UNICEF Social Inclusion and Governance 2018-2021

The evaluation report (ECRI, UNICEF and Sida, 2022) mentions a number of results and some more long-term potential impacts. Added to this findings presented below are also based on the final report submitted by UNICEF/Cambodia to Sida in May 2022, and which covered the full project implementation period i.e. October 2018 until 30th June 2021. The Sida funded LGSP was a nearly three years long project (October 2018 30 June 2021) which initially was agreed to run until 31 December 2021. Due to a revised Strategy for Cambodia issued by the Swedish government the agreement was shortened with six months in late 2020. The project covered central levels, including MoSVY and Ministry of Interior (MoI), the General Secretariat of the National Social Protection Council (GSNSPC), as well as seven provinces of Cambodia. The total financial envelop and Sida's funding to the project amounted to 29 MSEK. The project has ensured support to the national authorities regarding filling the capacity gaps at the subnational level linked to planning and budgeting of social services. The project has also developed critical tools for building capacities at the sub-national level. Furthermore the LGSP has also been successful in introducing critical tolls for citizen and youth engagement in local planning and budgeting. The project has largely contributed to the UNICEF Policy section's 5 year strategic results. The LGSP activities addressed the differential needs of vulnerable groups, including women, children and the poor. Project helped narrow down the coverage gaps in social protection and social services, and has laid the groundwork for further improvements. LGSP managed to address also gaps in coverage of older persons, persons with disabilities and persons living with HIV, by supporting the development of the Family Package of integrated cash transfer programmes ensuring the inclusion of these groups through the Cash Transfer Programme. The national identification mechanism for persons with disability has also been established partially with support from Sida. The LGSP such as the system developed to support MoSVY in the delivery of the Covid Transfer Programme Women Children 02 years, have directly led to the prioritization of women and children in social protection. UNICEF has thereto been able to cater for the Covid 19 Cash Transfer programme delivered to some 700.000 households or estimate 2.8 million people in Cambodia. Added to this capacity building for social protection resulted in the delivery of training to more than 18.600 government officials, with focus on Commune level officials responsible for delivering the cash transfer programme for women and children. UNICEF has contributed to the improvement in monitoring and evaluation of social services and social protection. The LGSP activities have capacitytated the SNAs to adopt the required M&E mechanisms, including the collection and input of the required data. UNICEF has ensured that the youth remain an important target group and has implemented activities under the LGSP to increase their engagement in the local planning processes. The LGSP have direct as well as indirect linkages with the SDGs, especially number 15. LGSP has been extremely relevant to the ongoing policy and priority changes in social protection, ensuring that the SNAs were ready to implement these reforms. The LGSP contributed to the Family Package's development integrating four core social assistance programmes following lifecycle and including pregnant women, children 02, persons with disability and elderly. Health and nutrition has been strengthened under the project an the LGSP has also improved social service delivery, which is expected to increase the uptake of health services. UNICEF emphasized government leadership and through their approach of extensive engagement with government stakeholders, one managed to mobilize the government efficiently. Through out the LGSP the project has successfully built partnerships and with and among key ministries. In general the impression left is that the local (at National and localized levels) ownership of the project and programmes are strong and commitment for the future are there. The LGSP has improved the planning, budgeting, management, and implementation of social services to providing national and subnational governments with the necessary knowledge and tools. Overall the evaluation concludes that the LGSP activities were relevant to the needs of the population and the government and were delivered swiftly and efficiently with the potential for substantial impact in terms of the implementation of the Decentralization & Deconcentration reforms and for enhancement of national and local government capacity for delivering social services and social protection. The activities is deemed to sustain and deliver results over the long term. The project has also laid the groundwork for increased coverage of women, children and other vulnerable groups under social protection. Unforeseen turn (in 2018) of events was the COVID19 pandemic. LGSP timelines and activities were adjusted in the wake of COVID19, whereby UNICEF revised their activities and supported the government for more pressing timelines. This includes the development and implementation of the COVID 19 cash transfer, which was initially unforeseen. The cash benefit is also used to purchase more food for the family and preferred food for children. The SNAs are also well aware of the eligibility criteria for the CTPWC, and the COVID19 cash transfer and can better differentiate between potential beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries.

The Government of Cambodia has committed to a new policy of granting cash transfer adressing the most vulnerable children and families. The intervention's overall objective as presented in the more detailed Proposal is to strengthen capacity of Sub National Administrations (SNA) to plan, budget and implement social services and this and related social protection programmes. The two Outcome areas are described as follows: Outcome 1: Sub-national administration (capital and provincial administrations, and communes and sangkats) prioritize children and women in public investment programmes and allocate their resources for social services that aim to improve well-being of children and women. Outcome 2: Social protection programmes delivered by subnational administrations benefiting the most vulnerable children and women. The central mission is thus to assist in building the systems and human capacities needed for the roll-out the new RGC programme for cash transfer to women and children living in poverty. Experience has shown that if public administrations have healthy internal management systems and routines and capabilites to include the participation of the key target groups in the implementation of such a programme, the effect will be better. Improving the capabilities  of administrations will contribute to enhancing a human rights-based approach to programming and to achieve the no one left behind global 2030 SDG agenda. More specifically, UNICEF focuses on the RGC policy to implement a cash transfer system, and aims: -To strengthen SNA to plan and budget for social services for women and children. -To enhance inter-ministerial coordinated support from Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Economy and Finance and Ministry of Planning to SNAs for planning and budgeting for social services -To establish a mechanism of public recognition and provision of rewards to high-performing SNAs to incentivize them to prioritize social investment -To enhance social accountability mechanisms through participatory planning, budgeting and monitoring processes with a focus on vulnerable groups including women, youth, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities -To enhance capacity of SNAs to effectively and efficiently deliver social protection programmes -To support implementation of the national cash transfer programme for pregnant women and children and to build evidence around the impact of cash transfers on the poorest and most vulnerable women and children, through a qualitative forward-looking study -To improve social protection targeting mechanisms and to design a single registry system to enhance efficiency and effectiveness -To increase the coverage of social workers at local level to identify and follow up the most vulnerable children, women and families and to link them with available social services, child protection and social protection programmes. Towards the end of the project UNICEF will have achieved the following: - Capital and provincial administrations and communes and sangkats will prioritize children and women in public investment programmes and allocate their resources for social services that aim to improve wellbeing of children and women. - Social protection programmes delivered by SNAs, is benefitting the most vulnerable children and women.