A group of young boys sleeping on the street. The Jamaica Social Policy Evaluation (JASPEV) Social Policy Framework and Social Action Plan 2002-2007 is seeking to reduce the number of persons living below the poverty line. The survey of Living Conditions 2001, reported that the incidence of poverty for 2001 was 16.8 per cent. - File Ministry Paper No. 54/02 Jamaica Social Policy Evaluation (JASPEV) Social Policy Framework and Social Action Plan 2002-2007 Introduction, was recently tabled in Parliament. It gives a background of Government's efforts to eradicate poverty and outlines its plans for the future. Beginning this week, the Ministry Paper will be reproduced in its entirety.
IN 1997, the Government of Jamaica laid before Parliament, Ministry Paper No.13, setting out its strategy for the eradication of absolute poverty in Jamaica.
The intention was to reduce the number of persons living below the poverty line from 28 per cent to 14 per cent by 2000. The survey of Living Conditions 2001 reported that the incidence of poverty for 2001 was 16.8 per cent.
The National Poverty Eradication Programme (NPEP) was predicated on the principles of "integration, partnership, community-based participation and sustainability". Successful implementation is dependent on providing proper the infrastructure on which to build a sustainable social development model.
This entails the development of a framework, which included a mechanism to devise and deliver social policies and programmes in a consistent and effective way across institutional boundaries. As a result, the Human Resource Council commissioned an evaluation of Jamaica's social policies as a prerequisite to devising such a framework.
The study was conducted in May 1999 by consultants from the Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure/Overseas Development Institute (ODI) of the United Kingdom's Depart-ment for International Develop-ment (DFID). The consulting team was mandated to provide recommendations on a process and mechanisms to enable priorities for poverty reduction to be disseminated and carried forward effectively on a continuing basis. Outputs from the project should be a Social Policy Framework document to cover the period 2002-2015 and a short to medium term Action Plan for the period 2002-2007. Findings from the evaluation revealed that:
- In Jamaica, there was a perceived lack of culture of outcome orientation
in the delivery of public services.
- There was insufficient linkage between the budget and the policy planning
process.
- There was an anachronistic framework, which was in need of revision.
- New instruments and approaches were needed to enable evaluation of the
impacts of programmes and policies.
- The effectiveness of the social protection system for poverty reduction
was compromised by, among others, error in targeting and high levels of entitlements
to public benefits for the non-poor.
- Resources available for social policies were declining and likely to continue
doing so, requiring a different set of institutional arrangements.
- There was a lack of trust between some of the key communities and stakeholder
groups engaged in the social policy field.
The consultants recommend an approach to social policy formulating implementation which would tackle both the need for changes in policies and changes in institutional practice and delivery.
JASPEV THE APPROACH
The fundamental values of the JASPEV approach was the enhancement of equity, social cohesion and social justice. Keeping with these, the process was designed as one which was highly inclusive and consisted of mechanisms which would enhance the capacity of citizens i.e., the benefits of social policies to hold policy makers and implementers accountable for the delivery of specified outcomes.
It was suggested that in order to be successful, the programme would need to operate at four levels:
- Enhancing central mechanisms for social policy change focused on national
objectives.
- Enhancing local level mechanism for the formulation and governance of social
policy.
- Enhancing systems for the collection and analysis of information which
would link the two (i.e., national and local) levels and assist in the measuring
of progress against national and local outcomes.
- The implementation of a set of social policy initiatives, under the guidance
of thematic teams, formed out of personnel drawn from different ministries
and organisations, which would be implemented as prototypes to provide models
for new forms of institutional arrangements.
THE PROCESS
In addition to developing the Social Policy Framework and accompanying medium-term plan, the agenda of JASPEV include the designing of a long-term mechanism for promoting policy and legislative change and the development of an approach for the administration of structural change, beyond the purview of the social sector, which would have to be addressed if social policy is to be effectively delivered. Such issues include, the enrichment of the corporate planning process, the budget process and the establishment of performance measurement based on benchmarks consistent with the overall social policy framework.
In developing the framework, international experiences and best practice were reviewed and extensive consultations were held to elicit from citizens at all levels of society, their vision for the development of social policy. Consultations with senior managers within the public service, the political directorate (that is the Human Resource Council), technical and strategic planning staff and public institutions, including the Planning Institute of Jamaica, civil society, the research community within the University of the West Indies, Parish Development Committees and members of rural and urban communities resulted in a vision and a set key for key goals.
Research and analysis provided the evidence needed for the production of the framework document and the action plan. The following studies and background papers were produced: A social situational analysis, a study of the policy process, a study of systems of institutional learning, a study of the evolution of budget allocations in social policy.
Problem diagnosis and an action plan design process were held with a wide range of stakeholders.
THE SOCIAL POLICY FRAMEWORK
The Social Policy Framework was approved by the Human Resource Council on December 10, 2001 and ratified by the Cabinet on January 14, 2002. Its key components are:
- A vision for the kind of society Jamaica aspires to being.
- A set of key policy goals which sums up a range of outcomes which represent
progress towards the realisation of the vision.
- A set of goals and objectives for changes in institutional systems and
relationships which support the achievements of the policy goals.
- A framework for assessing progress towards the goals.
- An action plan outlining a five-year programme of measures to strengthen
the design and implementation of social policy.
Next week: The Vision.
