COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT: THE JAMAICAN EXPERIENCE

Background to OAS/Jamaica Cooperation Initiatives

The Organization of American States has been cooperating with Jamaica in several areas including Labour and Social Protection for many years

Most of the Social Protection initiatives relate to our flagship Social Safety Net programme

The Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education, PATH, is a programme of assistance to the lowest quintile of poor families in Jamaica, which uses conditional payments to improve attainments in Health and Education Statistics to assist in breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty

Background to OAS/Jamaica Cooperation Initiatives - PATH

PATH is a Government of Jamaica Programme with partial financing from the World Bank and the IDB

PATH is it itself a cooperation initiative

PATH was introduced in 2002 as the replacement programme for three (3) Social Assistance Programmes

OAS/Jamaica Cooperation Initiatives – Bridge Jamaica

In 2007, the OAS initiated a horizontal cooperation programme known as Puente in the Caribbean

Bridge Jamaica is our version of Chile’s Puente programme

Bridge Jamaica provides selected PATH families with targeted interventions to provide access to critical services which link them to their basic rights as citizens

The OAS serves as the focal point for cooperation and knowledge sharing for Puente in the Caribbean

OAS/Jamaica Cooperation Initiatives – Bridge Jamaica

Bridge Jamaica includes a very intensive case work component

The case work lessons learned from the Bridge Jamaica intervention formed the backbone of our recently implemented Case Management Initiative

Case Management will be an important part of our soon to be introduced Graduation Strategy for families on PATH

Recent OAS/Jamaica Cooperation – Study Tour by St. Kitts

In June 2012, the OAS facilitated a delegation from St. Kitts to visit Jamaica

Opportunity was used to learn about the PATH and Bridge Jamaica programmes

St. Kitts used the learning experience to assist in the implementation of their own Social Safety Net programme

Recent OAS/Jamaica Cooperation – Study Tour to Washington, DC

In July 2012, the OAS, the Department of Labor and the IDB hosted a delegation from Jamaica to exchange ideas on labour and social protection issues

The topics of discussions included pensions and labour market interventions especially those related to tacking the issue of youth unemployment

The visit included tours of facilities and programmes focussed on these subjects

Recent OAS/Caribbean Cooperation – Barbados Workshop

In September 2013, the OAS hosted fifteen Caribbean countries and organizations at a Social Protection Workshop in Barbados

Countries/organizations presented on their programmes and several opportunities for cooperation were proposed

Important exchange of information

OAS/Jamaican Cooperation - The Way Forward

Graduation Strategy- Case Management- Steps to Work

Cooperation activities with other countries

OAS Cooperation Memories

OAS Cooperation Memories

OAS Cooperation Memories