GRENADA

1. GRENADA SEED • SUPPORT for EDUCATION, EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

2. BACKGROUND • The Ministry of Social Development is one of the Ministries committed to improving the delivery of social safety net services to the vulnerable , that would allow them to live and co-exist with all Grenadians, regardless of their social standing in society. • As a direct response to the findings of the 2008** CPA , this ministry is currently engaged in implementing the corrective measures/recommendations thru the Safety Net Advancement Project – SNAP • Social safety net Policy Framework

3. About SNAP SNAP is the broad project for the Safety Net Reform process. • Component 1: Improving Conditional Cash Transfer – SEED(Support for Education, Empowerment and Development) • Component 2: Improving Implementation Capacity of MOSD

4. How does SNAP work? • Introduction of Conditional Cash transfer (CCT)-SEED, as a Pilot/fore-runner for the other Safety nets(The project is in its 2nd and final phase of its implementation. • SEED has unified three individual cash transfer programs namely: school transportation, necessitous fund and public assistance programmes. Therefore, these individual programs no longer exist. All Beneficiaries of those three programmes have been transferred as Beneficiaries of the SEED, the CCT.

5. Introduction of CCTs • Note the distinction, CONDITIONAL. • Conditional cash transfer programs have been regarded as an effective way to reconcile safety nets with investments in human development benefiting the less fortunate. Simply handing over cash to vulnerable families has proven to be ineffective.

6. cont’d… • The idea is to transfer cash to the most vulnerable “on condition” that the beneficiaries will commit to empower themselves and help bring future generations in similar circumstances out of poverty. • SEED undertakes to do just that by providing assistance to the country’s most vulnerable, tied to co-responsibilities that promote human capital development, adherence to health protocols and regular school attendance. • ***All of the above will lend to sustainability in addition to the fact that SEED has a M&E component and TC and Steering com

7. Some Useful Tools.... • Efficient implementation will be achieved through a properly functional management information system which includes a Beneficiary Registry and the new assessment tool called the Proxy Means Test (PMT

8. Who is eligible? • Poor and vulnerable children, • disabled/chronically ill, • the elderly, • pregnant and lactating mothers and • the adult poor within the various family types:

9. Method of selection • The process of selection is through the PMT • -Vulnerable beneficiary families would be targeted through this scientific method, which estimates household income ….

10. Method.... • by associating indicators or ‘proxies’ with household expenditure or consumption. • Variables such as age, marital status, household size etc • Disability • Housing (ownership, type of material used) • Assets ( stove, refrigerator, motor vehicles etc) would be considered

11. Method….. • APPEALS COMMITTEE – Applicants who have been denied through the PMT will have the option of making an appeal to the Appeals Committee which decision is final. Three committees will be set up in each of the following district.

12. Hearings • Appeal denials • Complaints • Suspensions • Terminations etc • Inability to meet co-responsibilities etc

13. Adaptation and Replication The tools (PMT, Targeting , Operations Manual )will lend to adaptation and replication.

14. Benefits of SEED • Assistance for school aged children between the ages of 3 and 18 years, who are registered in public schools, contingent on a monthly school attendance rate of at least 95%.

15. Benefits cont’d.... • Assistance to needy households, contingent on compliance with appropriate health protocols for each qualified beneficiary family member. Beneficiary families , must be registered in Community Health Centres, preferably in the district where they live.

16. Benefits cont’d • Participation in Workshops– healthy life style choices etc. Workshops will be held during the school vacations. All beneficiary families must attend when notified.

17. Way Forward • Strategic Public Education Awareness Campaign geared towards ensuring that the general public, especially the beneficiaries and immediate stakeholders are knowledgeable about SEED

18. Way Forward.... • With the introduction of the Proxy Means test, targeting of 800 individuals, who never received cash transfers before • Ensuring that 70 percent of the beneficiaries are identified as eligible to receive Cash Transfers through the proxy means test

19. Way forward…. • Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation – to ensure that co-responsibilities are met, that beneficiaries are empowered • Impact Evaluation – to determine the impact made by the change from the cash advances to the conditional cash transfer - SEED

20. Who does the monitoring? • Ministry of Health – the SEED officers liaise with the Community nurses in the various districts to ensure beneficiary compliance • Ministry of Education – the SEED officers liaise with the School Attendance officers also, to ensure compliance • Ministry of Social Development – Social Workers, SEED officers, Safety Net Officers, Monitoring & Evaluation officer • Concerned and observant Citizens

21. SEED facts ….. • SEED strengthens, supports and promotes the family • SEED is transferred ‘conditionally’ • SEED is awarded for a period – until the family circumstance has improved thereby enabling graduation of SEED and making room for another needy family • SEED is NOT A PENSION • SEED also provides counseling, parenting and coaching

22. SEED facts …… • SEED is paid monthly, over a period of five days. • The SEED is made payable to beneficiaries in the districts where they live. • A valid form of ID is required when collecting transfers • In circumstances where parenting is lax, a family representative or agent is recommended to collect and guide spending

23. SEED facts ….. • Any person collecting SEED on behalf of a beneficiary must present a signed letter of authorization from the beneficiary along with his/her valid ID as well as the ID of the person collecting. • Each beneficiary family will be provided with a beneficiary handbook for guidance/direction • Co-responsibility compliance for Shut-ins, Disabled and Mentally challenged beneficiaries will be subject to special consideration

24. SEED facts.... • SEED promotes and rewards positive behaviour changes both in education and health • SEED transports vulnerable families from dependence to independence.

25. Achievements • Successful merger of the 3 cash transfers • Phase one of MIS • PMT consultant – reports • Hiring of IEC consultant • Education and awareness • Training for staff • Completed Operations Manual

26. BUY-IN • In conclusion, in support of GoG’s commitment to Social Safety Net reform, in spite of the challenges which at present may appear insurmountable, eg: economic; resistance to change; novelty of CCTs; limited knowledge of PMT-

27. The MoSD pledges (i) the successful implementation of SNAP and (ii) envisions that with an aggressive communication strategy and public awareness campaign, we will achieve ‘buy-in’ from the populace. THANK YOU