Minutes on National Forum for Social Protection (NFSP) Meeting
Organized by : Manusher Jonno Foundation, Venue: ALOK training Center, MJF
Presided by: Ms. Rasheda K. Choudhury, Convener, NFSP
Date: 16 November 2014 (10:30 AM to 12.30 PM)
Total participants: 38 (Male 28, female 10)
A meeting of NFSP has been organized at MJF on 16 November 2014 where distinguished NFSP members, representatives of PNGOs and members of Upazila Social Protection Forum attended the meeting.
The meeting focused on the following agenda:
Sl# Agenda
1 Participants’ self Introduction and welcome
2 Follow up and previous meeting minutes review
3 Acceptance of the structure of NFSP that was proposed in the last meeting
4 Strategy for coordination between the national and local social protection forums
5 Plan for ‘NFSP’ launching ceremony
6 AOB
a. Communication and Coordination strategy of NFSP

Agenda 2: Follow up and previous meeting minutes review: The last meeting minutes was reviewed by Mr. Ziaul Karim, member secretary of the NFSP. The feedbacks and recommendations under this agenda are noted in the Agenda 3.
Agenda 3: Acceptance of the structure of NFSP that was proposed in the last meeting:
Discussion Decision
– “A resource pool/advisory groups should be formed with think tank, research personalities who will provide their expertise on developing tools of collating beneficiaries’ feedbacks and social protection issues.” – Ms. Shaheen Anam;
– “The member organization of NFSP (two criteria of membership: organization and individual) should delegate their contact person for ceaseless update and communication with NFSP.” – Ms. Rasheda K. Choudhury; The participants agreed to form an advisory committee to flourish the NFSP initiatives. The number of advisors might be open ended.

Agenda 4: Strategy for coordination between the national and local social protection forums
Discussion Decision
The communication strategy includes two types of communication for collating feedback and policy level issues for on ward advocacy to the policy planners. Such as :
– The first strategy involves a bottom-up information flow of social protection forum which includes FSP of different tiers for channeling the information to the NFSP. For instance, the evidences of grassroots level will be collated by Union Parishads level FSP and shared upwardly to the Upzila, District and national social protection forum for proper advocacy. The roles of different level FSP
– The second communication strategy should set out for the NGOs working in same thematic areas those are not involved as SGSP partner NGOs. Some of these NGOs do not have structured civil society forum at grassroots level to advocate the SSN policy level issues. Hence, the discussant questioned on possible pattern of communication with NFSP for policy advocacy as they are working to strengthen the social protection services.

Dr. Tofial Ahmed, co-convener suggested to communicate with NFSP secretariat in this regard. NFSP secretariat may initiate to validate the identified issues for necessary advocacy initiatives, he added.

Ms. Roksana Khondoker, ED, Khan Foundation agreed this point and also added, NGOs working in the same areas should place identified advocacy issues though local level social protection forum.

Abdul Awal, Chief Executive, NRDS also recommended that NFSP secretariat should establish an effective coordination and sharing among the NGOs working in the same issues.

SMA Rashid, ED, NGO forum said that NFSP should explore a strategy of involving Union Parishads standing committee in collating feedback and effective follow-up mechanism.

Md. Shariful Islam Talukder, convener, Kazipur UzSPF, Sirajgonj said that the Uz level SPF members are not intellectually equipped enough to face the local level challenges at this moment. So, NFSP should arrange some capacity building initiatives for UZSPF to motivate the service providers effectively. The convener suggested UzSPF members to present the local level challenges in the upcoming NFSP meeting in this regard. The NFSP secretariat may arrange a lesson learning session where the activities update and challenges might be discussed.

Dr. Tofial Ahmed, Co-convener said that in Bangladesh the SSN programmes are full in tension especially in the targeting process. For instance, political biasness and nepotism always hamper the accurate targeting. NFSP should collate the policy issues for advocacy
– NFSP secretariat will coordinate to collate and validate the identified SSN issues of different NGOs working in different places;
– The NFSP secretariat will arrange a lesson learning session for the district/upazila level SPF prior to the next NFSP meeting. Sharing different areas’ challenges and mitigation measurement will guide the participants for future projection of activities

Agenda 5: Plan for ‘NFSP launching ceremony
Discussion Decision
The NFSP members agreed that the member organization will be very busy to celebrate International human rights day in December 2014. So, by third week of January 2015, the NFSP launching programme will be organized. NFSP secretariat will develop a concept note and circulate to the members by next week

Agenda 6: AOB
Discussion Decision
a. Communication and Coordination strategy of NFSP: The convener suggested maintaining continuity of NFSP member for providing effective inputs to endeavor the forum activities. She also suggested that the representatives of respective organizations should delegate someone else of their organization to communicate regularly in this connection. Since, the local level FSP will provide the evidence on social protection issues, the evidence should be reviewed and validated by secretariat of the NFSP. The collated evidences derived by the local level FSP will be reviewed and validated by secretariat of the NFSP.
Annex 1: Roles of Different level SPF

Minutes prepared by: Mohashin Kabir, DPM-MJF