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WORLD BANK APPROVES $21.2 MILLION CREDIT FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION ADMINISTRATION II PROJECT (SPAP) IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, March 25, /ARKA/. The World Bank Group's Board of Executive
Directors approved March 24 a$21.2 million credit for the Social
Protection Administration II Project (SPAP) in Armenia.
The project will support the Government of Armenia in improving social
protection service delivery and strengthening analytical, monitoring
and evaluation functions of the agencies delivering social protection
benefits and services, the World Bank Office in Armenia reported.
It said in a press release that 'Armenia has consistently reformed
its social service delivery, emphasizing efficiency and targeting
among other priorities. These efforts need further enhancement to cope
with the protracted and high unemployment, poverty and vulnerability
which disproportionately affect women. In response to the challenges,
Armenia has chosen a model of functional integration of four existing
agencies responsible for pensions, social assistance, employment and
disability certification.
Under the first SPAP, the above service providers were co-located,
with upgraded facilities, integrated management information system,
and new case management procedures in 19 sites across the country.
Under the new project, this model will be rolled-out to another 37
Integrated Social Protection Centers. The activities, from civil
works to furniture and IT equipment with software provision, as
well as trainings and on-the-job mentoring along with a proactive
communication with the public, will ensure the fully operational
nature of the centers, delivering high quality services tailored to
the needs of the beneficiaries.
"With the introduction of the integrated social services delivery
model and new case management practices, Armenia has made substantial
improvements in how the social protection system functions," says
Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia.
"The main beneficiaries of the project will be vulnerable children,
women and men, including senior citizens, who face multiple and
complex livelihood challenges and are usually furthest away from the
labor market."
Among beneficiaries, this project will also target registered
unemployed and employers by promoting employment intermediation and
employer-employee matching, and thereby increasing labour market
efficiency and job opportunities.
Implementation of the Government's New Employment Strategy will
come in a number of ways, such as by capacity building of the state
employment agency via trainings and modernised IT infrastructure,
expanding career orientation through skills tailored distance learning
programs. It is expected that about 1400 men and women will equally
benefit from this orientation program, along with 700 being enrolled
in Youth without Education and Skills Program.
The project will finance an integrated system of monitoring and
evaluation of social protection benefits and services, targeting
over 70 different programs. This would enable the Ministry of Labor
and Social Issues to directly manage the beneficiary feedback,
specifically collecting information on quality of delivered services.
"Vulnerable families often have incomplete information about available
services and may find it particularly challenging to adequately choose
the items that would maximize their well-being," says Ivan Drabek,
World Bank Task Team Leader of the project.
"Nevertheless, we are convinced that through this project the needs
of each family member will be adequately addressed and services will
be delivered in a coordinated and coherent way."
In addition, the project will support the State Social Security Service
in improving and upgrading its core business processes. A risk-based
fraud-and-error supervision software and system along with improved
human resource management capacity, such as central payment services
for the integrated social delivery system, will be developed and made
fully operational. In addition, it is expected that by the end of
the project the average time required for processing a pension case
would decrease by 3 times.
Total financing of the project is US$25.5 million, of which US$4.3
million will be the Government's contribution. The World Bank credit
of US$21.2 million will be provided on standard blend IDA terms at
a fixed interest rate of 1.25% per annum with a maturity of 25 years
and a 5 year grace period.
Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments
to Armenia total approximately US$ 1,839.06 million. -0-
- See more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/economy/world_bank_approves_21_2_million_credit_for_social _protection_administration_ii_project_spap_in_arme/#sthash.y9JubLxo.dpuf
YEREVAN, March 25, /ARKA/. The World Bank Group's Board of Executive
Directors approved March 24 a$21.2 million credit for the Social
Protection Administration II Project (SPAP) in Armenia.
The project will support the Government of Armenia in improving social
protection service delivery and strengthening analytical, monitoring
and evaluation functions of the agencies delivering social protection
benefits and services, the World Bank Office in Armenia reported.
It said in a press release that 'Armenia has consistently reformed
its social service delivery, emphasizing efficiency and targeting
among other priorities. These efforts need further enhancement to cope
with the protracted and high unemployment, poverty and vulnerability
which disproportionately affect women. In response to the challenges,
Armenia has chosen a model of functional integration of four existing
agencies responsible for pensions, social assistance, employment and
disability certification.
Under the first SPAP, the above service providers were co-located,
with upgraded facilities, integrated management information system,
and new case management procedures in 19 sites across the country.
Under the new project, this model will be rolled-out to another 37
Integrated Social Protection Centers. The activities, from civil
works to furniture and IT equipment with software provision, as
well as trainings and on-the-job mentoring along with a proactive
communication with the public, will ensure the fully operational
nature of the centers, delivering high quality services tailored to
the needs of the beneficiaries.
"With the introduction of the integrated social services delivery
model and new case management practices, Armenia has made substantial
improvements in how the social protection system functions," says
Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia.
"The main beneficiaries of the project will be vulnerable children,
women and men, including senior citizens, who face multiple and
complex livelihood challenges and are usually furthest away from the
labor market."
Among beneficiaries, this project will also target registered
unemployed and employers by promoting employment intermediation and
employer-employee matching, and thereby increasing labour market
efficiency and job opportunities.
Implementation of the Government's New Employment Strategy will
come in a number of ways, such as by capacity building of the state
employment agency via trainings and modernised IT infrastructure,
expanding career orientation through skills tailored distance learning
programs. It is expected that about 1400 men and women will equally
benefit from this orientation program, along with 700 being enrolled
in Youth without Education and Skills Program.
The project will finance an integrated system of monitoring and
evaluation of social protection benefits and services, targeting
over 70 different programs. This would enable the Ministry of Labor
and Social Issues to directly manage the beneficiary feedback,
specifically collecting information on quality of delivered services.
"Vulnerable families often have incomplete information about available
services and may find it particularly challenging to adequately choose
the items that would maximize their well-being," says Ivan Drabek,
World Bank Task Team Leader of the project.
"Nevertheless, we are convinced that through this project the needs
of each family member will be adequately addressed and services will
be delivered in a coordinated and coherent way."
In addition, the project will support the State Social Security Service
in improving and upgrading its core business processes. A risk-based
fraud-and-error supervision software and system along with improved
human resource management capacity, such as central payment services
for the integrated social delivery system, will be developed and made
fully operational. In addition, it is expected that by the end of
the project the average time required for processing a pension case
would decrease by 3 times.
Total financing of the project is US$25.5 million, of which US$4.3
million will be the Government's contribution. The World Bank credit
of US$21.2 million will be provided on standard blend IDA terms at
a fixed interest rate of 1.25% per annum with a maturity of 25 years
and a 5 year grace period.
Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments
to Armenia total approximately US$ 1,839.06 million. -0-
- See more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/economy/world_bank_approves_21_2_million_credit_for_social _protection_administration_ii_project_spap_in_arme/#sthash.y9JubLxo.dpuf