For years, reporting data for social protection programs in Cambodia was a tedious and time-consuming process. Staff from various social protection agencies had to manually gather and report socio-economic data. This involved filling out sheets of paper with information such as client age, health status, education, family structure, household income, and housing status.
The staff would painstakingly compile data for program administrators to monitor performance and evaluate programs. The manual process required significant time and effort and was prone to errors, making it difficult to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
No longer. Thanks to the Abt-led, USAID-funded Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) project, a new monitoring and evaluation (M&E) platform has transformed the system. Many data entry processes have been automated, dramatically improving efficiency and reducing the staff’s workload. The digital transformation enables smoother and more reliable data reporting, freeing up stakeholders to focus on program improvement and policy development.
LHSS worked with the General Secretariat of the National Social Protection Council (GS-NSPC) to support agencies’ efforts to establish the governance mechanisms and implementation plan that have produced a fully functioning, integrated digital platform that automates data collection, analysis, and reporting.
The platform connects GS-NSPC with the 11 ministries in the council and other stakeholders, providing a unified system that ensures everyone has access to reliable, up-to-date information. Managers can assess the performance of social protection programs, identify gaps, and plan improvements based on clear evidence.
In addition, agencies contributing data have their own customized dashboards within the system. The dashboards enable them to track information of the most interest to them and see the benefits of sharing their data with the national platform. Improved transparency fosters collaboration and stakeholder alignment toward the shared goal of improving social protection services.
The transition to the digital M&E platform marks a significant step forward for Cambodia’s social protection system. The modern tool will enable the GS-NSPC in the future to manage programs efficiently, reduce vulnerabilities, and provide targeted support to those who need it most. LHSS’s work will leave a lasting legacy of improved governance and better outcomes for the people of Cambodia.
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Social & Economic Policy in Asia & Pacific
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