About SSPS

What is the Project About?

The most significant development in social protection area under the SPPS Programme is the development of a National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) of Bangladesh on the basis of Honourable Prime Minister’s call for National Social Protection Strategy Development for Bangladesh social protection system reforms in 2010 Social Protection Conference Dhaka Declaration. The Social Security Policy Support (SSPS) Programme supports the policy, strategy and systems development in the social security area that operates within a complex developmental, political and social context. The goal of the project is the realization of the goal of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) as envisaged: ‘Build an inclusive social security system for all deserving Bangladeshis that effectively tackles and prevents poverty and inequality and contributes to broader human development, employment, and economic growth’. The Social Security Policy Support (SSPS) Programme helps the government re-configure the current social security system so that economic growth is achieved in a more inclusive manner, with economic opportunities reaching the rural and urban poor and the protection of vulnerable groups against shocks. The core strategy of the programme is to consolidate the extreme poor who undergo risks of the life cycle, with programmes for children, working age people, youth, vulnerable women – the elderly, and persons with disabilities, transvestites, people with HIVAIDS and the urban poor. The programme will help the government in two areas namely governance of social protection and strengthening of systems.

Overall Objective of the Programme

The below two broader objectives where Social Security Policy Support (SSPS) Programme would play the contributory role:
  • to establish the system of universal pension and social insurance schemes, ensuring life cycle based inclusive social protection to build the case for universal old age and disability allowances, shock-responsive and life-cycle based adaptive social protection addressing the post COVID-19 economic shocks and spirit of ‘leave no one behind’ and in line with the GoB’s commitment to constitutional mandates to ‘Article-15’ (SP system strengthening); and
  • to strengthen the governance systems addressing the social protection M&E, Single Registry MIS with the provision of piloting, Grievance Redressal, performance management, accountability and integrity and building evidence on the fiscal space for expansion (SP Governance Strengthening).

Specific Objective of the Programme

The SSPS Programme will achieve the following specific four objectives:
  • to pilot under digital union parishad addressing social protection programmes and systems (M&E, Single Registry, Universalism vs Targeting) in SDGs localization areas; National Social Insurance Scheme [NSIS]) frameworks; Shock responsive adaptive social protection framework, Gender, PWD, minority inclusive Urban Social Protection Models; Strategy and Plan of People living in ocean economy (Blue Economy); and NSSS Action Plan Phase 2 review; and National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) 2026+ drafting prepared for government’s approval (Cabinet Division (CD) and GED in collaboration with PMO, SID, ICTD, IMED, MoFin, MoSW, MoLE, MoEWOE, LGD, MoDMR);
  • to conduct research/pilot for generating evidence for policymakers and other stakeholders creating enabling environment for NSPS 2026+ (CD, GED, Parliament Secretariat);
  • to make available the gender responsive social protection policy advice and accountability tools for the line ministries/divisions to demonstrate their accountability to social protection reforms, including web-based social protection dashboard as per NSSS and roadmap for national single registry database of the recipients by programmes (CD, GED, FD, SID, and ICTD); and
  • to establish broadened knowledge base of implementing agencies/NGOs working for marginalised and excluded groups, including Persons with Disabilities in social protection decision-making through OPDs social protection platform and citizen’s report (CD,  GED, MoSW and PMO).

Currently, there are 115 social safety net programmes; implemented by 39 social protection implementing ministries, with a budget of Tk. 1,262 billion (FY 2023-24), accounting for 16.58% of the Government budget, and 2.52% of GDP. Against this backdrop, the Government of Bangladesh embarked upon the formulation of a comprehensive National Social Security Strategy (NSSS), to coordinate and consolidate the existing safety net programmes to achieve better efficiency and results. The long term vision of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) is: “Build an inclusive Social Security System for all deserving Bangladeshis that effectively tackles and prevents poverty and inequality and contributes to broader human development, employment and economic growth.”

Governance of Social Protection

  • The Central Monitoring Committee (CMC) will be the Coordination unit charged with development and overseeing of the social security programmes and the inter-sectoral linkages;
  • Broader ownership of the programme;
  • Capacity building of officials;
  • Establish a policy research facility/unit on social security;
  • Establishing an Innovations and Research Challenge Fund.

Strengthening Systems

  • Platform of direct electronic Government to Person (G2P);
  • Field M&E/MIS for coordination and local compliance;
  • Training of local payment agents including via the UNDP a2i Project;
  • Finding out suitable software for piloting electronic payment platforms;
  • Using M&E database platform allied with IT support to deliver other services such as health;
  • Obtaining support from civil society organizations to help implement grievance systems and rights protected mechanisms;
  • Training officials to use M&E systems and electronic payment platforms.
The SSPS Programme’s reform efforts ultimately hold the potential to impact Bangladesh’s social protection landscape significantly: Improved targeting: ensuring social protection programmes reach the most vulnerable population effectively; Enhanced efficiency: streamlining delivery mechanisms and reducing administrative burdens; Evidence-based policymaking: strengthening research and analysis capabilities to inform decision-making based on data and evidence; Increased accountability: strengthening M&E systems to ensure transparency and accountability in programme implementation; and Overall social protection: contributing towards achieving the overall goals of the NSSS, which include poverty reduction, vulnerability reduction, and promoting inclusive and sustainable development.

Our Leadership

There is a single Project Steering Committee (PSC) for the UNDP larger Social Protection Programme. The PSC, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, will be responsible for policy guidance and coordination between all institutions and groups involved in the Social Protection Programme. Under the Government reporting system established, the Steering Committee, in turn, reports to the Cabinet Division Inter-ministerial Committee on Social Protection. The PSC will also be connected with the DFAT funded Social Protection Programme.

  • Government of Bangladesh (July 2014 – December 2025)
    • The Cabinet Division, Government of Bangladesh
    • The General Economics Division, Planning Commission
  • Australian Government – DFAT (January 2018 – June 2026)
  • UK Govt. [DFID – UkAid] (July 2014 – December 2017)
  • United Nations Development Programme (July 2014 – June 2026)
Australia’s development program supports Bangladesh’s health security, stability, and economic recovery, placing a strong emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable, especially women and girls and people with disabilities. works in partnership with the Bangladesh Government and other donors in a targeted and flexible way; and maximises the impact by using all policy levers, including development, economic, diplomatic, trade and security capabilities, including in multilateral fora. For more information, please visit: Australia’s development partnership with Bangladesh

UNDP is a knowledge-based development organization that supports national objectives and internationally agreed goals (including the Millennium Development Goals). Over the past decades, UNDP has worked with the government and other bodies to produce transformational results in areas of poverty reduction, democratic governance and environmental protection as well as disaster management and climate change. UNDP’s work in poverty reduction emphasizes the importance of inclusive economic growth. Whether by mobilizing urban poor communities to access public services or building the savings and skills of impoverished rural women, UNDP seeks to ensure that the poor are not a burden on Bangladesh’s growth, but are a central and contributing element in it. In addition to working in close collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, UNDP manages the implementation of UPPR with support from UN-HABITAT and may other partners. UNDP works together with the Bangladesh Government to create an enabling policy-environment that responds to the needs of the poor and urban communities. For more information, please visit: www.undp.org

Who Finances It?

Total Project Resources (USD)
Donor Date Amount (USD)
DFID 2014 – 2017 3,147,576
DFAT 2018 – June 2023 5,171,952
DFAT July 2023 – June 2025 3,328,895
UNDP 1,535,743

What has been achieved so far?

  • National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) of Bangladesh.
  • Social Protection Chapter in 6, 7 and 8 Five Year Plan.
  • Formulation of the NSSS Action Plan 2015 -2021; and the NSSS Action Plan 2021-26 involving 39 ministries.
  • Enabled the Govt. to introduce Universal Private Pension and Social Insurance.
  • Single Registry MIS, M&E Dashboard, GRS, and G2P piloted in a selected district integrated with GoB financial inclusion system.
  • Mid-term review of the NSSS, background studies, diagnostics, impact assessments.
  • Set up the social protection governance structures from the national to the upazila (sub-district) level.
  • Policy Advocacy with the Members of Parliament on social protection issues.
  • Orientation and capacity building of the UP Chairmen and Secretaries, including District and sub-district government officials.
  • Political economy analysis: SP framework, Urban SP, and revisit SP addressing COVID-19.
  • National capacity building on social protection integration with public service foundation training curricula and Local Government orientation curricula under BPATC and NILG.
  • Knowledge products: ABCD of social protection, background papers, and compendium of social protection, and Shock-responsive guideline.
  • Shock-responsive SP framework, PwDs SP Framework, Marginalized Groups SP Framework under the purview of LNOB.

Expected Results by 2026

  • National Social Protection Strategy 2026+
    • Next generation NSSS 2026+ – Concept note shared in 2022 and 2023.
    • Discussion and writing on content and frameworks in 2024 and 2025.
    • Revisit NSSS Gender strategy in 2024
    • National dialogue in 2025.
  • Unemployment, Gender and disability-responsive National Social Insurance Scheme (NSIS).
    • Two studies completed in 2020, 2022.
    • Orientations, dialogues, pilots by different agencies started in 2023.
    • National consensus building dialogues in 2024.
    • Writing NSIS, dialogues, and placed for Cabinet approval in 2025.
  • Build capacity of key social protection ministries based on needs assessment for establishing social protection programme leadership.
    • Capacity needs assessment and social protection programme review tool development process started in 2023.
    • Tools finalization in2024.
    • Key ministries capacity building on automated data sharing, interoperability, and troubleshooting in 2024.
    • Capacity needs assessment of key ministries and social protection programmes by 2025.
  • Establishment of a single registry MIS.
    • Situation study, and platform design and dialogues completed in 2022.
    • Broader roadmap with ICT solution done in 2023.
    • Detailed implementation roadmap including budget in 2024.
    • Implementation of single registry MIS with key partners and agencies in 2024 and 2025.
  • Functional and utilized web-based social protection M&E dashboard for improved monitoring of social protection reforms and population with gender and sex-disaggregated data.
    • Situation analysis and platform design completed in 2022.
    • M&E dashboard functional populated with reform and programme data at the GoB website in 2023.
    • The social protection programme data interoperability with social protection agencies, consensus building, and automated data sharing, key ministries capacity building in 2024 and 2025.
    • M&E dashboard reflects non-cash transfer social protection programmes, and troubleshooting in 2025.
  • Research and Pilot models of universal, target-based social protection addressing SP errors, Urban and shock-responsive social protection, and Persons with Disabilities (PwD).
    • Concept notes developed and shared in 2021.
    • Proposal developed in 2022.
    • Analytical framework design completed in 2023.
    • Pilot will be tested in selected areas including testing the local level single registry MIS, programme M&E, and better targeting with programme efficiency, along with secondary analysis of primary data with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) of Statistics and Informatics Division (SID) in 2024.
    • Data analytics, dialogue on results, and reflection in national policy and plans in 2024 and 2025.
  • Broadened knowledge base and influence of NGOs working for marginalized and excluded groups, including PwDs, in social protection decision-making and disability and marginalized population inclusive social protection programming.
    • Field visits and dialogues with non-state actors in 2022 and 2023.
    • Report on non-state actors’ social protection needs assessment drafted and reviewed in 2023.
    • Social protection framework for PwDs partnering with OPDs, UN agencies, and ILO and dialogue in 2024.
    • National dialogues on social protection framework for PwDs and inclusion in NSSS 2026+ in 2025.
  • Shock-responsive (adaptive social protection) national framework.
    • Study on gender responsive adaptive social protection in 2019
    • Shock-responsive social protection under flash flood-prone areas in 2023.
    • A model of shock-responsive urban social protection report drafted in 2023
    • Shock-responsive social protection national framework, and dialogue in 2024.
    • Shock-responsive social protection inclusion in NSSS 2026+ in 2025.
  • Social protection diagnostic and research, including briefs and papers.
    • Progress report of NSSS Action Plan 2021-26; clinmate-induced shorck responsive disaster resilience mapping for adaptive social protection programmes; strategic guidelines for adaptive social protection for Bangladesh; report on PwDs; policy support and institutional arrangement of blue economy in Bangladesh, a model of urban social protection in Bangladesh and report on Non-state Actors on social protection needs in 2022 and 2023.