MoSD Participates in National Workshop on Developing the Social Expenditure Monitor for Palestine
Amman – The Ministry of Social Development, represented by Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Development and Planning Ashraf Al-Barghouti, participated in the national workshop on the Social Expenditure Monitor (SEM) for the State of Palestine, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Amman, Jordan, with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and other relevant institutions.
In addition to Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Development and Planning Ashraf Al-Barghouti, the Ministry’s delegation included Mohammad Al-Qarm, Director General of the General Directorate for Family and Childhood; Malik Abu Khalil, Director General of Social Care and Rehabilitation; Mohammad Saleem, Director General of the General Directorate for Associations; Jihan Abdullah, Director of the Planning Department; Ibrahim Nakhleh, Director of the Budget Department; Mohammad Asafrah, Programmer; and Jihad Al-Sharif, Director of the Emergency Assistance Department.
The workshop aimed to discuss the development of a national Social Expenditure Monitor in Palestine as a systematic tool for tracking and analyzing social expenditure and assessing its efficiency, equity, and effectiveness, as well as the extent to which public resources reach the sectors and groups most in need. This would support evidence-based social and fiscal policymaking and decision-making.
The workshop discussed Palestine’s economic, fiscal, and social context amid growing pressures on public finances and expanding social and humanitarian needs. Discussions highlighted the importance of improving the efficiency of available resource allocation and linking social expenditure to national priorities, policies, and targeted development outcomes. The workshop also addressed the Monitor’s role in identifying gaps in resource allocation, assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of social expenditure, and supporting the development of fiscal policies that are more firmly grounded in data and evidence.
Participants reviewed the Social Expenditure Monitor framework and its interactive dashboard, as well as the structure and classifications of the Palestinian budget, available data, and their alignment with the Monitor’s requirements. They also discussed data-related needs and gaps, classification requirements, and mechanisms for data exchange among relevant institutions.
The Monitor framework covers seven key dimensions of social expenditure: education; health and nutrition; housing, connectivity, and community amenities; labour market interventions and employment generation; social protection, support, and assistance to farmers; arts, culture, and sports; and environmental protection. This framework enables a more comprehensive assessment of the distribution of social expenditure and its alignment with national policies and priorities.
Discussions also focused on the importance of developing regular institutional mechanisms for data exchange, defining responsibilities and focal points among relevant institutions, and linking budget items to social expenditure indicators in accordance with the Monitor’s methodology. These measures are intended to ensure data accuracy, sustainable updating, and effective use of information in planning and decision-making.
The Ministry emphasized the importance of developing the Social Expenditure Monitor in Palestine as a tool to support social planning and policymaking. Its role goes beyond tracking the volume of expenditure to analyzing the relationship between available resources, policies, programmes, and achieved outcomes, while identifying gaps and priorities. This would contribute to improving the efficiency and equity of social expenditure and directing resources more effectively toward the groups most in need.
The workshop concluded with a discussion of the next steps required to complete the development of the Monitor, including identifying technical focal points, establishing responsibilities and mechanisms for data exchange, and completing the alignment of budget data with the Monitor framework, with the aim of developing a more integrated national system for monitoring and analyzing social expenditure in Palestine.