The National Social Security Strategy of Bangladesh was approved on 1 June 2015 and published July 2015. The NSSS clearly outlines the objectives of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) as seeking to streamline and strengthen the existing safety net programmes with a view to achieving an increased value for money. In addition, the NSSS has the objective of broadening social security to include employment policies and social insurance to address the emerging needs of a growing middle income class. There are currently approximately 140 Social Security Programmes carried out by over 20 Line Ministries. The NSSS acknowledges that there is a lack of coordination between ministries which has resulted in duplication and an ad hoc method in beneficiary selection, delivery, and implementation. The NSSS seeks to address these issues through evaluating and redesigning the Social Security System (SSS), including promoting beneficial schemes, discontinuing ineffective schemes, reducing duplicate schemes, improving coordination, institutionalizing monitoring and evaluation, and lowering the total number of implementing Ministries.
The following research needs were identified by examining the objectives and acknowledged limitations of the
current Social Security Strategy as presented in the NSSS. Proposed research areas were identified through direct and indirect inference in the NSSS. However, some areas were not directly or indirectly referenced, but still remain relevant to the NSSS. Research areas have been categorized into five thematic areas: Targeting and Selection, Accessibility, Value for Money, Coordination and Implementation, and Monitoring and Evaluation.
Draft research papers will be presented and discussed at policy dialogue events. The final papers will be printed and disseminated to all NSSS stakeholders, as well as uploaded in the SSPS website e-library. The main findings, conclusions, and recommendations of each research report will be summarized as a policy brief to inform policy makers on critical issues.
