USP2030 - Support for Establishing Universal Social Protection

In addition, institutional capacities to design and manage inclusive and human-focused systems often remain limited. By addressing these challenges, governments can ensure that social-protection programmes are not only more effective, but also more accessible and equitable.

The DCI partners and contributors are committed to creating a harmonised and interoperable digital ecosystem aimed at (i) improving the effectiveness and transparency of social-protection programme implementation, (ii) enhancing the results of those programmes, (ii) fostering coordination, and (iv) promoting inclusion and the reduction of inequalities, including gender inequalities.

The DCI activities are based on four action priorities:

1. Knowledge sharing: a platform for continuous learning and sharing of knowledge related to digital transformation, production and dissemination of documentation, holding of webinars and learning events.
2. Global technical standards: development and promotion of interoperability standards.
3. Support for national implementation: Support for partner countries in designing and integrating interoperable digital transformation solutions.
4. Capacity-building and training for policymakers, programme managers, and social-protection practitioners, for the development of interoperable inclusive and human-focused digital systems. 

Expertise France works mainly on this third action priority, through its support to two partner countries: Senegal and the Dominican Republic. We support them in implementing their digital transformation strategy with the aim of improving the quality of social-protection services for vulnerable people. 

In Senegal, the authorities have decided to place digital technology at the heart of national development and technological sovereignty through the “New Technological Deal”. 

The project to support the establishment of universal social protection is part of this process. It is based on a renewed partnership with the Institution for the Coordination of Mandatory Health Insurance (ICAMO) and the General Delegation for Social Protection and National Solidarity (DGPSN). Expertise France has been working together with these two organisations since 2017 on digital transformation topics. 

With ICAMO, the project will continue the work started during Phase 1 of the mandatory health insurance information system (SIAMO), which was implemented with support from Agence Française de Développement (AFD). 

The current objective is to accelerate the digitisation of the relationship between healthcare providers and health insurance institutions for salaried workers, by facilitating the secure and efficient exchange of clinical and administrative data between health insurance institutions and healthcare providers. 

Together with the DGPSN, Expertise France is working to improve the interconnection of social protection information systems in order to ensure better coordination among the actors in charge of providing services to the most disadvantaged people. This interoperability project will enable the DGPSN to ensure data consistency, exchange, and reuse across the social sector.

In the Dominican Republic, the project to support the establishment of universal social protection is seeking to continue the efforts initiated through the Caribbean Investment Facility, a project which is funded by the EU and AFD and still under implementation. 

As part of the ongoing Caribbean Investment Facility project, Expertise France is supporting the Dominican authorities in setting up a sustainable response and support system that meets the needs of the most vulnerable people affected by health, economic, and social crises. The project’s activities are based on two areas of action: healthcare and social protection.

As part of the DCI Initiative, Expertise France will continue its support to local authorities to improve the effectiveness of social-protection programmes and contribute to equitable access to essential services for poor and vulnerable people by promoting data interoperability and ethical and effective data exchange.

A partnership has been established with the Single System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN) in order to enhance its technical capacities in the field of digital transformation. The Directorate of Social Development (DDSS) will also benefit from the project’s actions.