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Social protection is a critical tool for promoting economic and social inclusion, reducing inequality and poverty, addressing vulnerabilities, and investing in human development. Social protection is viewed as nationally owned policies and instruments that provide income or in-kind support, protect from deprivations and exclusion, and empower individuals and households by increasing productivity and capabilities. Responsive and accountable governance plays a vital role in removing barriers and ensuring effective checks and balances, enabling citizens to fully benefit from social protection (UNDP, 2022).
The objective of this research is to understand the challenges to achieving responsive and accountable governance in social protection, which hinder citizens from fully benefiting from social protection in Sri Lanka. This paper will draw on one of the key thematic areas identified in UNDP’s Social Protection Offer 2.0, which is responsive and accountable governance. It plays vital role in removing barriers and ensuring effective checks and balances, enabling citizens to fully benefit from social protection (ibid). In this context the challenges in governance are explained through two dimensions: 1) Mechanisms and Administrative systems dimention and 2) Supply and demand dimention. These dimensions are used to explore challenges such as lack of transparency, discrimination, mismanagement and corruption in the delivery system. In addition, the research explored facilitating nature of operational communication to achieve responsive and accountable governance in social protection.
The research used qualitative methods, and the study covered seven provinces in Sri Lanka. Data was collected from over 300 research participants using Focus Group Discussions, In-depth Interviews, Key Informant Interviews, and Participatory Observations tools. Qualitative data was analyzed using the framework approach, which utilized pre-defined codes according to the thematic areas defined under Responsive and Accountable Governance in UNDP’s Social Protection Offer 2.0 (ibid).
By explaining these challenges, the study provides insights for policymakers and practitioners to strengthen social protection in Sri Lanka, through responsive and accountable governance in the delivery system.
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