National Social Protection Policy Framework For Uganda
Enabling all Citizens to Participate in and Benefit from Uganda’s Social and Economic
Transformation
DRAFT 2
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
May 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1
1.1
Importance of Social Protection in National Development ................................ 1
1.2
Rationale for the Social Protection Policy Framework ....................................... 2
1.3
Legal and Policy Framework ............................................................................... 4
2.0
SITUATION ANALYSIS ...................................................................................... 6
2.1
Poverty Status in Uganda .................................................................................... 6
2.2
Life-Cycle Risks and Vulnerability........................................................................ 8
2.3
Informal and Traditional Social Protection ...................................................... 11
2.4
Existing Social Protection Interventions.......................................................... 11
2.5
Social Care Services ........................................................................................... 12
2.6
Complementary Programmes to Overcome Financial Barriers to Accessing
Services.............................................................................................................. 13
2.7
Other Programmes targeting vulnerable groups .............................................. 13
3.0
GUIDING PRINCIPLES .................................................................................... 14
4.0
POLICY FRAMEWORK DIRECTION .................................................................. 14
4.1
Vision, Mission and Goal of Social Protection .................................................. 15
4.2.
Policy Objectives ............................................................................................... 16
4.3
Strategies and Priority Actions .......................................................................... 16
4.4
Policy Outcomes ................................................................................................ 21
5.0
FINANCING ................................................................................................... 22
6.0.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................... 22
7.0
MONITORING AND EVALUATION .................................................................. 26
1.0
INTRODUCTION
Social protection entails all public and private interventions that address risks and
vulnerabilities associated with being or becoming poor1. It refers to all formal and
informal initiatives that provide direct income support to extremely poor individuals
and households; social insurance to mitigate risks and consequences of livelihood
shocks; and social care to reduce social vulnerabilities and enhance the capacity of
vulnerable groups to cope with and overcome social vulnerabilities. In the Ugandan
context social protection comprises social security (Social Insurance and Direct income
support) and social care services. These services significantly contribute to addressing
economic and social vulnerabilities.
Many people are poor and vulnerable due to socio-economic characteristics such as
gender, age, disability, household composition, ill-health and employment status.
Economic shocks and natural hazards that usually befall different communities further
deepen and intensify poverty and vulnerability. Social and economic vulnerabilities
often overlap and reinforce each other so that certain categories of the population are
highly vulnerable to a range of risks and have limited means to cope with these risks
when they occur.
Poverty and vulnerability negatively affects socio-economic development as well as the
welfare of individuals and households. The multiple vulnerabilities faced by certain
categories of the population such as the elderly, children, women and persons with
disabilities does not only directly impact on their livelihoods, but also slows national
development. Social protection directly reduces poverty, supports excluded citizens to
access services, provides a foundation on which to build productive livelihoods and
enables citizens to live a life of security and dignity. It aims to empower all citizens to
participate in and benefit from the social and economic transformation in the country.
The Government of Uganda recognises that social protection is a critical pre-requisite
for achieving national development goals. This Policy Framework thus aims to
harmonize different social policies and promote effective coordination and
implementation of multi-sectoral Social Protection interventions.
1.1
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL PROTECTION IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Social protection provides a secure platform upon which vulnerable households can
build productive and sustainable livelihoods and contribute to economic growth.
Income security for all citizens helps households to avoid risky coping strategies such as
selling assets or withdrawing children from school. It also reduces the burden on
children participating in child labour to contribute to family income and thus enabling
them to attend school.
1
National Development Plan, 2010-2015
1
Direct Income Support to the poor and vulnerable groups provides economic stimulus
to the local economy by increasing the demand for local goods and services. If such
income is channelled through public-works programmes, it creates short term
employment for the poor and vulnerable households as well as community assets for
longer-term growth. By enabling poorer households to overcome financial barriers to
accessing basic social services such as education and health, social protection also
builds human capital, by empowering the poor and vulnerable households to meet
indirect costs of accessing the services.
Evidence from existing social protection programmes in Uganda and elsewhere indicate
that poor households spend most of their direct income transfers on food. This
improves the nutritional status of the households thereby enabling children to attain
their full potential By improving nutritional status of children, in the long run social
protection contributes to productive labour force, which reduces inter-generational
transmission of poverty from parents to children.
Social insurance minimizes income shocks associated with ill health, unemployment or
retirement. Maintaining the economic and social status of such households ensures a
firmer foundation on which households can re-establish themselves and their
productive activities after such shocks. Social insurance interventions also maintain
demand in the economy, thus sustaining growth and national development.
Social care services such as child protection interventions, care for chronically sick, or
disabled children and adults or gender based violence survivors improves the quality of
life of these vulnerable groups and promotes inclusive development. Protecting the
most vulnerable citizens from abuse and neglect enhances their participation in socioeconomic activities and the development process.
1.2
RATIONALE FOR THE SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICY FRAMEWORK
Government has been implementing various programmes to alleviate poverty, but
many of these interventions have been generic in nature and still fall short of mitigating
the consequences of livelihood shocks experienced by extremely poor and vulnerable
groups. Existing anti-poverty interventions have largely focused on the economically
active population with the capacity to work. Due to persistent poverty, a significant
2
number of households in the country require Social Protection to break intergeneration and vicious cycle of poverty.
The formal social insurance system in Uganda remains very limited and largely benefits
a small percentage of the population who work in the formal sector. Various
organisations have also established different savings schemes for their employees
which are, however, not effectively coordinated and regulated. Although the informal
sector employs most of the people in the labour force, the workers are not covered by
any form of social security. This renders the majority of the economically active
population vulnerable to economic shocks arising from unemployment, ill-health or old
age. Addressing this challenge requires specific policy reforms that will facilitate
expansion, effective coordination and regulation of social insurance schemes.
Uganda’s rapidly growing population has exerted extreme pressure on the existing
health care delivery system. This has resulted into poor service delivery and the
expansion of private health care sector to bridge the gap. However, the cost of
accessing private health care services are not affordable by the majority of workers in
both the formal and informal sector. Social Health Insurance therefore has the potential
of providing complementary source health care financing and improve health care for
all Ugandans.
Uganda has formulated a number of policies, enacted some laws and designed
interventions which contain aspects of social protection. Whereas these interventions
address cross-cutting needs of the poor and vulnerable groups, there is no unifying
framework bringing together the social protection commitments in these existing
policies. As a result there is lack of a clear national vision and strategic focus of social
protection, fragmentation of interventions, duplication of resources, and limited impact
on the beneficiaries. Therefore there is need for an overarching comprehensive and
coherent social protection policy framework to guide all social protection initiatives.
This Policy Framework will harmonize the existing policies and laws relating to Social
Protection and it will provide strategic direction for delivery of social protection services
in the country. It will also outline the links and complementarities between social
protection and other Government interventions. It will provide a basis for the
development of context specific policies, laws and programmes under the three focus
areas of direct income support, social insurance and social care services. These focus
areas will support the gradual evolution of a comprehensive social protection system
and ultimately enhance coverage for all Ugandans.
3
1.3
LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK
There is a strong legal and policy basis for Uganda to formulate social protection policy
framework and design programmes to enhance delivery of social protection services in
the Country.
First and foremost, Uganda is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
1948, which guarantees everyone the right to social security in the event of
unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old-age or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his control. Uganda has also ratified the International Covenant
on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, 1966, which obliges Government to put in place
measures to ensure access to social security, including social insurance, for everyone.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 compels Government to help children
who are poor and in need either directly or through their guardians. According to the
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006, Government should
ensure access to social protection by persons with disabilities
At the regional level, Uganda has endorsed the Livingstone Call to Action, 2006, which
obliges Africa states to put in place costed plans for the implementation of direct
income support programmes. Uganda is also a signatory to the African Union Social
Policy Framework, 2008, which calls on member governments to recognize that social
protection is a state obligation, with provisions in national legislations.
At the national level, the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda provides a firm basis for
social protection interventions. The relevant provisions in the National Objectives and
Directive Principles of State Policy, related to social protection are as follows:



Objective VII: the state shall make reasonable provision for the welfare and
maintenance of the aged;
Objective XI (ii): The State shall give the highest priority to the enactment of
legislation establishing measures that protect and enhance the right of the
people to equal opportunities in development;
Objective XIV (b): all Ugandans shall enjoy rights and opportunities and access to
education, health services, clean and safe water, work, decent shelter, adequate
clothing, food security and pension and retirement benefits;
Article 32 of the Constitution states that ‘notwithstanding anything in this Constitution,
the State shall take affirmative action in favour of groups marginalized on the basis of
gender, age, disability or any other reason created by history, tradition or custom, for
the purpose of redressing imbalances which exist against them. Article 254 states that a
4
public officer shall, on retirement receive such pension as is commensurate with his or
her rank; salary and length of service.
This Policy Framework is consistent with the National Development Plan (NDP), which
recognizes Social protection as one of key strategies for transforming Uganda from a
peasant society to a modern and prosperous country. The NDP emphasizes
diversification and provision comprehensive social protection measures for the different
categories of the population as a measure to reduce vulnerability and enhance
productivity of the human resource.
Other relevant policies are summarized below:

The National Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Policy (2004), provides for
survival, development, participation and protection of vulnerable children and
obliges Government to design appropriate instruments to achieve this.

The National Policy on Disability seeks to promote equal opportunities and
social protection for PWDs and recognizes the fact that principle that, given the
same chances and conditions, PWDs can perform to their full potential
irrespective of their social, economic or cultural backgrounds.

National Policy for Older Persons (2009) advocates for equal treatment, social
inclusion and provision of livelihood support of older persons. It identifies
provision of direct income support and social insurance as a key social
protection instruments for addressing the needs of older persons.

The National Youth Policy recognizes productive employment as a measure of
ensuring the participation of the youth in economic growth and development.
Social protection therefore provides an opportunity for unemployed youth to
engage in productive activities through public works scheme.

The National Employment Policy 2010 supports social insurance for workers in
the formal sector, especially those who are able to contribute to social insurance
schemes such as the NSSF, private pension or health schemes. It also specifies
responsibilities of employers to provide contingencies for their workers such as
paid maternity, paternity and sick leave.

The National Equal Opportunities Policy 2006; recognizes the inherent rights of
all the people of Uganda to participate in social, economic and political affairs of
the country and promotes equal opportunities for all.
5

The Uganda Gender Policy of 2007 promotes gender equality in all spheres
including employment, economic empowerment and provides a framework for
engendering social protection interventions

The National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management 2010
emphasizes the critical importance of restoring and maintaining the quality and
overall welfare and development of human beings in their environment. It
advocates for an approach to disaster management that focuses on reducing
risks – the risk of loss of life, economic loss and damage to property.

The draft Birth and Death Registration Policy, 2012 provides for building a civil
registration system which is essential for the development of a social protection
system.
2.0
SITUATION ANALYSIS
2.1
Poverty Status in Uganda
The effort to eradicate mass poverty in Uganda dates back to 1997, when the
Government formulated and began implementing the first Poverty Eradication Action
Plan (PEAP). By 2000, the poverty rate had reduced from 44% in 1997 to 34% in
1999/00, but this trend was, however, disrupted in 2002/03 when the poverty
headcount instead rose to 38% and the number of people living below the poverty line
increased from 7.3 million in 1999/00 to 8.9 million in 2002/032. The proportion of
people living below the poverty line again dropped to 31.1% in 2005/06 and 24.5% in
2009/10. However, in numerical terms, 7.5 million people in Uganda have incomes
which are below the minimum level required to meet basic needs3
Analysis of the panel data collected by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) reveals
that 45.3% of the households which were in poorest quintile in 2005/06 maintained the
same poverty status in 2009/10. This implies that out of nearly 1.4 million poor
households in 2005/06 about 624,000 households, representing over 3.2 million poor
people, could not move out of the lowest quintile and may be considered chronically
poor. Although 54.7% of the poorest households in 2005/06 managed to move to
2
The UNHS Report, 2005/2006
3
Uganda National Household Survey Report 2009/10
6
higher quintiles, the fact that other households which were better off dropped to the
lowest quintile confirms that poverty is dynamic in nature. About 43 percent of the
population, representing about 13 million people are living barely above the poverty
line and are at risk of becoming poor.
The poverty rate in Uganda is also highly variable across geographical areas, ranging
from as low as 4.2 percent in urban areas of the Western region to as high as 49
percent in rural areas of Northern Uganda. Although 20 per cent of the population live
in Northern Uganda accounts for only, it accounts for 38 percent of the poor.
Furthermore, the broad regional figures hide significant variation within sub-regions
with the highest poverty incidence of 75 percent being recorded in the Karamoja subregion as compared to 4 percent in Kampala sub-region. In addition, between 2005/6
and 2009/10, poverty in the Karamoja sub-region has declined by only 5 percent
compared to 21 percent reduction nationally.
Extreme poverty has significant implications for the wellbeing of households. Many of
the poor households are unable to meet their basic needs such as adequate food,
clothing and shelter, health care and education. Such households also lack access to
gainful employment and are unable to participate in development programmes. The
available statistics reveal that 31 per cent of household cite financial constraints as the
main reason why they cannot access medical services. In addition, many of these
households are unable to access resources to invest in income generating activities
mainly because they cannot access credit and other financial services. When they can
invest, they often employ low risk, low return strategies to minimize fluctuations in
their income which could result from a failed crop or poor investment4.
In spite of their age, older persons are often compelled to continue doing hard work
due to lack of predictable source of income for accessing basic needs such as food,
clothing, shelter, health care and education for the grandchildren under their care. The
number of older persons still engaged in active employment increased by 14.5 percent
between 2005/06 and 2009/10. This indicates that more and more elderly people are
being obliged to work to sustain themselves and their families, as a result of poverty.
85 per cent of older persons are engaged in crop farming, which is characterised by
fluctuations in produce prices, irregular income and low returns to labour, which
increases their vulnerability. Over 93 percent of older persons in Uganda do not have
any form of saving or access to pension or any other form of social security.
4
Evidence from the World Bank shows that the poor may sacrifice as much as a quarter of their income
in return for greater economic security (reference).
7
Households with at least one severely or partially disabled member have a poverty rate
of 30 per cent – well above the national average –and households headed by PWDs
comprise 16 per cent of the poorest decile of the population.
2.2
Life-Cycle Risks and Vulnerability
Poor people face various risks and vulnerabilities related to specific stages of either
their lifecycle or covariate risks, which threaten their well-being.
Children
Children in Uganda are faced with multiple risks and vulnerabilities which affect their
development and prevent them from achieving their full potential. These include poor
nutrition, orphan-hood, child labour, neglect and other violations that require a more
systematic state response mechanism through social protection.
Malnutrition affects both physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of children,
with significant negative implications on their education, productivity and well-being. As
of 2011, about 33 percent of children under 5 years were stunted, 14 percent were
severely stunted, 5 percent were wasted while 2 percent were severely wasted.
The loss of a parent also impacts severely on children as they find it difficult to cope
with the state of orphan-hood. In 2010, about 2.43 million children in Uganda had lost
one or both parents. Out of these 395,000 children were double orphans. Older people
– especially grandmothers – care for 45 percent of OVC in Uganda, which increases
their vulnerability.
Low household incomes and child neglect force children into child labour. Overall, 2.75
million children aged 5-17 years are child labourers, out of whom 1.48 million are males
and 1.27 million are females. The majority of child labourers are aged 5-11 years, who
constitute 2.24 million children or 81% of the child labourers. A significant number of
children continue to be neglected by their parents or caretakers, which forces them to
drop out of school and try to find livelihood options on the streets or elsewhere.
Despite the existence of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and the Universal Secondary
Education (USE) programmes, poor and vulnerable parents still struggle to educate their
children because of their inability to provide their children with basic school
requirement such as uniforms, scholastic materials and meals at school. Indeed,
children born in poor and vulnerable households are much less likely to complete
primary school. For example, the enrolment rate for children from poorest households
is 70 percent compared to 90 percent from the wealthiest. According to 2012 Poverty
8
Status Report, while the enrolment rate at primary one stands at 96%, completion at
P.7 is only 54%.
Youth
Youth aged 18-30 years constitute 21 percent of the total population of Uganda and 57
percent of the labour force, but as of 2010 only 19 percent were gainfully employed. An
estimated 4.9 million youth were either unemployed or underemployed. The
unemployment rate currently stand at 4.7 percent among the youth and yet the
number of jobs created cannot match the rate of growth in the labour force, thus
increasing risky behaviour and vulnerability among the youth. Apart from lack of jobs,
another major reason why many youth (both educated and uneducated) are
unemployed or underemployed is the fact that they lack employable skills and
experience to be absorbed in the labour market. The lack of employment has
increasingly made Uganda’s youth vulnerable to drug and substance abuse, causing
social unrest, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, early marriages and engaging in
criminal activities.
Working population
The majority of employed people face enormous risks which include low pay, job
insecurity, limited labour mobility, discrimination, sexual harassment and poor working
conditions. About 85 percent of the workforce are employed in the informal sector
without formal contacts and any form of social security. As many as 33.8 percent of the
workers in the private sector earn less than Shs 50,000 per month. The lowest wages
are received by agricultural wage workers, which employs most of the informal sector
workers. The low income of many workers cannot meet their basic needs.
Working women face insecurity when they have children as maternity leave is provided
for a limited period and this does not apply to the majority of working women who are
in the informal sectors.
Old age
As people advance in age, they tend to become less productive. Therefore if they did
not invest in their early working age, which is the case for the majority of Uganda’s
older persons (60 years and above), they become vulnerable and unable to effectively
take care of their livelihoods. Older persons face heightened risks of ill-health coupled
with high costs of drugs and low availability of specialists on diseases associated with
aging. As their labour capacity declines, they become dependent on others for support.
9
The vulnerability of older persons has been magnified by the impacts of HIV and AIDS,
which can be devastating not just emotionally, but also financially and physically.
In Uganda older persons constitute about 4 percent of the population, corresponding to
about 1.4 million people. Of these, 64.5 percent, corresponding to about 903,000 older
persons have old-age related disability and 10.7 percent or 150,000 older persons live
alone. Up to 15.1 percent of the households in the country are headed by older persons
and almost 72 percent of them have responsibilities of caring for children and the sick.
Risks of old age affect women and men differently. For example 55 per cent of the
older persons are women, and are less likely to access current old age pension schemes.
In addition, 63.2 percent of the older women are widows compared to only 15.3
percent of older men who are widowers. In most Ugandan societies, older widows are
left helpless and are often stripped off their properties left behind by their late
husbands.
Disability
Disability is yet another vulnerability affecting people in all demographic categories
from childhood to old age. Statistics indicate that 16 percent of people aged 5 years and
above have a disability, while 4 percent have a severe disability. Persons with Disability
(PWDs) face significant constraints in accessing services and opportunities. About 14
percent of the PWDs aged 6–24 years are permanently limited by their disabilities to
attend school while 40 percent aged 14–64 permanently unable to work.
Covariate risks and shocks
Many people are vulnerable to natural and human induced disasters. The major
disasters suffered in some parts of the country include drought, famine, floods,
epidemics, landslides, collapsing civil structures and windstorms. According to UNHS
Report of 2009/2010, more than 57 percent of the households in Uganda experienced
climatic shocks resulting in a decline in crop production and income for more than 80
percent of the population. About 16 percent were affected by health related shocks like
illness and death of household members leading to a reduction in income. These
disasters have made people more vulnerable to poverty and disease.
Only one percent of households which experienced shocks received support from
government. This underscores the absence of formal social protection systems for
those in need of such support. However, the impact of shocks affects households
disproportionately, with those which are poor more likely to be exposed to higher levels
of risks such as food shortage or ill health because they have limited ability to cope
when these risks occur.
10
2.3
Informal and Traditional Social Protection
The traditional social networks that used to protect vulnerable groups from neglect and
destitution have been eroded over time. The rural-urban migration, high levels of
unemployment and underemployment, HIV/AIDS pandemic, civil conflicts, widespread
poverty and the struggle by everyone to survive in a cash economy has weakened
family bonds and reduced the opportunities for vulnerable people to get assistance
from the younger generation. The responsibility of providing for the health and material
needs of the family, which has shifted from the young people to the older generations,
has drained the resources of the poor and condemned them to live in conditions of
chronic poverty.
2.4
Existing Social Protection Interventions
Government is implementing various social protection services. However, these
services are being implemented in isolation and in an un coordinated manner.
i) Contributory Social Security (Social Insurance)
The formal social insurance system in Uganda remains very limited, with largely those
working in formal employment being able to benefit. The existing forms of social
insurance in Uganda provide social security to individuals in the form of gratuity and
pension for retired civil servants or lump sum payment, based on contributions made
by employers and deductions from emoluments, for workers in the private sector. The
two main schemes that provide social insurance services are the NSSF and the PSPS.
The NSSF is the largest social security programme and currently has 400,000 active
members and pays out around 1,000 applicants every month5. Products include an old
age benefit, a survivor’s grant, invalidity benefit and an emigration benefit.
The PSPS is currently a non-contributory scheme financed out of general tax revenues.
The payments include a one-off lump sum amount given to the beneficiaries upon
retirement based on the number of years of service and the final annual salary drawn
and monthly pension is based on the prevailing salary of civil servants in similar
positions as the retiree’s final position. There are 227,600 civil servants who could
potentially benefit from the scheme in the future, but presently about 39,400 people
are receiving pension through the PSPS. In addition, Government as well as private
5
Report of the Inter Ministerial Taskforce on the Reform of the Public Service Pension Scheme, MoPS,
2012.
11
sector employers pay compensation to workers who get involved in occupational
hazards.
Currently, Government does not have a comprehensive policy on health insurance to
cover all citizens, but rather promotes the provision of health insurance by private
sector service providers for organisations and individuals who can afford.
ii) Non-contributory Social Security (Direct Income Support)
For labour constrained households, Uganda is currently implementing a pilot Social
Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme, which provides regular direct
income support to some older persons and vulnerable households. The SAGE
programme has two components: the Senior Citizens Grant (SCG) and Vulnerable
Family Grant (VFG), which are expected to cover 95,000 households in 14 districts6
across Uganda by 2015.
A number of public works programmes are being implemented to support poor
households with labour capacity. These programme are financed by both Government
and Development Partners and mainly target the youth and women. These are all
implemented in the Northern Uganda and provide cash or vouchers for food and
inputs7. They include Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF), the Karamoja
Livelihoods Improvement Programme, Rural Roads Project, and Community Agriculture
Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CAIIP), Community Driven Development
Programme, Agricultural Livelihoods Recovery Programme, Development Assistance to
Refugee Hosting Areas programme and Restoration of Agricultural Livelihoods in
Northern Uganda.
2.5
Social Care Services
Social care services encompasses a range of support services that reduce social
vulnerability, strengthen resilience and capacity of people to cope with and overcome
shocks. These services include Community-based rehabilitation for persons with
disabilities, institutional support to vulnerable children, resettlement of street children.
6
Apac, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Kiboga, Nebbi, Kyenjojo, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Kyegegwa,
Kyankwanzi, Zombo, Napak and Kole
7
Not all of these programmes have explicit social protection objectives – that is, objectives to guarantee
regular and predictable minimum levels of income security for vulnerable households. However, the
rationale for re-assessing and potentially re-classifying these programmes as social protection is outlined
on page 17.
12
2.6
Complementary Programmes to Overcome Financial Barriers to Accessing
Services
Complementary programmes are those which enable families and individuals who are
excluded from accessing basic government services to overcome the economic barriers
to accessing these services. Examples include school feeding to enable excluded
children to access UPE or grants or transport vouchers to enable expectant mothers to
attend health clinics. The Karamoja Early Childhood Development Programme, which
aims to increase the uptake of early childhood programmes by providing food rations is
another example of complementary programmes
2.7
Other Programmes targeting vulnerable groups
The government has specific programmes that provide support to poor and vulnerable
persons. Some of these programmes include Special Grant for PWDs, Support to OVC
households, and Support to women and youth groups. Whilst not falling into the social
protection sub-sector these interventions are essential for supporting the livelihoods
and wellbeing of vulnerable groups.
13
3.0
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following principles will underpin development of the social protection policy
framework
1. Human Rights Based Approach to Service delivery: social protection is a basic
service and a human right that ensures dignity of people.
2. Universalism and inclusiveness: The principle of universalism will prevail during
implementation of the framework to include and guarantee every citizen at
some point of their lives when in need some form of social protection.
3. Progressiveness: This policy framework provides for progressive
implementation of the social protection interventions in line with the country`s
fiscal space and administrative capacity.
4. Comprehensiveness: This policy framework covers all the four broad sets of
social protection interventions namely protective, preventive, promotive and
transformative.
5. Participation: This policy framework recognises involvement of all stakeholders
in the different processes of Social Protection such as formulation,
implementation and legislations that directly affect their well- being.
6. Transparency & Accountability: This policy framework emphasises openness
and value for money as critical in provision of social protection.
7. Gender Responsiveness: This policy framework takes into consideration the
concerns of men women, boys and girls throughout the life course. All
stakeholders should ensure that issues of women and men are included in
planning and implementation of social protection programs.
8. Equity: This policy framework emphasizes fairness and justice in provision of
social protection interventions
9. Dignity: This policy framework recognizes that poor and vulnerable persons be
treated with respect regardless of their social-cultural, religious, economic and
political status.
4.0
SOCIAL PROTECTION POLICY FRAMEWORK DIRECTION
In the Ugandan context, social protection aims to achieve a secure and resilient
population. It is conceptualized as represented in the diagram below, with two main
pillars of social security for all and social care services for vulnerable groups such as
children, widows, persons with disabilities, older persons. The two pillars are
complemented by other sector policies.
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION IN UGANDA
14
FINANCIAL POLICIES
4.1
Vision, Mission and Goal of Social Protection
4.1.1 Vision
A society where all individuals and families are secure and resilient.
4.1.2 Mission
Provision of comprehensive and coordinated social protection interventions to address
extreme poverty, risk, vulnerability, gender and social inequalities
4.1.3 Goal
To reduce extreme poverty, risks and vulnerability for socio-economic transformation.
15
4.2.
Policy Objectives
1) To increase access to social security for all citizens;
2) To enhance the provision of care and protection to most vulnerable individuals;
3) To strengthen policy, legal and institutional framework for provision of social
protection;
4) Increase access to complementary services by social protection beneficiaries.
The social protection sub-sector is comprised of two core elements:
i) Social Security: This social security system is comprised of a contributory and a
non-contributory pillar as follows:
 Direct Income Support which provides regular and predictable transfers
in cash or in kind to poor and vulnerable households and individuals.
 Social Insurance which provides income support on the basis of previous
individual and / or employer contributions to mitigate the impacts of
income shocks such as unemployment, retirement, ill-health etc.
ii) Social care services: This element of the social protection sub-sector includes a
range of support to reduce social vulnerability and enhance the capacity of
vulnerable groups to cope with and overcome social vulnerabilities, and links
families and individuals to existing programmes and services.
4.3
Strategies and Priority Actions
Objective 1: To increase access to social security for all citizens.
Provide direct income support / non-contributory social security
Every Ugandan whether employed or not needs guarantee for some form of social
security to address lifecycle risks. This Policy Framework thus recognises the need to
provide non-contributory social security benefits to the most poor and vulnerable
citizens to enable them meet their basic needs, mitigate their livelihood shocks, access
social services and facilitate their inclusion in the development and social
transformation process. Direct income support will specifically target older persons who
by nature of their advanced age no-longer economically active, vulnerable families with
the chronically ill or persons with severe disabilities, and poor working age youth and
adults without a regular source income.
16
Specifically, an older age grant will be put in place to provide a regular, predicable and
reliable income support to older persons aged 60 years and above. Other vulnerable
households will be supported with the grant for a specific period of time while building
their capacity to improve their livelihood status and graduate from the grant. In order
to achieve this beneficiaries will be linked up with complementary socio-economic
programmes to facilitate their integration in the development process
A public works scheme will be put in place to provide regular income to poor working
age adults who have the ability and are willing to engage in improvement and
maintenance of community assets. The scheme will specifically target able-bodied
unemployed and underemployed semi-skilled or unskilled youth from extremely poor
households who will be required to participate in activities such as afforestation, soil
and water conservation, wetland restoration, watershed management and rural
infrastructure development within the community in return for public works grant.
Emphasis will be laid on empowering beneficiaries of the scheme to harness their full
potential so that they should be able to graduate from the scheme after a definite
period time.
The following strategies will be pursued:
 Expand the scope and coverage of non-contributory social security provision to
the poor and vulnerable.
 Expand the scope and coverage of contributory social security provision in the
formal and informal sectors;
 Reform and Liberalise Contributory Social Security
Strategy 1:
provision;
Expand the scope and coverage of
non-contributory social security
Priority Actions
i. Develop and implement various direct income support schemes for priority
target vulnerable groups. This includes schemes for older persons, PWDs, OVC
and other labour constrained households. Other regular predictable household
transfers shall be developed to support access to services and address nutrition
needs for households.
ii.
Initiate public works schemes to provide regular income to extremely poor
working age adults and youths who have the ability and are willing to engage in
improvement and maintenance of community assets.
Strategy 2:
Expand the scope and coverage of contributory social security provision
in the formal and informal sectors;
17
Priority Actions
i. Extend coverage of contributory schemes to those who are not reached by
existing interventions.
ii. Establish a social health insurance scheme that provides adequate and
affordable access for the poor and vulnerable.
iii. Extend social insurance coverage in both formal and informal sector
Strategy 3:
Promote reforms in the provision of Contributory Social Security
Priority Actions:
i. Broaden access to contributory social security services and contribute to
diversification of social insurance to equally benefit the informal sector as well.
ii. Transform the non-contributory Public Service Pension Scheme to a contributory
one.
iii. Accelerate policy reform of contributory social security provision.
iv. Improve governance of contributory social insurance schemes.
Objective 2: To enhance the provision of social care, welfare and protection services
to the most vulnerable individuals
These are a range of interventions and support systems that help to identify, reduce
and strengthen resilience to cope with social vulnerability, and link families and
individuals to existing programmes and services. They include family and home-based
care for persons with disabilities, the elderly or chronically sick, reception centres for
abandoned children, psychosocial support and child protection services etc. The
government shall pursue the following strategies:
Strategy 1: Harmonize and expand provision of social care, welfare and protection
services
Priority Actions
i. Promote Community Based Care and Protection Initiative
This policy recognizes the fact that a household is the primary source of care and
support to persons in need of care and protection and will promote household
and community based care and support for vulnerable persons. This will involve
empowering households and communities to provide quality care and support
for vulnerable persons. Where traditional support systems have broken down,
comprehensive and coherent systems that sustainably support the vulnerable
persons shall be developed.
ii.
Revitalise and Strengthen Traditional Support Systems
Traditional support systems are valuable and beneficial as they define personal
and collective identity. They provide, immediate, more effective, culturally
familiar support. They are institutions of first instance for support to vulnerable
persons. Therefore, this Policy Framework emphasises establishment of an
incentive framework to strengthen the existing traditional mechanisms.
18
iii.
iv.
v.
Conduct studies or review existing literature on traditional social protection
systems to identify those that should be revitalized and strengthened.
Develop a comprehensive long term strategic framework for social care and
protection services.
Strengthen government capacity to deliver social care services to the most
vulnerable groups.
Objective 3: To Strengthen Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework for Provision of
Social Protection
Strategy 1: Promote evidence-based policy making, programming and legislation
Evidence is essential for development of a relevant and value added policy and
legislative agenda on social protection. Government shall promote evidence based
policy development to ensure that policies and programmes remain relevant and
responsive to the needs of the poor and vulnerable.
Priority Actions
i. Develop and implement a comprehensive social protection evidence agenda to
inform in particular programme plans of intervention for direct income support
including public works, social insurance for the informal sector, social care
services for vulnerable groups, and other areas relevant to social protection.
ii.
Review and or develop evidence based policies, laws, programme plans of
intervention, guidelines and standards for SP services delivery.
Strategy 2: Strengthen the institutional framework for effective delivery of social
protection services.
Public and private sector institutions play a critical role in the effective delivery of social
protection services both at national and local government levels. Consequently their
mandates, roles, responsibilities, resources, tools and skills are essential to enhance the
outcomes and impact of social protection investments.
Priority Actions
i. Carry out mapping and capacity assessment of institutions providing SP at
national and local government levels.
ii. Develop and implement an institutional development and capacity
strengthening programme for institutions providing SP at national and local
government levels.
iii. Establish institutions/ facilities for SP services including in particular institutions
to provide social care for the vulnerable.
iv. Strengthen the operation of civil registration system and harmonised MISs.
Strategy 3: Promote Public-Private Partnerships in the development and implementation
of SP programmes
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Priority Actions
i. Integrate social protection in the education curricula at all levels
ii. Build the capacity of private sector actors to appreciate and deliver SP services
iii. Coordinate NGOS & FBOs involved in the delivery of social protection services
Strategy 4: Establish and strengthen coordination and oversight mechanisms for social
protection services.
Social protection service delivery involves multiple actors at different levels requiring
effective coordination and leadership.
Priority Actions
Government shall…
i. Establish a multi-sectorial ministerial steering committee on social protection
ii. Strengthen the Social Development Sector Working Group and the Social
Protection Sub-Committee for SP technical stakeholders at national level
iii. Build capacity of Technical Planning Committees to coordinate and integrate SP
issues at sub-national level
Strategy 5: Develop and strengthen M & E systems for social protection.
Tracking delivery and assessing results of social protection interventions is critical for
ensuring accountability and quality.
Priority Actions
i. Develop a national SP M&E framework linked to relevant sectoral MIS and the
national statistical system.
ii. Share implementation experiences and lessons learnt on SP at all levels
Strategy 6: Develop sustainable, predictable social protection financing mechanisms
Social protection is a basic government service. Social protection services are therefore
best delivered through government financing. However, it is recognised that in the
short and medium term development partner financing shall be required. As social
protection develops into a coherent sub-sector of government service delivery
financing mechanisms will need to evolve to ensure more sustainable, predictable and
flexible financing.
Priority Actions
i. Develop appropriate financing mechanisms with development partners and
Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
Objective 4: Increase access to complementary services by vulnerable individuals
Strategy 1: Strengthen linkages between social protection and complementary services.
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Social protection and other public as well as private services are mutually
complementary. Government shall promote effective access to services for
beneficiaries of social protection interventions.
Priority Actions
i. Identify and implement the most effective ways of linking social protection
beneficiaries to other services through, amongst other actions, awareness
creation, policy guidance, strengthening multi-sectoral planning, information
sharing, direct referral.
ii. Build the capacity of service providers to appreciate and deliver social
protection services
iii. Develop interventions that improve access to agricultural services
iv. Mainstream social protection in other sectors
Strategy 2: Introduce targeted interventions to overcome financial barriers to accessing
basic services
Priority Actions
i. Implement targeted household and individual transfers in other basic services
such as health, water and education
4.4
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Policy Outcomes
all Ugandans have social security
a functional social care and protection
all vulnerable individuals access social care and protection services.
a functional legal system that guarantees the social protection needs of all
citizens
a well-coordinated institutional framework for delivery of social protection
all vulnerable individuals have access to complementary services
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5.0
FINANCING
Programme Plans of Interventions will be developed to implement various actions
identified in this policy framework. The PPIs will in particular detail the cost and
financing arrangements for implementation of the commitments in the documents. This
will include joint-financing arrangements between government and development
partners as well as private sector actors
6.0.
IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENT
6.1.
SYSTEMS AND FUNDAMENTALS
As a prerequisite for implementation of this policy framework, Government shall put in
place the following:
 A national single registration system and provision of national identity cards to ease
identification, targeting of beneficiaries for various SP programmes and avoid
multiple access to benefits;
 Develop and strengthen the necessary infrastructure such as telecommunication
networks, financial services for effective delivery of social protection all over the
country;
 Establish a social protection fund to facilitate sustainable financing of social
protection services in both the formal and informal sectors;
 Establish a clear coordination mechanism for social protection
 Government Shall enact enabling laws to operationalize this policy framework;
 Provide tax incentives for employers and service provides to promote provision of
social security.
6.2.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
In cognisance of the fact that different Government agencies are responsible for
delivering different Social Protection services in line with their core mandates, this
Social Protection Policy Framework will be implemented through a multi-sectoral
approach. Government shall establish a Social Protection Subcommittee of Cabinet to
provide oversight and policy direction, while the MGLSD shall provide the secretariat for
coordinating the multi-sectoral responses under this Policy Framework.
The matrix below presents the roles of the different agencies and stakeholders in the
implementation of the Policy Framework.
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Institution
Cabinet






Parliament



Office of the Prime
Minister




Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social
Development







Mandate and Role
Provide leadership and direction for delivery of social
protection services in the country;
Review and approve the institutional framework for delivery of
social protection services;
Approve various social protection policies to be formulated by
mandated institutions;
Approve legislative process for social protection laws;
Monitor the delivery of social protection services
Prioritise allocation of adequate resources for social protection
services.
Enact and amend relevant laws to operationalize social
protection policies and commitments;
Appropriate resources and approve the annual budgets for
delivery of social protection services;
Provide oversight on the planning and delivery of social
protection services;
Raise awareness on social protection services.
Monitor and coordinate implementation of social protection
interventions
Monitor progress in delivery of social protection services by
MDAs;
Integrate social protection indicators in the National M&E
Framework;
Policy guidance / technical leadership for social protection
Initiate reviews of laws and policies related to social
protection;
Establish national and decentralised structures for
coordinating, monitoring and evaluating programmes for
delivery of social protection;
Establish linkages and mechanisms for collaboration with other
stakeholders to provide complementary services;
Develop programme plans of intervention to operationalize the
Policy Framework in line with the sector mandate;
Build capacity of other stakeholders for effective delivery of
social protection services.
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Internal
Affairs
Ministry of Finance,
Planning and Economic
Development
Ministry of Public
Service



Mobilise resources for delivery of social protection services
delivery in line with this framework;
Monitor budget performance in line with work plans
Establish appropriate institutional and human resource
structures for delivery of SP services
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Institution
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Education
and Sports
Ministry of Local
Government
Other line Ministries
Retirement Benefits
Regulatory Authority
National Social Security
Fund
Local Governments
Mandate and Role
 Integrate targeted interventions to overcome financial barriers
to accessing health services for social protection beneficiaries.
 Integrate targeted interventions to overcome financial barriers
to accessing education services for social protection target
groups
 Integrate social protection in the education and training
curricula at appropriate levels.
 Support the implementation of social protection interventions
in local governments
 Review the Local Government Act to integrate social protection
as a decentralised service;
 Support and facilitate local governments to develop bye-laws
and ordinances for delivery social protection services;
 Enforcement of social protection standards in local
governments;
 Ensure implementation of social protection guidelines in the
local governments;
 Ensure integration of social protection interventions in District
Development Plans
 Integrate social protection in the local government assessment
tools
Translate the Social Protection Policy Framework into sectorspecific strategies and activities;
Build capacity of staff in social protection programming for
Monitor and evaluate sector programmes for their impact on vulnerable groups
Commit adequate resources for implementation of social
protection Collaborate with the MGLSD on matters of
mainstreaming social protection
Ensure liberalization of the pensions sector
Work with MGLSD on issues concerning social insurance
Work with MGLSD to ensure benefits reach to more Ugandans
Work with MGLSD on issues concerning social insurance
Ensure that the local government development plans and budgets
include social protection interventions. Monitor mainstreaming of
social protection in local governments Collaborate with MGLSD on
matters of mainstreaming older persons issues
National Councils for
vulnerable groups
Development Partners
Monitor social protection interventions
Ensure transparency, accountability of social protection
interventions
Be cognizant of and use the social protection policy framework in
development cooperation partnerships;
Establish appropriate institutional/donor coordination mechanisms
for ensuring social protection responsiveness of development
cooperation;
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Institution
Mandate and Role
Collaborate with MGLSD on matters of mainstreaming social
protection
Community
Identify vulnerable groups
Participate in awareness programmes
Participate in planning of social protection interventions.
Employers
Mainstream social protection issues in their policies and
programmes
Create awareness on social protection
Implement social protection interventions relevant to their
mandates
Employees
Participate in social protection programmes
Fulfilling their obligations relating to social protection
Civil Society and faith
Translate the social protection policy framework into
Based Organisations
organizational policies, programmes;
Advocate for social protection policies and legislations.
Collaborate with MGLSD on matters of mainstreaming social
protection issues;
Monitor the operationalization of international instruments on
social protection
Participate in Sector Working Groups and local government
planning and budgeting processes to advance the rights of
vulnerable groups.
Develop and implement programmes that address key Policy
intervention areas for social protection
Political Organisations/Parties
include social protection in all political party manifestos Collaborate
with MGLSD on matters of mainstreaming social protection
Private Sector
Academic and Research
Institutions
Ensure that corporate policies and practices incorporate social
protection
Ensure that essential products, supplies and services are accessible
to vulnerable groups
Provide incentives and support entrepreneurships for vulnerable
groups
Collaborate with MGLSD and other appropriate institutions on
matters of mainstreaming social protection
Integrate social protection in the curricula identify and carry out
relevant research on social protection.
Institutional Context
The Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development has the mandate to spearhead
social protection interventions and coordinate with other actors in the social protection
sector. It has the general responsibility for social security and protection of vulnerable
groups. The Ministry leads in the implementation of a range of social care services
interventions, social insurance and direct income support pilot programme. The
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is currently piloting provision of
25
direct income support to the poor and vulnerable. The Ministry collaborates with other
MDAs handling issues of health insurance, pension services, reform of the formal
pension and social security. However, there exists institutional service delivery
constraints given the multi-sectoral nature of social protection services. Currently there
are duplications and overlaps in the mandates of various MDA’s that deliver social
protection services. This has resulted into fragmented social protection service delivery,
limited scope and coverage, lack of a comprehensive social protection programme for
the country, lack of specialized skills for delivery of Social protection in the various
sectors. Social protection services are also not decentralized and institutionalized in the
local government service delivery structures. This implies that there are no specialized
social protection staff as well as financial resources in local governments to address
social protection concerns.
Given that the social protection interventions are in different ministries and
departments of Government, it is critical that this policy framework guides the
establishment of more harmonized social protection institutional framework at all
levels in the country.
7.0
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
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