Formulation of NSSS:
1
The NSSS was formulated to develop an inclusive social protection system for all deserving
people in Bangladesh. It aims to tackle and prevent poverty and inequality and contribute to
broader human development, employment, and economic growth, aligning with the Seventh
Five Year Plan (SFYP) and Vision-2021.
● The concept originated in a 2010 macro-economic review meeting and was further
discussed in a 2011 international workshop where the Prime Minister emphasized the
need for strategic planning.
● The drafting process, initiated in 2012, involved an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired
by the Cabinet Secretary and supported by the General Economics Division (GED) of
the Planning Commission.
● The Central Monitoring (now Management) Committee (CMC) reviewed drafts multiple
times.
● A framework paper outlining knowledge gaps and key issues was prepared in 2013.
● The draft was finalized in 2015 and approved by the Cabinet after extensive stakeholder
collaboration.
● International experience sharing, seminars, and training courses contributed to its
formulation.
● Ten background research papers were produced, and extensive consultations ensured
stakeholder engagement.
● The NSSS is intended to inform the development of ministry and cluster-specific action
plans.
Vision and Mission of NSSS:
● Vision: To build an inclusive Social Security System (SSS) for all deserving
Bangladeshis that effectively tackles and prevents poverty and inequality and contributes
to broader human development, employment, and economic growth.
● Mission (Five-Year): To reform the national social security system by ensuring more
efficient and effective use of resources, strengthened delivery systems, and progress
towards a more inclusive form of Social Security that effectively tackles lifecycle risks,
prioritizing the poorest and most vulnerable members of Society.
Governance Tools:2 The NSSS suggests five governance tools to streamline social protection
programs, these tools are described below:
Single Registry MIS: Establishing national Management Information Systems (MISs) that are
high quality and can integrate data from different social protection schemes. The goal is a
national Single Registry using the national identity system database, building on
scheme-specific MISs to avoid overlap and improve efficiency. It will collect and store updated
historical information and verify checks. It is envisioned as a software application integrating
different MISs. The government intends to establish this Single Registry using the national
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Concept in 2010, PM push in 2011, draft started 2012, framework in 2013, approved by 2015.
2
5 MIS,G2P,TG,GRS,ME
identity database and building on existing MISs, coordinated by the Statistics and Informatics
Division (SID) and involving the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) initiative.
Strengthening G2P Payment Systems: Improving the delivery of cash transfers by providing
beneficiaries with choices in payment methods like bank accounts, mobile cash, and ATM,
under positive conditions. Digitized G2P payments are recommended to reduce administrative
costs and increase convenience. The government has already improved cash delivery through
financial institutions. The modalities of transferring cash through mobile banking, postal cash
cards, and agent banking are being piloted.
Strengthening Processes for Fair Targeting: Adopting the Proxy Means Test (PMT)
scorecard approach for identifying the poor and vulnerable, to be completed by 2017. This
involves assessing household information to estimate their poverty status. Household
assessments, using indicators like income, expenditure, and assets, or proxy indicators with a
scoring card, are used to determine the need for social protection.
Grievance Redress System (GRS): A functional platform for addressing complaints about the
quality of government services to improve public administration and governance. A two-pronged
approach is considered: correcting service delivery abnormalities and analyzing grievances to
understand systemic causes. The Cabinet Division has established a central online GRS. Field
offices have directives to address complaints regularly. Measures are taken to integrate the
patches of all the ministries into a more robust and integrated GRS.
Result-based M&E: (Strong M&E; Monitoring and Evaluation)
Strong M&E is crucial for improving program performance and achieving results. Monitoring
involves continuous or periodic tracking of performance indicators and assessing progress.
Evaluation is a systematic and objective assessment to determine the achievement against
targeted results. Randomized control trials may be necessary to assess actual impact. Key
evaluation questions include relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.
Different types of M&E frameworks exist, and the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) is
utilized in Bangladesh. M&E activities will be divided into three levels: implementing
Ministries/Divisions, IMED, and GED, with GED ultimately responsible for preparing a results
framework for NSSS implementation.
Thematic Clusters:
The National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) involves grouping ministries and divisions into
thematic clusters to ensure smooth functioning and coordination. This provides a platform for
coordination among ministries/divisions with similar types of social security programmes and
helps avoid potential overlapping. The Five thematic clusters as recommended in the NSSS:
● Social Allowances: The lead coordination ministry for this cluster is the Ministry of
Social Welfare. Other ministries/divisions include:
○ Ministry of Women and Children Affairs
○ Ministry of Cultural Affairs
○ Ministry of Liberation War Affairs
○ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
○ Local Government Division
○ Ministry of Labour and Employment
○ Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs
● Food Security and Disaster Assistance: The lead coordination ministry for this
thematic cluster is the Ministry of Food. Other ministries/divisions include:
○ Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief
○ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
○ Ministry of Agriculture
○ Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
○ Ministry of Finance Division
○ Ministry of Social Welfare
○ Ministry of Commerce
● Social Insurance: The lead coordination division for this cluster is the Bank and
Financial Institutions Division. Other ministries/divisions included in this thematic
cluster are:
○ Finance Division
○ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
○ Ministry of Labour and Employment
○ Ministry of Social Welfare
● Labour/Livelihoods Interventions: The lead coordination ministry for this thematic
cluster is the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. Other ministries/divisions
are:
○ Local Government Division
○ Rural Development and Cooperatives Division
○ Ministry of Women and Children Affairs
○ Ministry of Social Welfare
○ Finance Division
○ Ministry of Labour and Employment
○ Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
○ Ministry of Agriculture
● Human Development and Social Empowerment: The lead coordination ministry is the
Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. Other ministries/divisions are:
○ Prime Minister's Office
○ Ministry of Land
○ Ministry of Education
○ Ministry of Social Welfare
○ Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment
○ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
○ Ministry of Labour and Employment
○ Ministry of Industry
○ Ministry of Women and Children Affairs
○ Information and Communication Technology Division
○ Ministry of Youth and Sports
Within these clusters, the NSSS recommends the consolidation of existing social security
programmes and streamlining fragmented programmes, focusing on lifecycle programmes.
This includes reforms like strengthening programmes for specific demographics (children,
working age, vulnerable women, elderly), implementing comprehensive pension and social
insurance schemes, strengthening systems for disabilities and the urban poor, and consolidating
food security type programmes.
Programmes Consolidation:
The NSSS suggests consolidating fragmented social security programmes into lifecycle
programmes. Major programme reforms include:
● Strengthening Social Security for Children (age 1-18): Including child benefit, stipends,
school meals, and support for abandoned children.
● Strengthening Programmes for Working Age (age 19-59): Focusing on education,
training, workfare programs, and introducing unemployment, accident, sickness, and
maternity insurance under NSIS.
● Strengthening Programmes for Vulnerable Women (age 19-59): Consolidating into one
Vulnerable Women Benefit program with cash benefits, childcare support, and training.
● Comprehensive Pension System for the Elderly (age 60+): Including government service
pensions, NSIS, and private voluntary pensions.
● Strengthening the system of social security for people with disabilities.
● Strengthening the social security system for the urban poor.
● Consolidate and reform food security type programmes.
● Consolidate small, special, and covariate risk mitigation programmes.
● Strong M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation).
