Paraguay

The Ficha de Protección Social Integrada (FIPS) was applied to 25% do the population of the Villeta Disctrict. This tool seeks to unify the different mechanisms used by national authorities to collect information for the design of social policies and the provision of social services.

SP&PFM developed and rolled-out a university diploma course on public finance management for the design and management of social protection programmes within the context of the Social Protection System ¡Vamos!. This was a tailored educational program and a developed diploma transferred to a prestigious local educational institution for continuous implementation beyond the project.

The project Improving Synergies Between Social Protection & Public Finance Management provided technical assistance to the Government of Paraguay in public finance management and resource identification for social protection. The project also supported the design and initial implementation of the Social Protection System ¡Vamos! in four selected territories. Lastly, the joint initiative promoted efficiency by building capacity to develop social protection programmes in the context of the recently adopted results-based budgeting. 

The project foresaw four outputs:

1. Efficiency and effectiveness of social protection resource mobilisation and expenditure.
2. Implementation of the social protection system ¡Vamos! in four selected territories.
3. Building institutional capacity for developing social protection programmes in the context of the social protection system and results-based budgeting.
4. Increasing knowledge, awareness and ownership of the social protection system ¡Vamos! across public institutions, beneficiaries and civil society.

Key achievements

2020

• Increased inter-institutional coordination on issues related to social protection, and in particular closer coordination between the Ministry of Finance and the Technical Unit of the Social Cabinet;  
• Training of national stakeholders on public finance for social protection, scaling-up of the course for Latin American stakeholders;  
• Completion of the data collection for the study on the multiplier effects of social protection expenditure in Paraguay; 
• Support to the implementation of the social protection system ¡Vamos! at the local level. 

2021

• dThe project became the visible face of ¡Vamos! in the four territories selected for the system’s pilot phase. The project established Local Social Protection Committees and built capacity at the local level to identify service offer and coverage gaps, as well as local vulnerable population and plan accordingly. 
• The project created a tailored training course for the Latin American context on public finances for social protection and successfully trained 49 civil servants and constituents from Paraguay and other countries, creating capacity and a platform for knowledge exchange on public finance management for social protection. A diploma on design, implementation and monitoring of social protection programmes was developed. 
• The project developed a mobile application for individuals and households. Through the app, the final beneficiaries of the social protection system are able to know the service offer available to them in their specific territory. The app was finalised and validated, and its launch was aligned with the government plan for the rollout of the social protection system. 
• Several of the project’s performance indicators were well on track to being achieved, notably those pertaining to Outputs 1, 2 and 3. The “Training sessions delivered” performance indicators for output 3 exceeded its target and continued to expand in 2022 with the delivery of additional training programs. 
• Additionally, the project created a space for the continuous work on social protection between the Technical Unit of the Social Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance and supported the Paraguayan government in achieving the EU Budget Support milestones.

 Resources

• Video: Social protection reaches remote native community in Paraguay’s Chaco region. November 2022 (In Spanish)
• Study «Political economy of social protection in Paraguay». December 2022 (In Spanish)
• Article “At 43 years old, she obtained her ID for the first time thanks to Vamos”. December, 2021 (In Spanish)
• Life video story: What does it mean to finally have an identity card? December, 2021 (In Spanish)
• Photo report: Martina obtained her ID at 43 years old. December, 2021 (In Spanish)
• E-learning on public finance for social protection professionals (In English and Spanish) 
• Brochure showcasing the project’s main results and activities (August 2023).

Events

• International Seminar was held on Social Protection and Public Finance in Paraguay, 29 March 2023.
• Launch of Diploma in Design and Management of Social Protection Programs with a Results-Based Budget Approach within the Framework of the Social Protection System, 24 March 2022
• Meeting of the Local Social Protection Committee of Santa Rosa del Aguaray, 29 June 2021 (In Spanish).
• E-learning course on public finance for social protection analysts in Paraguay, 14 June 2021.
• Speaker from the Ministry of Finance of Paraguay takes part in the programme global launch, 01 December 2020.

Partners

The project was developed jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Delegation of the European Union office in Asunción (EU) and the Government of Paraguay through the Technical Unit of the Social Cabinet (UTGS) and the General Budget Directorate (DGP) of the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Contacts

Mr. Guillermo Montt, ILO Social Protection Specialist, montt@ilo.org

Ms. Verónica Herken, ILO National Project Coordinator, herken@ilo.org

Mr. Gustavo Rojas, UNICEF Social Policy Officer, gurojas@unicef.org

Ms. María Lilia Robledo, UNICEF Social Policy Officer, mrobledo@unicef.org