Jamaica’s Social Protection System Strengthened

Jamaica’s social protection system has been bolstered to better respond to future shocks and serve the need of vulnerable citizens, including children in poor households and persons living with disabilities.

Under a US$1.1-million joint programme dubbed ‘Modernisation of the Social Protection Systems in Jamaica: Towards an Adaptive, Shock Responsive, Inclusive System’, measures were undertaken to strengthen the mechanisms and systems utilisd by the Government to provide support for beneficiaries of social security programmes.

A key output was the use of digital solutions to deliver cash assistance to persons more efficiently.

The initiative was undertaken over the period January 2022 to March 2024 by the Ministry of Social Security, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Addressing Wednesday’s (April 24) Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund Closing Ceremony, held at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., shared that under the oversight of a 13-member technical committee co-chaired by the Ministry, the joint programme achieved significant milestones.

“Through capacity-building initiatives and digitalisation of targeting mechanisms, we have empowered approximately 150 government offices and service providers to deliver more modern and responsive services, thereby reducing the risk exposure for the most vulnerable members of our society,” he said.

A series of consultations were held with beneficiaries of social assistance programmes, as well as financial service providers, towards improving payment processes and modalities.

The joint programme also resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between UNICEF and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), aimed at accelerating its work with the Council to support the needs of the most disadvantaged children.

Mr. Charles highlighted that the outputs have been instrumental in advancing access to essential services and fostering speedy recovery from shocks for the five priority target groups identified as most vulnerable – female-headed households, families living at or below the poverty line, children, youth and families that include persons with disabilities.

Minister Charles advised that in addition to delivering on its planned objectives, the joint programme served as a catalyst for securing additional financing and support for parallel initiatives.

“The Government of Canada has committed to providing technical and financial assistance over the next 12 months to enhance the management information system for the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities. This critical support will enhance the ability of our systems and also accelerate efforts to bridge the gap in access to social protection services for persons with disabilities,” Mr. Charles disclosed.

For his part, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Jamaica, Dennis Zulu, encouraged the Government to reaffirm its commitment to building resilient systems capable of withstanding impending shocks.

“I am confident that Jamaica’s public servants are committed and prepared to put into practice the growth in their capacity. On the part of the UN, we have also committed to convening a Jamaica Social Protection Coordination Group within our international development partners caucus convened by the UN in Jamaica,” he shared.

Mr. Zulu explained that the group will continue to support the Government through technical assistance and enhanced coordination among key stakeholders.