
A one-size-fits-all approach to SP linkages does not exist especially in under-developed systems with low national level SP coverage. Governments and other stakeholders including private sector will have to make decisions about which specific services to integrate, when and
where to integrate them, and the extent to which they should be integrated. With a focus on under-developed systems, we see linkages happening at the following levels:
Understanding Linkages
Linkages: The bidirectional interactions and collaborative efforts in legislation, policy, programs, services, and advocacy both within social
protection and between Social Protection and related sectors.
Integration: Combining different kinds of social protection services or operational programs to ensure and maximize collective outcomes. It
would include referrals from one service to another and is based on the need to offer comprehensive services. Integration refers exclusively
to service provision and is therefore a subset of linkages.
A vital consideration in designing effective linkages would be technical issues, such as monitoring, reporting, and verification of processes
and outcomes, and the structure and coordination of implementation; duplication reduction (for example, targeting, and the scope and
timing of coverage); allocation of resources (financing structure, cross sector balancing and socioeconomic profitability imperatives); cost
containment mechanisms (in particular, measures to address competitiveness and leakage); and legal frameworks (for example, rules for
compliance and penalties for non-compliance, regulation and contingency processes for de-linking).
Advantages of Linkages
Linkages offer a variety of economic and political advantages. These advantages continue to be key compelling influences behind linkages.
Econimic Benefits
Political Benefits
Facilitates cost-effectiveness
International Political benefits from demonstrating action on a global goal poverty reduction - within the SDG framework
Allow countries to adopt more ambitious policies
Local political benefits, as leaders can point to linkages as a sign of prudence
in delivering programs and increased will for greater redistributive justice –
reversing imbalances caused by inequality
Could increase the number of beneficiaries or
benefit levels
Administrative benefits from linking that come from sharing knowledge about
the design and operation of a social protection system
Reduce administrative duplication
May reduce administrative costs through the sharing of such costs and the
avoidance of duplicative functions
Reduces the potential for leakage and wastage
caused by running an admin-intensive system
Can insulate effective, yet less appreciated, programs from political disfavor
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Complete legislative harmonization
Policy
Comprehensive stakeholders, strategies, statutes, services, schemes,
standards, systems, sustainability
Programmatic
Linkages at service/ operational/ administrative level
Financing
Budget, cross subsidy from contributions, offsets, earmarked taxes
Results
Where program objectives and anticipated outcomes are similar,
linkages should be fostered to achieve these common objectives
Formulate and distinguish between Policies and guidelines
Capacity training and task shifting
Staff sensitization
Information, education, and communication
Space
Record-keeping, information systems, M&E
Community-based activities
The following key questions need to be investigated to advance the field of Social Protection Linkages:
• Does linking SP and other programs result in improved outcomes when compared to implementing these services
and programs separately?
• Are the incremental costs of linking SP to other services equal to or less than the cost of providing
services separately?
• Does integrating SP and other services improve the quality of programs that recipients receive without
compromising the quality of existing systems?
• What are effective ways of communicating messages about linkages in SP?
• Is it feasible to link SP services into privately provided SP or related initiatives? If so, what is the most
promising setting in which to reach the largest number of beneficiaries in such a system?
• What is the best timing for delivery of integrated SP services?
What policies facilitate effective implementation of linkages?
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Purpose of the Paper
Methodology
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The focus of the paper is both intra-sector linkages
and the intersection of SP with other socioeconomic
sectors, and thus should be considered in the context of broader efforts to ensure integrated programming of Social protection and other systematic
and supporting program linkages.
This document is based on a combination of expert opinions, recommendations in literature, and lessons from field experience. It is pitched as an
ideas paper to be used to enhance new or existing linkages. It also acknowledges, however, that integrating SP and other services might not
be appropriate in every circumstance or country. Where integration is appropriate, this document can help in identifying action steps.
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Considering the kind of policy architecture that would facilitate effective implementation of linkages
will require combinations that culminate in a hybrid, comprehensive policy architecture
The goal of the policy architecture should be to advance socially sound, economically rational, and
politically pragmatic public policy options for fostering Social Protection linkages.
The policy architecture should be strengthened by coherent design elements that are both practical
to implement and ambitious in their delivery.
The architecture should also be aware of the institutional dimensions of domestic SP policy realities,
without letting these be a hindrance to ambition, and the post-2015 international SDG development regime.
For such a system to be cost effective, and thus more likely to achieve significant results towards
common objectives, a key feature will be cross sector linkages.
Regardless of the type of linkages established, there should be a formal recognition by all key players
of programs and functions undertaken by one player for purposes of supporting and complying with
that player’s program and functions.
Down to earth national policy architecture could help facilitate the growth and operation of a robust system
of national linkages and program integration across sectors.
At the same time, including detailed linkage rules in the initial crafting may not be desirable because this
could make it difficult for rules to evolve in light of experience.Procedures that make it practical to follow
linkages through have to be put in place.
In practice, the ability of systems to create meaningful linkages has to be thoroughly examined.
The potential cost-savings from linking has to be clear.
Policies that ensure that various types of national sectoral policies meet common standards for facilitating
linkages would provide the most optimal policy architecture for linkages to thrive.
Implications of adopting linkages on policy and institutional arrangements
What types of linkages are needed?
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At what level and to what extent should SP and
other fields be integrated?
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What steps are needed to establish and sustain
high-quality SP linkages?
What information is needed to measure successful
linkages and inform program delivery improvements,
replication or scale-up?
Effective
Linkages
What
information is
What are the implications of adopting
linkages
What steps
are on
needed
to measure
policy and institutional arrangements?
needed to establish
successful linkages
and sustain
and inform program
high-quality
delivery improvements,
What policies facilitate effective
SPimplementation
linkages?
replication or
of the linkages?
scale-up?
At what level
What policies
and to what extent
facilitate effective
Types of
linkages
needed
should
SP and other
implementation of
fields be
linkages?
Direct or Indirect;
Internal or external; Homogenous or heterogeneous; and Backward or the
forward
integrated?
1) The type of linkages needed therefore, would depend on what the goal of establishing those link ages is. Prior to pursuing
a particular approach, program planners must weigh the potential benefits and challenges in the context of:
2) The social protection legislative and policy framework in the country
3) The strength and structure of Social Protection services that are currently offered in the country
are of
the
4) What efficiencies will be gained (and whether these would be equivalent in all settings) as a result ofWhat
the choice
linkages
implications of
established
and what
What types
of the optimal mix would be
adopting linkages on
5) The strength of the structures for implementing and coordinating Social Protection in the country.
linkages
are
6) The local SP data system to back the linkages established.
policy and institutional
Effective
Linkages
needed?
Legislative
Information needs to measure successful linkages and inform program delivery
improvements, replication or scale-up?
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SIX KEY QUESTIONS
Extent of linkages
Steps to establish and sustain high-quality SP linkages
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Reduces the political dominance of individual
programs
Linkage level
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Conclusion
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arrangements?
Such an analysis will help planners determine what linkages will make sense and if certain approaches should be prioritized for particular
regions or populations (for example, urban versus rural and groups that face greater vulnerability).
The types of linkages therefore will depend on whether you want to create the system (direct/indirect), harmonize the system (internal/external), strengthen service delivery (backward/forward) or rationalize outcomes of the social protection system (homogenous/heterogeneous). Sometimes, one country may have a mix of linkage types depending on how the overall social protection infrastructure has developed across the country.
Adopting linkages would have implications on policy design as the architecture of the policy would have to clarify delimitations and
definitions to ensure that all players have the same understanding of the requirements to achieve national objectives.
The design of the linkages will also determine what the cost implications of effectively implementing the policy and setting up
associated institutions will be. For the most part, it is expected that effective linkages will have a positive effect on costs over time
although in the near term, the likelihood of increased expenditure to get the “linkages right” is anticipated to be high. These costs could
however be further driven up if the system of rules from the onset is overly prescriptive. The new administrative features of the systems
will also demand a huge initial outlay in order to ensure that the bottom-up elements are well established to contribute to the effective
ness of the linkages. Investments in registries, information systems, monitoring and evaluation requirements and community
infra structure for delivering integrated programs particularly in the African context should have huge implications on the policy which
could affect political will to invest.
As the objectives come together, there will be increased need to develop the capacities of the different players and also task shifting to
ensure the system delivers harmoniously. This has implications on the administrative structure of the system that will deliver linkages.
Research has not succeeded in evaluating some aspects of linkages that are important for establishing their strength and sustainability
in the long term. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to establish: the costs for each of the parties; the capacities of the associative
organization and the means to finance said costs; the benefits recorded; the quality of the linkage; and the possibility to replicate the
most successful linkages for further scale up.
The institutional structureis bound to increase in diversity and complexity. In cases with the greatest range of linkages, the institutions
serve virtually all basic fronts, not only information, but also service delivery. The institutions would need to adopt agile mechanisms in
order to remain versatile and adaptive to respond to shocks to the system and emerging lessons.a range of factors, central to which are
the resources available to the institutions, the historical context and political background of the country, and the policy context will
come into play to determine how the institutional structure turns out.
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Linkages, will be of various types, and, particularly in the African context, can be complex but ultimately feasible and necessary as SP
systems develop. It will be important to determine what linkages will make sense and what should be prioritized. The types of linkages
will depend on whether you want to create the system (direct/indirect), harmonize the system (internal/external), strengthen service
delivery (backward/forward) or rationalize outcomes of the social protection system (homogenous/heterogeneous). Sometimes, one
country may have a mix of linkage types depending on how the overall social protection infrastructure has developed across the country.
Linkages can happen at multiple levels such as legislative linkages, policy, financial, programmatic and results linkages. A
one-size-fits-all approach to SP linkages does not exist especially in under-developed systems with low national level SP coverage. The
promise of cost saving as a result of linkages plus the other economic and political benefits should provide strong incentive for pursuing
effective linkages.
Linkages should be carefully planned for, thought through and implemented if they are going to be effective. When they should be
implemented, where they should be implemented, why they should be implemented and how they should be implemented are all key
considerations before a country takes to creating an interlinked SP system.
All elements of an effective SP system should receive fair consideration in planning for linkages. This will begin right from the legislative
and policy environment right through to the delivery mechanisms and everything in between. This includes the information
considerations for establishing a strong system of linkages and how these are managed is equally important.
Including detailed linkage rules in policy is not desirable and thus could be contained in some less restrictive set of guidelines as this
could make it possible to adjust rules as lessons are learnt through implementation. Instead, minimum requirements, standards and
general principles should be elaborated in more agile documents.
There are both negative and positive implications, on policy and institutional arrangements, of establishing linkages. These
implications can be conceptual, structural, financial or administrative. However, they have to be weighed and controlled within the
Institute for
national context to ensure that they ultimately lead to the establishment of a strong well linked Social Protection system.
ISPA
Social Policy
in Africa