The Status Quo and Gap Analyses of Digital Social Protection Systems and Cross-Border Portability of Benefits in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) intends to assess, analyse and propose recommendations for strengthening cross-border portability of social protection benefits through system interoperability across the CARICOM region.
The project aims to evaluate the current digital and administrative landscapes, identify existing gaps and develop an actionable roadmap to enhance the data exchange and interoperability of social protection systems within CARICOM.
By focusing on digital solutions and harmonised administrative processes, the initiative seeks to strengthen the CARICOM Agreement on Social Security, signed in 1996, thereby promoting greater labour mobility and social protection.
Activities
A1. Design and implement data collection tools, including surveys and interview templates
A2. Assess cross-border data exchange mechanisms and the readiness of the social protection system interoperability in CARICOM
A3. Identify key challenges, gaps and barriers from legal, institutional, administrative and technical perspectives
A4. Organize and facilitate regional workshops with CARICOM social security institutions to validate preliminary findings and gather further insights
Outputs
D1.1. Development of Research Tools and Methodology
D1.2. Develop Research Tools based on the ISSA ICT Guidelines
D1.3. Validate the methodology and tools with the Technical Working Group through consultations and pilot testing to ensure relevance and applicability
D2.1. Data Collection for Status Quo and Gap Analyses
D2.2. Distribute surveys to all CARICOM social security institutions
D2.3. Provide technical support to institutions in completing the surveys, ensuring clarity and consistency in responses
D2.4. Conduct virtual or in-person interviews with key institutional and beneficiary representatives
D3.1. Drafting of Status Quo and Gap Analyses Report
D3.2. Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of social protection systems interoperability readiness and data exchange mechanisms in CARICOM, consolidating findings from surveys, interviews and institutional consultations.
D3.3. Conduct a detailed comparison of current practices against international interoperability frameworks
D3.4. Summarize key observations
D4.1. Regional Validation and Stakeholder Engagement
D4.2. Organize and facilitate at least two virtual, hybrid or in-person regional workshops or meetings
D4.3. Prepare workshop or meeting summary reports
