Social Safety Net System Project II second Additional Financing

active

The proposed project will support the strengthening and extension of the social safety net (SSN) system in Mauritania in order to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. It will build on the outcomes of the previous Mauritania Social Safety Net System Project (P150430) which began implementation in September 2015 and which supported: (i) the Social Registry, which provides any government program with an effective and transparent mechanism to target poor and vulnerable households, (ii) the National Social Transfer Program, Tekavoul, currently delivering cash transfers and social promotion activities to 30,000 households in extreme poverty; and (iii) the Shock Responsive Social Safety Net Program, Elmaouna, which is supporting several thousand food-insecure households annually during the lean season. The proposed project is framed around four components. Component 1 will aim to improve the efficiency of the Government’s social programs (including, but not limited to Tekavoul and Elmouana) by updating the social registry and promoting its usage. This component will be implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, which currently oversees the Social Registry. Component 2 will focus on enhancing the socio-economic inclusion of poor households by strengthening and extending the Social Transfer Program, Tekavoul, supporting an adequate re-certification and exit strategy for former Tekavoul beneficiaries and facilitating their inclusion in the Civil Registry. This component will be implemented by the Tadamoun Agency. Component 3 will strengthen the shock response system by further developing the early warning system, the Elmaouna program and a shock-responsive financing strategy. This component will be implemented by the Food Security office (CSA). Component 4 will support the coordination and management of the project. Furthermore, the proposed project will allow for the inclusion of poor and vulnerable households in the refugee and host communities of the Hodh Chargui region within the SSN system. The priority will be to enroll the poorest households in the Social Registry, Tekavoul, and Elmaouna programs. The proposed SSN project will be part of an overall program financed by the IDA 18 Regional Sub-Window for Refugees and Host Communities (RSW) for Mauritania. The core objective of the RSW program in Mauritania is to strengthen the capacity of the Government to provide access to basic services and infrastructure to the refugee population and host communities in the targeted areas. Apart from supporting the proposed project, RSW funds will also support (a) the expansion of the on-going Health Support System Project (P156165, INAYA) in the Hodh Chargui ; (ii) the provision of water supply, sanitation and urban services for host community and refugees populations through the Water and Sanitation Project (P167328) and the Decentralization and Urban Development Project (P169332).