The National Social Protection Steering Committee (NSPSC) last week held the first quarter meeting of 2024 at the Metzy Residence Hotel in Kololi to discuss the progress of implementation of social protection interventions by key implementing partners across the country.
Permanent secretaries of various ministries, key development partners, NGOs and private sector representatives attended the meeting. The aim was to discuss matters concerning advancement of social protection reform agenda in the country.
The National Social Protection Secretariat organises such meetings quarterly to enhance the coordination mechanisms.
During the meeting, the National Social Protection Secretariat presented on the cash transfer landscape in The Gambia and the different calculation methods in reaching cash transfer value in the country. The presentation highlighted that there are multiple cash transfer programmes with different transfer values.The NSPSC noted this with great concern and recommended the urgent development of a cash transfer guideline for the social assistance sector.
Similarly, the Steering Committee meeting also welcomed a presentation from Future in Our Hands (FIOH), about who they are and what they do. The FIOH implements programmes promoting access to basic education, especially in the rural communities, and the construction for infrastructure for the Lower Basic School; such as classroom blocks, kitchens, toilets, teachers’ quarters, water points and fences. The organisation also engages communities to embrace “Smart Climate Change Initiative”, interventions aimed at reducing the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the vulnerable population.
The National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) recognises that strong leadership and coordination are vital elements in spearheading social protection reforms in The Gambia. Thus, the NSPP provided for the establishment of a multi-sector membership of the National Social Protection Steering Committee (NSPSC). The NSPSC is a solid platform to facilitate the alignment to social protection system objectives with other sector priorities; create linkages to complementary services under different ministries; and shared resources. The NSPSC is responsible for matters of policy advocacy and resource mobilisation, as well as oversight and accountability with regards to implementation of social protection programmes in The Gambia.
Considering the current nature of social protection implementation in the country, the NSPP recognises the need to improve the coordination mechanism of the sector.
Subsequently, the National Social Protection Secretariat under the Office of the Vice President was mandated to support the NSPSC in overseeing the coordination of the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy 2015-2025. Therefore, the role of the Social Protection Secretariat is to support the National Social Protection Steering Committee in providing leadership and coordination across the totality of social protection efforts in The Gambia.
