Employment Services & Social Protection Project (ESSP)

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The Employment and Social Protection Project will support the Government's efforts to alleviate unemployment and poverty, improve the efficiency and affordability of employment and social protection services, and promote labour productivity and economic competitiveness. The specific objectives of the project are to: 1) strengthen the capacity of labor offices to administer increasing numbers of claims for unemployment benefits and active labor adjustment services (e.g. job placement, employment counseling, training); 2) develop a flexible adult training system which responds to evolving labor market demand resulting from economic restructuring; and 3) implement reforms in social insurance and assistance programs, targeting those population groups which are most vulnerable to falling into poverty during and after the transition to a market economy. Project components include: 1) General management and policy including monitoring and policy analysis of new programs, automation of labor and social protection offices to support and improve the management of programs to be introduced, and project management support to expand and strengthen the already functioning Project Coordination Unit established under the Technical Assistance and Critical Imports (TACI) Project; 2) employment and training which comprises employment services, career information and counseling, and adult training; and 3) social protection.