About Social Registry
The National Social Registry is a comprehensive operational methodology adopted by the Ministry of Social Development as part of its efforts to establish an inclusive social protection network in Palestine. It aims to ensure fair opportunities for all service applicants, assess their priorities, and standardize the approach to working with them across all programs and assistance provided directly by the ministry or through partner institutions. The significance of this system lies in its ability to help the Ministry of Social Development identify the poorest and most marginalized among those seeking assistance, based on multidimensional poverty indicators. These indicators include financial poverty but are not limited to it; they also encompass access to various essential services, such as physical and mental healthcare, education and its quality, housing, and other fundamental needs.
Features of the National Social Registry
The results of poverty composition in Palestine have shown that monetary poverty is a primary contributor to multidimensional poverty, but it is not the only factor. Poverty is not limited to income and consumption; it extends to various aspects, including deprivation of adequate healthcare, education, employment, housing conditions, access to services, personal safety, freedom to utilize assets, personal freedom, and financial poverty.
Poverty rates in Palestine have increased in recent years, peaking in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, 29% of the population lived below the poverty line, a figure that rose to 40% by mid-2020, according to data from the Ministry of Social Development. The rate of multidimensional poverty in Palestine stands at 24% of the total population, while monetary poverty is approximately 29.2%. This alarming indicator necessitates exploring more effective and comprehensive solutions to address poverty. In response, the Social Protection Enhancement Project, funded by the World Bank, was launched in alignment with the ministry’s objectives to combat multidimensional poverty. This initiative is implemented through the National Social Registry and the adoption of a case management approach to enhance social protection systems.
Objectives of the National Social Registry
- Enhancing accuracy and expanding targeting scope to ensure equal opportunities for accessing the services provided by the Ministry of Social Development.
- Providing a unified portal for social assistance to individuals, families in need, and marginalized groups, with a standardized and transparent methodology for the aid process in Palestine.
- Strengthening the ministry’s and directorates’ capacity to plan and manage services effectively, enabling them to deliver high-quality assistance that aligns with available resources while preserving the dignity of beneficiaries.
- Contributing to the coordination of efforts among all social protection partners and enabling them to optimize resource utilization through a dynamic and efficient referral system.
Stages of Social Intervention Based on the National Social Registry
The first phase of implementing the National Social Registry involves updating the data of beneficiaries receiving various social interventions from the Ministry of Social Development, as well as individuals on waiting lists. This phase takes place in the field, where social workers (case managers) conduct home visits to families previously registered with the ministry to update their information and apply the multidimensional poverty assessment.
The social intervention process, based on the National Social Registry, consists of several key stages:
1. Registration
A household representative submits an initial assistance request either by visiting the Directorate of Social Development in their governorate or accessing the ministry’s website and logging into the Social Protection Program platform. In both cases, the household provides preliminary data explaining the reasons for requesting assistance, their living conditions, and supporting documents.
A social worker (case manager) in the reception department evaluates the application based on multidimensional poverty criteria and provides a recommendation regarding eligibility. Supervisors at the directorate then conduct a more in-depth review, which may require the household to submit additional documents. If the supervisors confirm eligibility, the case is referred to a social worker (case manager) at the directorate.
2. Needs Assessment
The assigned social worker (case manager) contacts the household and arranges one or more field visits to assess their living conditions in depth. This allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the household's needs across different areas, as well as identifying available resources that can be utilized as part of the intervention plan.
3. Assistance Planning
The social worker (case manager) collaborates with the household to develop a tailored assistance plan, including social and economic empowerment strategies. This plan is then reviewed and refined with the supervisor before being finalized.
4. Implementation and Follow-up
The household and the case manager begin implementing the assistance plan within a predetermined timeframe. The case manager ensures that all involved parties, both within and outside the ministry, fulfill their respective roles.
5. Outcome Evaluation and Case Closure
At the end of the intervention period, the social worker and the household assess progress toward achieving the plan’s objectives. Based on the evaluation, the case is either closed or extended for a short period to address any remaining needs.
Beneficiary Data Update Campaign and Waiting List Registration
The first phase of the National Social Registry was officially adopted by the Palestinian Prime Minister’s Office on December 8, 2021. It began in the northern governorates with a team of 157 social workers (case managers) distributed across 12 directorates, supported by a large team of technical and support experts from the ministry and the system’s development company.
The data update process was successfully completed by April 2022, thanks to the efforts of field teams and a structured ministry plan that allocated cases per directorate and determined the number of daily household visits. To date, 47,000 cases have been updated.
On June 12, 2022, the Ministry of Social Development launched a new data update campaign in the southern governorates, funded by the World Bank. This phase targeted 88,000 beneficiaries, in addition to those on waiting lists, bringing the total number of updated cases by the end of the campaign (scheduled to run until the end of the year) to approximately 136,000 cases.
What is Required from Registered Households During the First Phase (Data Update)?
Households must cooperate with social workers during field visits to update their data based on the multidimensional poverty assessment.
They must provide the necessary supporting documents that verify their socioeconomic status.
For more information about the National Social Registry and Case Management.
