Indonesia : Building Inclusive Social Assistance

Public sector management / Social protection initiatives

Indonesia's national medium-term development plan for 2015-2019 aims to establish a social protection system for all citizens. The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) supports the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) in expanding Indonesia's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, the Family Hope Program (PKH). The program pays benefits to mothers and aims to reduce poverty and inequality through increased access to, and consumption of basic services. The TA also supports the implementation of MOSA's noncash social assistance program on food provision (the Sembako Program). The TA will (i) build MOSA staff capacity to implement PKH, including its family development sessions (FDSs), and Sembako activities; (ii) increase inclusiveness by supporting PKH implementation and expansion to remote areas and strengthen Sembako implementation; and (iii) enhance MOSA staff's analytical, communications, and advocacy skills to bolster stakeholder support.

On 24 July 2020, ADB approved $1.0 million funding for the TA financed on a grant basis by the High-Level Technology Fund (with Government of Japan as financing partner) and administered by ADB, along with a change in scope and implementation arrangements to support Output 4 of the TA. This brought the total TA amount of $2.0 million to $3.0 million.

The TA directly supports the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Strategy 2030 through the operational priority of ensuring social protection for those in need. It is closely aligned with the country partnership strategy, 2016-2019, and included in the country operations business plan, 2018-2020 of the ADB for Indonesia.

The TA will support the expansion of Indonesia's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, the Family Hope Program (PKH) and the Sembako Program (formerly known as BPNT). The PKH program pays benefits to mothers and aims to reduce poverty and inequality through increased access to, and consumption of basic services, including for the vulnerable living in remote and disadvantaged regions known as AKSES areas; while the Sembako Program provides non-cash assistance with basic food supplies and energy subsidies to households living near to and under the poverty line. The Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) has 10 million PKH beneficiary families and 15.6 million Sembako beneficiary families. Due to continued program expansion and quality improvement of program operations in Jaminian Sosial Keluarga (JSK; Directorate of Family Social Security) and in Penanganan Fakir Miskin (PFM; Directorate of Handling of Poor Populations), there is an ongoing need to support MOSA in its continued development of these social assistance programs, especially in AKSES areas as there are policy and operational challenges that require business process modifications.

Quality of life improved (National Medium-Term Development Plan)

Disparity and inequality reduced (National Medium-Term Development Plan)

MOSA's capacity to implement, expand, monitor, and report on the CCT and Sembako programs improved.

Individual consultants (4) have been hired and have started on draft documents related to business process, HR and capacity building for PKH as well as the food program, BPNT. Several opening workshops hosted by MOSA have taken place and joint meeting with Bappenas and MOSA has also been completed.

Hiring of the firm is ongoing.

Capacity of selected PKH and Sembako implementers improved.

PKH implementation in disadvantaged areas and Sembako implementation strengthened.

Analytical, communications, and advocacy skills of MOSA staff enhanced.

Social welfare planning and management systems of MOSA improved.

Individual consultants (4) have been hired and have started on draft documents related to business process, HR and capacity building for PKH as well as the food program, BPNT. Several opening workshops hosted by MOSA have taken place and joint meeting with Bappenas and MOSA has also been completed. Trainings are planned in all areas in upcoming months.

Hiring of firm is ongoing.

The project engaged one consulting firm to support outputs 1 and 3 using quality-and cost-based selection (QCBS) method, with 90:10 quality-cost ratio and simplified technical proposal. The firm was mobilized in October 2019 and provides (i) knowledge and capacity building support to selected PKH and Sembako program implementers, including MOSA staff at central, provincial, and district level; and (ii) analysis, communications, and advocacy support to MOSA staff.

The project also engaged seven individual consultants as follows: The (i) international social protection specialist/team leader (mobilized in July 2019 and completed assignment on 30 September 2020), (ii) national social protection specialist (mobilized in June 2019), (iii) national capacity building specialist (mobilized in June 2019), and (iv) national human resource development specialist (mobilized in June 2019) support in strengthening PKH and Sembako under output 2. An (v) international social protection and social sector coordinator (mobilized in October 2019) also supports MOSA in harmonizing social protection across different ministries and provides analytical and communication support on strengthening non-cash social assistance programs and other planned social assistance reforms. A (vi) national GIS and database expert (mobilized in August 2020) is building an IT monitoring system to compile geographic location information of e-warongs and match it with data on e-warong inventory information, facilitators and beneficiary utilization under output 4. A (vii) national mobile GIS training expert will create training modules and conduct training of trainers for developing an android mobile phone app to provide real-time visualization platforms to match Sembako beneficiary data and food stores under output 4.

Recruitment of an international electronic register and blockchain expert under output 4 is on hold while MOSA reviews the terms and references of the assignment. It is proposed that the consultant will create an e-Renstra monitoring and evaluation system and integrate program data and indicators of MOSA's social assistance programs into a single electronic registry using blockchain technology.

All consultant recruitment follows ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and its associated staff instructions.