Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man you have seen, and ask yourself if this step you contemplate is going to be any use to him.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
The world is constantly changing, both from an economic and social perspective. Economic and social development are closely interlinked, with global economic shocks having a significant impact on social protection systems. From the beginning of the 00´s with incredible GDP growth rates, historically low unemployment rates, private spending levels exploding, expansion of social protection coverage in emerging markets such as Brazil and China. To the economic crises hitting the world, and the “new black” was “austerity” and where governments as a response to the world financial crises, rapidly implemented new reforms on pension, benefit programs and unemployment schemes.
Social Protection can be defined in terms of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets, diminishing people's exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to manage economic and social risks, such as unemployment, , sickness, disability and old age.
SAP has a long association with Social Protection organizations around the world. We work closely with all level of Government – Local, Regional and Central - in all areas of Social Protection, such as Child Welfare, Support & Protection, Employment, Social Security, Pension Administration and Social Care delivery.
For years Indiana's infant mortality rate, a measurement of infant deaths within the first year of life and an important public health indicator has ranked near the bottom nationally. A partnership between SAP and State of Indiana was formed, and a SAP solution based on HANA and Analytics was implemented to Lower Infant Mortality and Child Fatality. http://scn.sap.com/community/public-sector/blog/2014/10/02/road-map-to-success-paved-by-data
In Australia, Queensland is using a real-time data platform to reduce fraud and non-compliance . http://www.itnews.com.au/News/358144,qld-state-revenue-reaps-27m-from-hana-implementation.aspx
The Department of Human Services have implemented a nationwide Fraud management strategy, based on Investigative Case management, helping them to reduce Fraud and non-compliance in delivery of Government benefits.
In Germany, Singapore, UK, South Africa, US and numerous other countries, SAP solutions are helping Government reduce unemployment by optimizing job matching as well as improving citizens’ employability through up-skilling and learning programs.
SAP is helping customers around the world deliver benefits, manage complex and ever changing rules and legislation and providing caseworkers with the best tools to manage their engagement with citizens.
Each country has a different approach to social policy. Social policy is one of most dominant features of national identity with social norms characterized by the way society addresses social risks. It provides a safety net for people in economic and socially vulnerable situations.
Empowering people is the new mantra within a modern social protection organization – this means giving people the skills and capability to manage their lives through the life events they experience such as employment/unemployment, children, disability, sickness, with minimal direct involvement by government.
Government’s social policy objectives are to enable people to economically and socially participate within society and only to lend a helping hand when needed.
The socially empowered citizen will develop trust in government through their active engagement in society rather than losing confidence in government through regulatory driven engagement with the service delivery system.
