The Social Support Fund of Oman, in collaboration with UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO), is developing an integrated national monitoring and evaluation system for social support programs. This initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of Oman's social support system and is aligned with national macro programs including Oman Vision 2040 and the Social Support Law.
Establishing a National Evaluation Framework
This system provides a unified national framework for measuring the performance of social support programs, monitoring their outcomes and impacts on individuals and families, both citizens and residents. Additionally, this system aids evidence-based decision-making and enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of social policies and programs.
Consultation and Collaboration with Government Entities
The development of this system began about a year ago with technical meetings and in-depth consultations with various government entities and partners. Ministries such as the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Labour participated in these consultations, focusing on programs, services, and performance indicators related to social support. This process led to the creation of an integrated results framework with performance indicators and a monitoring dashboard to track progress and evaluate outcomes at national and sectoral levels.
This system will assist the national social support platform being developed by the Social Support Fund, gathering data, indicators, and analyses related to social support, and enhancing the use of data in planning and developing policies and programs.
Dr. Faisal Al-Farsi, CEO of the Social Support Fund, stated: "The development of the monitoring and evaluation system is a fundamental step towards strengthening governance and transparency across the entire social support system." He also emphasized that this initiative reflects the Fund's commitment to integrated collaboration with its partners to deliver tangible and sustainable results for citizens and residents benefiting from social support programs.
Sumaira Chaudhry, UNICEF representative in Oman, also stated: "UNICEF is proud to support national efforts to strengthen evidence-based social support systems. This system is an advanced model of multi-sectoral collaboration for measuring outcomes and improving the quality of services and programs."
Luca Pellerano, Senior Social Protection Advisor at ILO, added: "Monitoring and evaluation are the foundation of any system that can learn, adapt, and deliver real results for people. This framework will help national entities use evidence to strengthen coverage and adequacy of benefits and how they are delivered."
The next phase will involve completing the testing and piloting of the system and enhancing the technical capacity of the involved entities, which will take place before the official launch of the system and its use in monitoring and evaluating social support programs at the national level.
Read more: India's economic growth forecast increased to 7.1% by Malhotra's survey · Enhancing environmental cooperation between Algeria and Oman
