Support to the Adaptive Social Safety Net System

dropped

Building on the achievements of the Emergency Social Safety Net Jigisemejiri Project (P127328), the proposed project seeks to strengthen the key building blocks of the nascent national adaptive safety nets such as the Unified Social Registry (RSU), the flagship cash transfer program Jigisemejiri and its accompanying measures, together with the related payment and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. In addition, the proposed project will support a stronger coordination between humanitarian shock response and safety nets through support to the lean season early warning system (ESW) and shock-response cash transfers.The proposed project is framed around five components. Component 1 will aim to improve the efficiency of the Government’s social programs by strengthening the RSU regulatory framework, data quantity and quality, and supporting a beneficiary management platform and related systems This component will be implemented by the RSU technical unit (UTRSU, Unite Technique du RSU), presently housed in the Technical Unit for Social Safety Nets (UTGFS, Unite Technique de Gestion des Filets Sociaux). Component 2 will focus on expanding the Jigisemejiri program through regular cash transfers, accompanying measures to strengthen human capital, and productive inclusion activities with a focus on women in beneficiary households to boost the resilience of beneficiary households. Accompanying measures on children's human capital will consist of information, education, communication together with lipid nutriments supplementation for children under 3. This component will be implemented by the UTGFS in partnership with payment agencies, and implementing organizations for the accompanying measures. Component 3 will support the early warning system and provide households impacted by climate shocks with shock-response cash transfers. It seeks to strengthen coordination between safety net and shock-response systems. This component will be implemented by UTGFS in partnership with the Food Security Commission (Commissariat a la Securite Alimentaire, CSA). Component 4 will support the coordination and management of the project, including a portfolio of M&E activities to improve the timeliness and granularity for decision-making through beneficiary feed-back, process evaluation, third-party monitoring, and impact evaluations. Component 5 is a Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) that will only be activated and funded in case of a declared crisis.The proposed project will receive credit financing from IDA (US$114 million) and grant financing from the Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program Multi-Donor Trust Fund (SASPP-MDTF, US$25 million). It will be implemented in all regions of Mali with a focus on the Sahelian band, which is particularly affected by climate change. In the Kayes, Koulikoro, Segou, and Sikasso regions, it will coordinate activities with the on-going Mali Drylands Development project (P164502) to support an integrated territorial approach.