On-demand and up-to-date?

Dynamic inclusion and data updating for social assistance

Having reliable, up-to-date information is crucial for well-functioning social assistance programmes. This complex but important topic is brought to life in this reader-friendly document through the engaging style and presentation and the clear and attractive graphics.

Writer:
Valentina Barca and Madhumitha Hebbar

Published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in March 2020.

Ensuring timely and dynamic inclusion of eligible people in social assistance programmes

Digitalisation is improving coverage of social assistance programmes worldwide. However, the effectiveness of programme management systems depends on the quality of the beneficiary data used. In particular, these data must be up-to-date to ensure maximum inclusiveness, adequacy and cost-effectiveness of service provision. It is still too often the case that social assistance is delivered on the basis of an outdated and static ‘snapshot’ of needs that meanwhile have changed. Because poverty, vulnerability and populations are dynamic, management of social assistance programmes must also be dynamic to keep up with these changes.

Boosting dynamic inclusion through on-demand registration of beneficiaries

This paper argues that making available continuous on-demand registration – in person or online – for potential beneficiaries would greatly contribute to up-to-date management of social assistance programmes. The authors identify key moments – or touchpoints – for data inputting and updating in the social assistance delivery chain, including registration, enrolment, keeping beneficiary information current, and periodic reassessment of beneficiaries, e.g. for a change or end of benefits.

With concrete examples from a variety of countries, the authors delve into opportunities, challenges and prerequisites for different potential approaches for keeping beneficiary information current, including permanent local offices, ensuring a digital window, ongoing or periodic active outreach, and integration of existing databases, e.g. from Civil Registration and Vital Statistics.
The study also considers existing challenges to continuous and on-demand registration (e.g. low uptake, data validation or changes in status), with suggestions on how these issues can be tackled.