2017年-世界发展银行全球_Urban_Safety_Nets_and_Activation_in_Mozambique_97页_2mb

Summary of "Urban Safety Nets and Activation in Mozambique" (June 2017)

Core Content

This report evaluates the current state of urban safety nets and activation programs in Mozambique, focusing on their effectiveness, coverage, and the potential for improvement in the context of increasing urban vulnerability. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the socio-economic profile of the urban poor, the existing programs, and the challenges in their implementation. The report emphasizes the need for a more integrated and systemic approach to address urban poverty and promote sustainable livelihoods.

Main Determinants of Urban Poverty

• High vulnerability: Urban poverty is exacerbated by economic and political instability, including currency depreciation, inflation, and rising food prices.
• Transient poverty: A large share of the urban population lives close to the poverty line, making them vulnerable to small income fluctuations.
• Low productivity: Most urban poor are engaged in non-wage employment, such as household enterprises, with very low productivity.
• Limited education: Only 31% of urban poor have completed secondary school or more, limiting their access to many activation programs.
• Unemployment among youth: A significant number of urban youth are unemployed and have high potential for activation.
• High dependence on social assistance: The majority of the urban poor are not included in core safety net and activation programs.

Existing Safety Nets and Activation Programs

National Level Programs

• Basic Social Subsidy Program (PSSB): Provides unconditional cash transfers to the poorest households.
• Direct Social Action Program (PASD): Focuses on direct assistance to vulnerable populations.
• Productive Social Action Program (PASP): Aims to reduce poverty through public works and activation measures.
• Social Services and In-care Placement Programs (PSSAS): Provide support to children and vulnerable individuals.

Activation Programs

• Strategic Program for Urban Poverty Reduction (PERPU): A national initiative to address urban poverty through activation.
• INEFP's training programs: Offer professional training in 16 urban centers, focusing on skills development.
• PASP activation measures (ADGIR): Include public works and employment activities, but are underdeveloped and delayed.

Municipal and NGO Programs

• Municipal programs: Implemented by local governments, often with limited resources and coordination.
• NGO and private sector initiatives: Provide some support, but are fragmented and lack scale.

Challenges

• Low coverage: Only 15% of the target population is covered by safety nets in 2015.
• Fragmentation: Programs are not integrated and lack coordination between ministries.
• Inefficient targeting: Many programs exclude vulnerable groups such as families with children and unemployed youth.
• Limited budget allocation: Social assistance represents only 0.45% of GDP in 2016.
• Weak implementation: Programs are often delayed, underfunded, and not well adapted to urban realities.
• Limited skills development: Training opportunities are scarce, especially for uneducated youth.

Recommendations

Policy Level

• Strengthen the role of the National Council for Social Action (CNAS) to coordinate safety nets and activation programs.
• Promote decentralization to empower municipal governments in program implementation.
• Develop a national policy framework that integrates safety nets and activation initiatives.
• Invest in targeted cash transfers to include excluded groups like poor families and youth.

Administrative Level

• Develop a Single Registry of Beneficiaries (SRB) to streamline program delivery.
• Improve targeting methodologies specific to urban populations.
• Establish a formal payment system for cash transfers and other program benefits.
• Create accurate poverty maps to identify high-risk urban areas and allocate resources effectively.

Program Level

• Enhance the generosity and design of the PASP program, particularly in terms of benefit amounts and seasonality.
• Expand labor-intensive public works to include skill development and capacity building.
• Promote productive inclusion through training, grants, and support for self-employment and entrepreneurship.
• Integrate technical assistance and extension services into activation programs.
• Develop referral systems to connect safety nets beneficiaries to activation initiatives.

Key Findings

• Urban poverty is widespread, with 38% of the urban population living in poverty.
• Current programs are not reaching the most vulnerable, particularly poor families with children and unemployed youth.
• The lack of a conditional cash transfer program is a significant gap, especially given Mozambique's low HDI ranking.
• Productive inclusion has shown positive results in countries like Brazil and Peru, and should be explored in Mozambique.
• Decentralization and integration are critical to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of safety nets and activation programs.
• Referral systems and payment mechanisms are essential to ensure seamless program delivery and beneficiary engagement.

Conclusion

The safety nets and activation sector in Mozambique is in its early stages and requires a more coordinated, integrated, and systemic approach. To address urban vulnerability effectively, the government should invest in a comprehensive safety net system, improve targeting and delivery mechanisms, and expand activation initiatives that promote skills development, employment, and self-employment. The report highlights the potential of productive inclusion and the importance of involving the private sector and civil society in program implementation to enhance scalability and impact.