Guatemala: Strategic Investments in Human Development Project

pipeline

The proposed Project will strengthen the effectiveness of the Government of Guatemala’s social protection interventions. As an initial step, the Project will support the identification of households by significantly expanding the coverage of the Social Household Registry (Registro Social de Hogares-RSH). In addition, the project will support the development of a National Children’s Registry (NCR) that will interoperate with the RSH. The interoperability between the two registries will enable timely and reliable information for the early inclusion of young children in social programs and health services. The NCR will also enable monitoring of child development and trigger alerts to prompt early action when risks are detected. The Project will further support MIDES in redesigning the Bono Social program and FODES to prioritize early childhood development. Additionally, it will assist the National Registry of Persons (RENAP) and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS) in ensuring that children are properly identified, registered, and included in prioritized interventions aimed at improving the nutritional status of infants, young children, and pregnant women.Component 1. Improving Identification and Data Monitoring Systems: The objective of this component is to ensure the timely and accurate identification of poor households (HHs) as the first step toward accessing a basic package of social protection and health services. This component will target poor households, with a priority focus on pregnant women and children under 12 months of age. These households will be identified through the Social Household Registry (RSH), the primary gateway for social protection interventions. Additionally, children under 12 months will be identified through the National Children Registry (NCR) to facilitate their prompt enrollment in social programs and health services.Component 2. Strengthening MIDES Programs and MSPAS services to Invest in the First Years of Life: The objective of this component is to ensure that poor families with children have access to a basic package of social protection and health services. This component will targeted poor households with a priority focus on pregnant women and children under 12 months of age. These households will receive the full package of social protection and health services. This component will reimburse MIDES and MSPAS expenditure against results linked to performance-based conditions (PBCs). Reimbursements will be authorized after the PBC targets have been achieved in accordance with the stipulated disbursement plan. The PBCs are critical milestones related to MIDES and MSPAS programs and services.Component 3. Technical Assistance to achieving project results: To achieve the results outlined in Component 2, the project will provide targeted technical assistance (TA) to enhance the effectiveness of selected social and health programs and services while strengthening institutional capacity. The technical assistance activities will be organized around MIDES and MSPAS programs and services.Component 4. Project management, monitoring, and evaluation: This component will finance the support to MIDES for project management, including M&E capabilities. Project funding will cover key positions within the project executing agency, among others.