1. Rwanda SP System
HD Week
February 5, 2013

2. Background/Context – first ever national
level SP program launched in march 2007
• 1st PRSP (2002-2005) lacked national level policy and/or strategy on
Social Protection: was characterized by off-budget fragmented
programs; significant financing with no means based targeting.
• 2nd PRSP (2008-2012) – known as Economic Development and Poverty
Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) made up of 3 flagships, one entirely
focused on SP namely: Vision 2020 Umurenge Program (VUP).
• VUP constitutes PW, DS/UCTs and FS components - implemented
with an annual gradual expansion plan over the last five years through a
decentralized governance system.
• Currently, main programs include: VUP, FARG, RDRP, RSSB, Children
and labour programs/policies in the respective ministries.

3. Background/Context
• Sector has significantly evolved over the last six years:
– from a host of fragmented projects and programs with no
strategic orientation to a set of programs defined by a
single strategy and implementation plan.
– from largely donor and NGO led projects to increasingly
Government led and coordinated programs.
– from mainly donor financed projects to increasingly
Government financed and “on-budget” or “on-plan”
programs – though government financing is largely
enabled by GBS from donors.

4. Summary of main SP CT Programs
Program and
Components
Targeting
mechanism and
geographical
coverage
Number of
Beneficiaries
Program
Management &
M&E
VUP
Component 1:
Direct Support
Community based
targeting system;
180/416 Sectors [ July
2012]
Number of VUP
Beneficiary
Households
FY2010-11: 18,892
FY2011-12: 27,631
Implementing agency
under Ministry of
Local Gov: RLDSF
M&E National MIS
to be developed
Component 2:
Public Works
Community based
targeting system; 150
Sectors as of July
2012
Number of VUP
Beneficiary
Households
FY2010-11:103,557
FY2011-12: 94,397
Implementing agency
under Ministry of
Local Gov: RLDSF
National MIS is being
developed

5. Summary of main SP CT Programs
Program and
Components
Targeting
mechanism and
geographical
coverage
Number of
Beneficiaries
Program
Management &
M&E
Component 3:
Financial Services
Ubudehe system; 150
Sectors as of July
2012
Number of FS loans
granted under Financial
Services FY2011-12:
55,326 (14,956 loans)
Implementing agency
under Ministry of Local
Gov: RLDSF
National MIS is being
developed
FARG Beneficiary
selection and
identification of
genocide survivors
at community level,
facilitated by Sector
Exe. Secretary.
Transfers made to
individuals FY2012-
13: 21,039; down from
23,360 (2011-12) and
80,000 (2008)
Implementing
Agency: FARG.
M&E: MIS currently
in excel format. MIS
to use SQL Server
2008 and Visual
Studio 2008 is under
implementation to
overcome weaknesses

6. Summary of main SP CT Programs
Program and
Components
Targeting mechanism and
geographical coverage
Number of
Beneficiaries
Program
Management &
M&E
RDRP Based on level of vulnerability
of disabled former combatants
and medical screening
processes. Vulnerability is
determined by Sector’s Social
Affairs Executive Secretaries
based on RDRP specific
guidelines.
Transfer beneficiaries
under different categories
in FY2012-13:
Total: 25,000 (2011)
Note: Less beneficiaries
but transfers generally
higher than VUP/FARG.
Implementing agency:
Rwanda Demobilization
and Reintegration
Commission (RDRC)
M&E: A desktop
application using a
relational database using
SQL Server 2005 and
Visual Studio 2008 is
under development.
MINALOC
decentralized
Earlier days did not include
specific criteria and relied on
instructions from the center,
program is now focusing on
non VUP sectors targeting
category 1&2 beneficiaries
Ad hoc – makes it
difficult to determine
numbers – slowly being
phased out into the VUP.
Non- systematic
monitoring is happening
at the district level but
problems with
consolidation at central
level.

7. Background
Evolution on public spending – from 2004 through
2011: increased more than 13 times [all SP]; 14 times [CTs]; 17 times [basic
health and education]

8. SP allocations to the 4 main transfer programs has
mainly come from the Government budget - though
total Government budget in FY13 was over 40%
donor financed.
GovernmentSPFinancing 2009/10(actual) 2010/11(actual) 2011/12(actual) 2012/13(budget) 2013/14(budget)
MainSPPrograms inUS$ inUS$ inUS$ inUS$ inUS$
1. VUP 16,541,353 18,045,113 22,957,625 33,634,311 38,174,943
2. FARG 23,934,371 28,360,922 31,811,598 33,160,878 36,821,401
3. RDRC 5,559,783 2,869,209 5,975,555 6,014,760 7,915,776
4. MINALOCDecentralized [vulnerable groups] 2,264,054 1,808,370 2,649,560 8,912,743 9,699,492
Total GovernmentFinancing 48,299,561 51,083,614 63,394,338 81,722,692 92,611,613
IDASupport CLSG-2 CLSG-3 SSPS-1* SSPS-2 SSPS-3
InUS$ 6,000,000 6,000,000 40,000,000 10,000,000 10,000,000
IDAas%of total SectorFinancing 12% 12% 63% 12% 11%
Note:Exchangerate(asof November27, 2012): 665
*SSPS-1frontloaded atUS$40million. Hereassumed equaldistribution acrossyearunderthree-yearSSPS distribution.
SOCIALPROTECTION GOVERNMENTFINANCING - AmountinRWf

9. Coordinated SP System
• National Social Protection Strategy and
Implementation Plan (Jan. 2011; August 2011; being
updated)
• Social Protection Sector Working Groups (SWG)
dialogue every 1-2 months
• Joint Sector Reviews (JSRs) every six months over the
last five years to assess progress and plan ahead.
• SWGs and JSR bring together VUP, RSSB, Genocide
Survivors Fund (FARG), RDRP and mutual health and
children’s programs in the MoH and

10. Coordinated SP System
• VUP has been institutionalized into Rwanda Local
Development Support Fund (RLDSF).
• VUP medium term Scale-up plan to increase its coverage
was developed; is being implemented.
• A harmonization policy was developed to strengthen
linkages and integration of SP programs and mainstream
most of the PW and DS interventions under the VUP.
• An MIS (to include a unified registry) has been designed
and is due for development and implementation in 2013.

11. Coordinated System: Gains Made
• SP is now defined as a sector with a strong strategic and
policy orientation [NSPS 2011; NSPS update 20113;
Visibility in the EDPRS1 and EDPRS2]
• A strong and evolving coordination structure exists
under a single ministry with policy lead responsibility [
oversight] for most of the main SP programs - except the
RSSB which falls under public service.
• The VUP into which most SP programs are envisaged to
be harmonized has steadily expanded in coverage –
geographically and by household numbers.

12. Coordinated System: Gains Made
• VUP currently covers 36% (public works and financial services
for the poor) and 43% (direct support or unconditional cash
transfers)
• VUP currently reaches an estimated 0.5 million people [over
110,000 poor households] with strong results on the ground–
ambitious plans for country coverage.
• A strategy for increasing pension coverage especially among
the informal sector employees is being implemented.
• Links with DRM is top on policy and implementation agenda
to contribute to the desired sustainability – policy guidelines
to link SP with DRM have been developed.

13. Coordinated System: Gains Made
• NSPS Update sets enhanced priorities in
response to evidence on poverty
characteristics: enhanced targeting of poor
households with large household size, and
with more children.
• EDPRS2 has retained SP as a priority sector –
with a systems approach - strong inbuilt
targeting, graduation, IE and MIS mechanisms.

14. Coordinated System: Gains Made -
Focus on the VUP
Measure 2008/2009 2012/13
Coverage:
Geographical Sectors
[out of 416 Sectors]
30 [7%] 150-180 [36-43%]
Coverage: Poor
Households
[beneficiaries]
<10,000 [50,000] 121,000 [500,000] –direct
support and public works
only
Timeliness of
payments
At least 2 months from due date Monthly – desired effective
payment is on completion of
2 weeks of work .
Budget execution rate 28% >90%

15. Challenges to a Sustainable
Coordinated SP System
• Fiscal sustainability – Capacity by Government to
finance its budget needs remains low; aid predictability
has been poor recently; implications for sustained
expansion and desired country coverage of social
assistance programs might be big?
• Inter-agency and inter-ministerial coordination
demands policy decisions with more long term impact
to maximize efficiency gains: social protection
ministry; social protection agency; … brining together
social assistance, social insurance, labour
policies/programs together

16. Challenges to a Sustainable
Coordinated SP System
• Increasing and Sustaining coverage of social assistance and social
insurance programs (VUP: 36-43%; Pension: +/-5%; mutual health
insurance: >90%)
• Tackling second generation challenges successfully
– Robust impact evaluation to inform difficult policy choices
– Operationalizing the envisaged management information system
– Achieving a sustainable operational links with DRM.
• Maximizing effectiveness and efficiency gains in existing programs to
increase coverage, impact and results– low pension coverage at about
4-5% [can it extend to informal sector]; timeliness in payments to VUP
beneficiaries [an average of about a month instead of 2-weekly
envisaged payments period] etc.

17. Key elements and factors of Success
• Government Commitment and policy level
leadership – vision, policy and strategy ownership.
• Donor support – financing, technical assistance and
embracing Government coordination efforts; if this
can be sustained.
• Existence of structured and founded
implementation arrangements – ministry and
agency level coordination and monitoring; effective
local governments and subnational administrations.

18. Key elements and factors of Success
• Increasing Government budgetary commitments
to the sector – see slide 5.
• Strong results on the ground – delivery of
benefits to households; increase in household
assets; increase in cultivable land surface area
• Strong accountability and governance
arrangements – grievances mechanisms; value
for money audits by the AGO; funds flow audits
the MoF…….