A Workshop on Targeting and Rapid Assessment for Social Programs was held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 22-23 May 2001. This workshop, organized jointly by Indonesia’s National Development Planning Board (BAPPENAS) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), was the first of a series of four workshops (targeting and rapid impact assessment methodologies; the role of national and local agencies in the implementation of core social protection programs; partnerships in social policy; and social service delivery and related operational issues) under the ASEAN-Australia Social Safety Nets Project funded by AusAID.
Attended by 29 participants from all ten ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretariat, additional observers from the host country (Indonesia) and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, the workshop discussed and exchange ideas on basic methodological and data-related issues involved in identifying, classifying and monitoring target groups and on practical experiences (best-practice cases) in targeting applications in the design of interventions in ASEAN member countries.
The ASEAN-Australia Social Safety Nets Project was formulated in response to the call of the 6th ASEAN Summit held in 1998 in Hanoi to mitigate the social impact of the financial and economic crisis. At the Summit, the ASEAN Leaders recognized that the poor and vulnerable were most affected by the crisis and urged Member Countries to take measures to protect them and to mitigate the impact of the crisis on their lives. In this regard the Leaders agreed to implement the framework of regional activities as spelled out under the ASEAN Action Plan on Social Safety Nets.
In August 1999, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) confirmed A$500,000 to support a project on social safety nets under the Asia Recovery Fund. A feasibility study was then undertaken in early 2000 and recommended two basic thrusts for the project: to address the need to build capacity in the region for designing and implementing emergency social services in response to short-term crisis situations; and to use the project as a vehicle for documenting, gathering and disseminating successful regional experience/approaches in responding to the crisis, drawing on lessons learned from within the region.
