Terms and Reference (ToR)
of
Social Protection Forum (SPF)
Citizens’ capacity to express and exercise their views is a vital part of poverty reduction. States that can be held accountable for their actions are more likely to respond to the different needs and demands of the public. The social accountability challenge in service provisioning is to ensure that citizens are not simply “users and choosers” but “shapers and makers”. To engage with public service providers and move beyond consultation to real influence, citizens’ engagement could ensure rights for the poor and marginalized to a more meaningful form of participation.
Public services are often geared towards benefiting the political elite rather than poor citizens in Bangladesh. Service providers account primarily to policy makers and politicians rather than the poor who receive these services. Political connections protect officials from sanction when they fail to meet their commitments and responsibilities. Because service delivery is constrained by resources, there is ample scope for officials to use their discretion.
In considering women, girls and marginalized, these groups are suffer most from failures to enjoy any kind of facilty and stand to gain most from efforts to address them. A strong citizen’s initiatives may reinforce inclusion of women; marginalised groups are to be empowered to voice their views.
Social Protection Forum (SPF)
To enhancing accountability and transparency of government social protection system in Bangladesh an organized forum could play an important role. This forum mainly work as community watchdog groups aim to dissuade misuse of social safetynet program and promote good governance by demanding transparency and accountability of service delivery institutions/agencies so that people are not subjected to undue and unnecessary harassment or made to bear additional costs for services.
To overcome the circumstances a ‘Social Protection Forum (SPF)’ will be formed in four (4) stages, i). Union/Municipality Social Protection Forum (USPF/MSPF); ii) Upazila Social Protection Forum (UzSPF); iii) District Forum for Social Protection; and iii) Natioanl Forum for Social Protection. The forum will consist of individual member and ensure half of female representatives.
General Eligibility of Membership:
- A person/organization with high integrity, honesty and willing to work as volunteer,
- Widely respected, locally influential and acceptable to all,
- Academitian and think-tank,
- Representatives of Education institutions,
- Repesetatives from benificiaries of relevant safty net services.
- Media persons
Should not be:
- Convicted of a criminal offense,
- Involved in social and moral turpitude,
- Actively involved in party politics or holding designated position,
- Guilty of any default of any public dues or duties.
| i) Union/Municipality Social Protection Forum (USPF/MSPF) | ii) Upazila Social Protection Forum (UzSPF) |
|---|---|
| • A total of 15-20 members comprises with individual representation; (1 Safty net beneficiary from per program, 10 Social Influencial leaders). • Make a list of 10 safty net beneficiaries for each program and Social Influencial leaders at ward level and organize a workshop/meeting to select/elect union level representatives. • Committee comprises along with 1 president, 1 vice president, 1 secretary, 1 treasure, 1 organizational secretary and others will be members; elected/selected in a democratic way in forum meeting. • Encurage female ledearship at the top position, if president is female then secretary may be man. • The tenure of the committee will be 2 years. | • A total of 21-27 members comprises with individual representation; (1 representative from per Up/Municipality, 5 safety net beneficiaries, not from same program, 10 Social Influencial leaders/local civil society members) • Representatives from Union and Municipality, selected by Union and Municipality level forum meeting. • Committee comprises along with 1 president, 1 vice president, 1 secretary, 1 treasure, 1 organizational secretary and others will be members; elected/selected in a meeting in a democratic way in forum meeting. • Encurage female ledearship at the top position, if president is female then secretary may be man. • The tenure of the committee will be 2 years. |
Organize and facilitate arwarness campaign
- To amplify demands from the grassroots
- Act as an effective challenge function in monitoring the existing schemes
- Act as animator to change the current scenarios of social safety net program
- Organize and facilitate arwarness campaign
| i) Union/Municipality Social Protection Forum (USPF/MSPF) | ii) Upazila Social Protection Forum (UzSPF) |
|---|---|
| Bi-monthly | Monthly |