PROMOTION
OF COOPERATION IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
Project name:
Promotion of Cooperation in the Area of Social Assistance
Budget: USD 124,000
Timeline: October
2005- December 2006
What's the situation?
According to the 2002 Household Survey data, prepared by the
DÝE, 0,20% of the total population in Turkey is under
the absulote poverty line. This rate increases to 2,9% for
food poverty line. Furthermore, it dramatically increases
to 28.3 % for food and non-food poverty line, which is defined
according to the local cost of basic needs basket including
non-food.
Turkey's national institutions dealing with
poverty, poverty asistance and social support are multiple.
In this social asistance scheeme- SYDGM has been the most
extensive provider of poverty asistance in Turkey.
Turkey's Millennium Development Goals Report (MDGR) in 2005,
identifies poverty as a key challenge of national development.
The MDGR also further identifies of coherent policy and institutional
capacity need for effectively addressing poverty in Turkey.
Turkey's Mid-Term Plan, spanning 2007-2008,
is the planning framework for the national development and
poverty reduction strategy.The Plan emphasizes the need for
more effective social services delivery and outreach and a
poverty asistance system.
What's our mission?
The draft Country Program Document for Turkey (2006-2010)
identifies advocacy and action for poverty reduction as a
clear UNDP portfolio for the years specified. For this reason,
UNDP will prioritise increased support to policy dialogue
on poverty to ensure that Turkey's social and economic transformations
yield pro-poor results and achievements of the MGDs for all
citizens. To do this, UNDP will bring together a national
community of practice involving a multitude of actors in the
areas of poverty and social policy, social assistance, micro
finance and private sector to inform pro-poor policy-making.
How are we doing
this?
We will do this through:
1. Establishing a poverty combat portal -
an interactive resource house for poverty practitioners in
the government, civil society and the academe
2. Supporting structured debate among practitioner around
poverty assistance and social inclusion policies, leading
to policy advise to government actors
3. Supporting original and innovative research on poverty
and social policy
The poverty combat portal will include the
relevant knowledge Turkey has developed in poverty reduction
and social policy fields; and will avail this knowledge to
a broad range of users in a web based environment.
The workshops and national community of practice
meetings will provide a ground for the networking between
the institutions acting in the area of poverty, social assistance
and social services to share their experience and knowledge
accumulations and for creating an atmosphere of dialogue to
improve long-term social policies on poverty reduction, social
assistance and social services for Turkey.
Who are our partners?
The project is executed by General Directorate of Social Assistance
and Solidarity. Strategic partners include the State Planning
Organization, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the
Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHCEK), labor
syndicates, and employer unions. Practitioners - from the
government, civil society, and academe, are project stakeholders
and actors.
How will Turkey benefit?
Networking among practitioners and pooling of knowledge on
poverty will allow policy makers to improve poverty reduction
and social assistance schemes - strengthening Turkey's poverty
and social assistance practice, resulting in better services
to the poor, increasing their choices and opportunities.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Yesim Oruç Kaya
Programme Manager, UNDP
Tel: (90-312) 454 1130
E-mail: yesim.oruc@undp.org
Nermin Akyil
Head of Project Department, GDSAS
Tel: ( 90-312) 424 0940 / 157
E-mail: nerminakyil@basbakanlik.gov.tr
Fatma Senem Gelir
Project Asistant
E-mail: fatma.gelir@undp.org
fsgelir@basbakanlik.gov.tr
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