Co-ordinating social protection programme: the case of the social safety net in Zambia

This report consisting of eight chapters provides a descriptive analysis of the activities of the National Social Safety Net (NSSN) in Zambia with particular emphasis on the coordinating function. The report is a result of the student's attachment to the NSSN for a period of four months from 1 July to 31 October 1999 and is in partial fulfilment of the MCD programme. The main purpose of the attachment was to appreciate and analyse the organisation's communication patterns and assess the effectiveness of its co-ordinating function. In order to come up with the information contained in this report, the student used a qualitative approach. This involved active participant observation, in-depth interviews,
and study of relevant literature and documents. Having outlined the NSSN's current activities in relation to its co-ordinating function, the student has established that although the organisation has achieved noticeable results in
the area of capacity and institutional building of some of the main safety nets, it has not been effective as a co-ordinating body. In spite of some effort made to equip the main safety nets with the necessary technology which would enhance whatever existing communication networks there may be and facilitate the establishment of the much
needed service linkages, organisational and funding problems faced by the NSSN have
hindered progress in this area. As such, despite its existence as a co-ordinating body, the NSSN has not undertaken any noticeable co-ordination activities and the various safety nets (which it is supposed to co-ordinate) operate independently of each other without any significant co-ordination and networking. It is clear from the report that in order for the NSSN to succeed in its mission, it would require appropriate funding, legislative backing, and redefinition of its policy framework.