NFSP core group meeting minutes
Venue: MJF
Date: 24 November 2015

Major discussion and decisions:
1. Recently adopted National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) of Government should be reviewed by a social protection expert aiming to identify the advocacy issues. Citizen concerns on NSSS are also essential to feed in the review report. So, awareness raising on NSSS should be an integral part in this regard. Besides, the consultant will have to scout the issues those are beyond the NSSS coverage. Important to note that NSSS critique should be aligned with General Economic Division (GED) interests i.e. Budget allocation of the SSN program and implementation. A TOR on “Review report on NSSS” will be prepared by NFSP secretariat by first week of December 2015. The external consultant will complete the task by January 2016.
2. The aforesaid review report will be an advocacy material for NFSP. This report will be shared in a round table meeting where policy planners i.e. GED, cabinet division and relevant organizations will be invited. At the same time, a TV talk show will be arranged to popularize the advocacy them. Prior to the fiscal year budget declaration (in between February to April 2016), this advocacy program will be arranged;
3. In the NSSS, it is noted that government will accomplish social pension for all citizens in a long run. But the report does not show explicit direction on how to do. Since a policy advocacy paper on “Universal pension scheme” has been drafted recently by Dr. Tofail Ahmed, Co-convener of NFSP, would be an important advocacy issues to inspire GOB officials. So, immediate after the NSSS review advocacy program, another thematic advocacy program on universal pension scheme will be commenced by the NFSP;
AOB:
 SGSP-CS component’s project partners are collating beneficiaries’ feedback from the grassroots level through implementing SA tools. These grievances/feedbacks will be tuned by an external consultant and shared in the NFSP meeting;
 Help Age International is implementing projects to uphold the older peoples’ rights in Bangladesh. Help age is keenly interested to amalgamate it’s advocacy tools with the NFSP’s contemporary advocacy initiatives;
Prepared by: Mohasin Kabir