Child Wellbeing in Child Wellbeing in UzbekistanUzbekistan::

Developing a Common VisionDeveloping a Common Vision

Preliminary results of the country study in Uzbekistan

2-4 April 2008Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Living StandardsLiving Standards in Uzbekistanin Uzbekistan (1) (1)

Measuring approaches Income-based poverty (low limit of wages) ‘Community-based’ self-assessment poverty (system of social

protection through ‘makhalla’)Consumption-based poverty (the calorie-based – 2100 k/cal)

Living StandardsLiving Standards in Uzbekistan in Uzbekistan (2)(2)

Public policy and measures• Social orientation of transition period (doctrine)• Full coverage of social policy to avoid sharp fall in living standards (in

early years of transition)• The highest level of social policy expenditures among CIS countries

and other transition economies• Targeted measures of public policy against individual groups of

population• Narrowing of coverage, strengthening of targetness, increasing of

volumes

Living StandardsLiving Standards in Uzbekistan in Uzbekistan (3)(3)WIS – a comprehensive approach at the national level• Transition from ‘socially-oriented’ policy to ‘pro-poor’ macroeconomic

and institutional reforms• Consolidation of all macroeconomic, sectoral and regional (territorial)

programs into a single strategy to provide comprehensivity (complexity) and synergies

• Attempting to reconsider macroeconomic policy – from ‘export-led’ growth to ‘investment-led’ growth

Living StandardsLiving Standards in Uzbekistan in Uzbekistan (4)(4)

Regionalization and localization of WIS• Localization of national priorities – a unified instrument for WIS

implementation• Developing of regional development strategies: strengthening of local

capacities, complexity, priorities• Strengthening of local (regional) capacities to ensure targetness of

fiscal, monetary and social policies for improving living standards, especially vulnerable population groups

• Examples: Republic of Karakalpakstan, Namangan, Fergana and Kashkadaraya Viloyats (provinces)

Child Wellbeing Profile in UzbekistanChild Wellbeing Profile in Uzbekistan (1)(1)The most sensitive categories C1: Children from big families C2: Children from rural families, living in mountain and other remote

regions C3: Children from families with single parent C4: Children with disabilities C5: Children from families with no temporary or permanent

registration C6: Children in public care C7: Street children C8: Children of migrants C9: Children whose parents are unemployed

Analysis of Child Wellbeing through 3 segments:• S1: Household income and expenditure patterns: analysis of

household priorities and their impact on child wellbeing• S2: Access to public services and resources: analysis of accessibility

and quality of guaranteed public services and its implications for child wellbeing

• S3: Welfare implications of government polices: decision-making and policy-making processes; institutional-legal framework

Child Wellbeing Profile in UzbekistanChild Wellbeing Profile in Uzbekistan (2) (2)

Measurement and indicators• Availability and accessibility of statistical information, in particular, the

key indicators of child wellbeing (e.g., the level and concentration of child wellbeing / poverty)

• Data incompatibilities due differing definitions, data collection and processing methods (e.g., a lack of commonly accepted definition of child wellbeing / poverty)

• Frequency, timeliness and disaggregation level of available data on child wellbeing / poverty

Child Wellbeing Profile in UzbekistanChild Wellbeing Profile in Uzbekistan (3) (3)

Child Wellbeing Profile in Uzbekistan Child Wellbeing Profile in Uzbekistan (4)(4)

# Child Poverty Profile Categories

Availability and/or Accordance(number of indicators)

Proposed Profile Global Study

Categories

C1 Children from big families 23 17

C2 Children from rural families, living in mountain and other remote 23 17

C3 Children from families with single parent 18 10

C4 Children with disabilities 13 10

C5 Children from families with no temporary or permanent registration 4 6

C6 Children in public care 5 13

C7 Street children 1 0

C8 Children of migrants 0 0

C9 Children whose parents are unemployed 0 0

Segments

S1 Household income and expenditures: 7 9

S2 Access to public services and resources 9 38

S3 Welfare implications of Government polices 11 5

Note: Most of indicators mentioned above, mainly in Global Study, either not available or the quality is under question. Therefore there is a need for further study, including conducting a specialized survey.

Policy Environment and InstitutionsPolicy Environment and Institutions:: policy priorities policy priorities (1)(1)

Priorities of social and economic policies reflects the main components of human development doctrine

Employment and income generation ◦ Targeted employment programs ◦ Private sector development◦ Elasticity of employment with respect to economic growth is low. For every one

percentage point change in the economic growth rate, there is, on average, a 0.3-0.4 percentage point increase in formal-sector employment. At the same time employment does not always protect from poverty.

Strong focus on guaranteeing protection for the vulnerable groups ◦ Pensions, allowances and other transfers plays important role in supporting

vulnerable groups, including poor families with children◦ Some allowances are allocated specifically for families with children◦ Despite wide coverage (1) targeting is good but can be improved, not all elements

of social protection achieve the goal (2) the amount paid to a household can be inadequate to protect the family, (3) there are no guarantees that money paid to the family will be used in the best interest of the child.

Focus on development of education◦ Considerable investments in infrastructure◦ Almost universal access to primary and secondary education, high rates of

literacy ◦ Focus on development of professional education ◦ At the same time the quality of services does it not meet the requirements of

labor market. It limits the opportunities for productive employment. Focus on development of healthcare system

◦ Development of primary healthcare, particularly in rural areas ◦ Specific attention to the focus on reproductive and maternal health, and child

health◦ Balanced nutrition, access to drinking water and sanitation – focus on root

causes, not on consequences. ◦ But, (1) accessibility and quality of health care services can be improved, (2)

more efforts are needed to improve living conditions and health of the population.

Policy Environment and InstitutionsPolicy Environment and Institutions:: policy priorities policy priorities (2)(2)

No child poverty profile

At the same time:◦ In accordance with WIS and other strategic documents essential structural

reforms will be continued to maintain long-term sustainability of the economy◦ This implies trade-offs for particular groups of population ◦ Social policy will play an important role compensating those trade-offs, including

protection of children◦ Effective institutions are needed to improve social policy (situation analysis,

policy formulation, implementation and revision)

• policy measures no not address the needs of vulnerables • insufficient coverage of vulnerable groups • low efficiency of poverty reduction measures

Policy Environment and InstitutionsPolicy Environment and Institutions:: strategy and policy measures strategy and policy measures

Policy formulation: ◦ Lack of bottom-up signals and inadequate policies and inadequate policy

measures ◦ Lack of capacities to assess policy implications on child wellbeing during policy

formulation ◦ Inability to program clear outcomes

Policy implementation: ◦ Insufficient and untimely financing ◦ Lack of institutional and human capacities on the local level◦ Unclear distribution of powers and responsibilities ◦ Inability to localize policies and ensure that outcomes are achieved

Program and strategy monitoring and assessment: ◦Weakness/absence of monitoring systems◦ Lack of flexibility in policy formulation and implementation, particularly on local

level

Policy Environment and InstitutionsPolicy Environment and Institutions:: implementation mechanisms implementation mechanisms

Cabinet of Ministers(implementor of research-

based policy advise)

Key line ministries(expert support)

CER/ASSC(analytical support)

Goscomstat(information and statistical

support)

Discussion platform (brainstormings, round tables, conferences, outreach and visibility)

Partnership in preparation of Country StudyPartnership in preparation of Country Study

- Consensus building and coordination of efforts

- Optimization of policies and measures, strengthening of

monitoring and evaluation system

- Local capacity building