Unifying Social Protection Efforts in the Caribbean – Lessons from Bahamas and Barbados

In 2015, The Bahamas, led by the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development started the process of unifying social protection efforts. Over the past several years, they have successfully created an integrated approach to both COVID-19 response and national social protection.

In 2019, Barbados, led by the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, began a similar process, seeking to unify and optimize the 200+ social protection programs in the country.

In this webinar, national social protection administrator Jaimie Humes (Ministry of Social Services & Urban Development of Bahamas) presents lessons learned, design approaches to integrated beneficiary management, and social protection unification, and practical applications for other social protection teams.

Synergy Social Protection Program Director Lilit Gasparyan, Social Protection MIS Expert Tim Lann and Project Manager Lia Harutyunyan provide technological insights into the process of digitalizing and unifying these programs, the importance of investment in technology when planning national social protection strategy, and how important features such as integrated beneficiary management can be built into programs.