As stated by the ADB, this regional technical assistance (TA) project aims to explore innovative and actionable strategies for leveraging the private sector in the delivery of inclusive, equitable, and effective social protection services in Central and West Asia (CWA). The TA aligns with Strategy 2030 of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which emphasizes inclusive economic growth, resilience to economic and social shocks, and private sector engagement as critical pathways for achieving its overarching development goals. The TA will help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on poverty reduction, gender equality, and reduced inequalities, while enhancing the capacity of CWA governments to address systemic challenges in social protection delivery. This TA will cover nine countries within the CWA region.

There are a range of issues facing social protection systems in the countries covered by the TA, including inefficiencies in delivery of social protection services, poor targeting mechanisms, limited-service coverage, insufficient resources, and limited administrative capacity to adapt to crises or meet the needs of marginalized groups. Vulnerable populationsparticularly women, the elderly, orphans, youth, displaced persons, refugees, homeless people, and persons with disabilitiesoften experience barriers to accessing social protection services.
At the same time, many public sector institutions struggle with insufficient resources, dilapidated infrastructure, outdated technologies, bureaucratic procedures, and lack of single window access to provide adequate and equitable support. By identifying best practices from the private sector, the TA seeks to address these gaps, leveraging expertise, innovation, and resources from the private sector to create cost-effective, gender-responsive, and scalable solutions.

The scope of this TA will include:

(i) a diagnostic study, including assessing gender-specific barriers in social protection systems;
(ii) the development of a strategy for leveraging the private sector in relation to social protection systems and services that integrate gender, capacity-building initiatives for stakeholders; and
(iii) the preparation of a pipeline of potential gender-responsive social protection projects with private sector participation (PSP) and/or public-private partnerships (PPPs), including initial pre-feasibility studies.

The outcomes of the TA are expected to provide governments with the tools to enhance social protection service delivery, reduce gender disparities, benefit vulnerable populations, and establish resilient systems capable of addressing the specific needs of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, while responding effectively to future challenges.

ADB Team Leader:

Dmitry Kabrelyan
Email: dkabrelyan@adb.org 

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

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ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF ADB

The Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an Asian Development Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Accountability Mechanism, they may investigate to assess whether the Asian Development Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can learn more about the Accountability Mechanism and how to file a complaint at: http://www.adb.org/site/accountability-mechanism/main.