EUROPEAN PROFILES S.A

TITLE OF PROJECT

Minimum Subsistence income: Content, Structure and Purpose. Development of norms and standards for social assistance

Country:

Albania

Project Period:

11/1998-06/1999

Project Value:

€ 80.000

No of Staff Provided:

9 Man Months

Origin of Funding:

PHARE-Consensus Programme

Name of Client/ Beneficiary:

Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

Description of Project:

Technical assistance to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Albania in order to implement reforms to the social assistance scheme. Main focus of the project was the development of appropriate methodologies for the estimation of a poverty line applicable to the specific Albanian context. The main activities carried out were:

a) An assessment of the approaches in use for the distribution of benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the social assistance scheme, including an assessment of the availability of data and of the data collection channels.

b) Development of a methodology for defining a minimum subsistence level (poverty line) in Albania.

c) Delivery of a workshop addressed to officials of the Ministry, focusing on the implementation of the proposed methodology.

d) Elaboration of recommendations concerning:

• the development of the data basis to support the implementation of the poverty line methodology,

• the improvement of the supervisory and control mechanisms for the purposes of combating fraudulent practices concerning the definition of eligible persons,

• the institutional arrangements between the state authorities involved in data collection for the monitoring of the poverty line,

• the use of the poverty line for the improvement of the effectiveness of the social assistance scheme

Services Provided:

• Policy advice
• Institution capacity building
• Training

Name of Partners:

Institute of Social Insurance, Health and Assistance (EPIKAYP) (GR)