john rook regional hunger & vulnerability programme (rhvp) working with parliamentarians to get...

John RookJohn RookRegional Hunger & Vulnerability Programme Regional Hunger & Vulnerability Programme

(RHVP)(RHVP)

Working with Working with Parliamentarians to get Parliamentarians to get Social Protection on the Social Protection on the Political AgendaPolitical Agenda

1

International Policy Centre for Inclusive GrowthLong-Term Social Protection for Inclusive Growth:Policy Dialogue & South-South Learning EventJohannesburg, 11-14 October, 2010

Social protection – where we are in southern Africa

• Not the whole solution but . . .• Receiving more and more attention– Mainstreamed into MDG dialogue

• We know they work and can make a meaningful difference– “Overwhelming evidence”

• We know how to do it– Scaled up experience in a number of countries

• So, why haven’t scaled up social protection been adopted more widely as part of an inclusive poverty reduction strategy?

Slide 2

What’s needed now?

Plenty of talk about the need to: Moving from research to building political will

How much added value from more research: Time to get off the fence Learning through implementation, not just experimentation

Build national ownership & drive Foster broad based national debate and engagement Capacitate potential drivers of change

But there’s another aspect of promoting social transfers, whose potential has so far been less explored/exploited . . . .

Slide 3

Political potential of social protection

Slide 4

Parliamentarians: Opportunities

• Political potential of social protection– already happening -Lesotho 2006 general election

• Growing democratisation – increasing importance

• Roles – representation, legislation & oversight

• Vested interest to deliver – re-election

slide 5

Parliamentarians: Challenges

• Still immature democracies

• Vote buying v election pledging

• Often more concerned about maintaining status quo than taking the initiative

• Confusing functioning democracy with politicking

• Not assertive - sidelined/undermined by executive

• Limited understanding of wide range of policy issues

• Reluctance to engage with parliaments, let alone political parties!

slide 6

SADC-PF/RHVP policy dialogueinitiative on poverty & social

transfers• Objectives• Build awareness & understanding• Foster national debate & dialogue• Nurture drivers of change (awareness & understanding

before commitment)• Activities• Awareness building workshops for new parliaments

• Budgetary process / Gender / HIV-AIDS / Social transfers• Botswana / DRC / Lesotho / Swaziland

• In-depth national/regional policy dialogues on social transfers for parliamentary committies• Angola / Botswana / Lesotho / Malawi / Mozambique / Namibia / Swaziland /

Tanzania / Zambia / Zimbabwe

• Parliamentary handbook (in prep) slide 7

Impact

• In summary• Limited but needs to be put into perspective in terms of

resources and duration

Nevertheless . . .• Increased awareness

• Over 550 parliamentarians and parliamentary staff exposed to the social transfers debate, of which over 200 engaged in more detailed policy dialogue

• Pre /post workshop perceptions exercises indicate significant positive swing in opinions regarding social transfers

• Individual initiatives• Private Members Bills in support of scaled up social transfers in

Malawi & Zambia• Direct intervention of MPs in social transfers delivery system

impasse in Swazilandslide 8

Lessons

• Legislatives generally under-valued, under-equipped & under-utilised

• Significant unmet demand for knowledge & skill development – not just social transfers

• Support needs to be both intensive & sustained• From parliamentarians to political parties; the real

prize!

Where next? • SADC-PF proposal to continue and expand policy

dialogue work . . . but no donor interest!slide 9

For more informationFor more information

pmsoma@sadcpf.orgpmsoma@sadcpf.orgjohn@rhvp.orgjohn@rhvp.org

Slide 10 of 12

And finally . . .And finally . . .

RHVP ends in November, and with it RHVP ends in November, and with it funding for funding for wahenga.netwahenga.net . . . unless we . . . unless we can find other sources of financial can find other sources of financial support . . . between support . . . between US$4,000 to US$4,000 to US$7,500 / month US$7,500 / month depending on depending on scope . . . any ideas?scope . . . any ideas?

john@rhvp.orgjohn@rhvp.org

Slide 13 of 12