What we do

As Armenia navigates a crucial turning point, recent crises—such as the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh, the Ukraine crisis, military escalations with Azerbaijan, rising inflation, and fluctuating exchange rates—have amplified vulnerabilities and deepened inequalities. The urgency for a robust and adaptive social protection system has never been greater.

To address these pressing needs, UNICEF, UNDP, and WFP with the financial support of the European Union have launched a joint initiative aimed at creating an agile, integrated, and human-centered social protection system in Armenia. This initiative is designed to build resilience against vulnerability, deprivation, and crises throughout a person's life. Our comprehensive approach includes policy and legal framework development, strengthening and integrating administrative data systems, capacity building, and prototyping innovative solutions. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Government of Armenia, National Assembly, line Ministries, Governors’ Offices, communities, and Civil Society Organizations ensures a comprehensive and effective implementation.

To tackle these challenges head-on, UNICEF, UNDP, and WFP with the financial support of the European Union have joined forces to launch an innovative initiative aimed at creating a dynamic, integrated, and human-centered social protection system in Armenia. Our mission is to build lasting resilience against vulnerabilities, deprivation, and crises throughout every stage of life. By developing comprehensive policies, integrating advanced data systems, building capacities, and prototyping groundbreaking solutions, we aim to modernize Armenia's social protection landscape. Collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Government of Armenia, National Assembly, line Ministries, Governors’ Offices, communities, and Civil Society Organizations ensures a unified and effective approach.

Our initiative is dedicated to fostering inclusive, resilient, and sustainable socio-economic recovery and growth, paving the way for a brighter, more secure future for people living in Armenia.

Some results so far

Enhanced Social Protection Strategies: 

We are transforming social protection strategies, policies, and programs to provide comprehensive coverage and address risks and vulnerabilities across all life stages. Guided by the strategic framework of Employment and Social Protection sectors, transformed institutional capacity of Unified Social Services, will ensure human-centered and adequately financed and governed social protection policy implementation and service provision rooted in an in-depth functional review.

Modernized Administrative Data Systems: 

By integrating, modernizing, and operationalizing administrative data systems, we aim to improve governance, citizen-centric policy, and program design and delivery, as well as monitoring and evaluation. Our project supports the integration of social sector databases and the development of an advanced data visualization dashboard, promoting analytical and decision-making capabilities. Digital transformation in social protection will be driven by newly developed innovative tools for citizen-centric service delivery and change management.

Capacity Building for Social Services:

We are empowering national and local institutions, the social service workforce, and service providers with the skills and knowledge needed to design, coordinate, and implement integrated, inclusive, and responsive social protection policies. The Nork Social Service Technology and Awareness Center will achieve and maintain ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications. An e-learning platform will facilitate distance learning, evaluation, and certification for social workforce, ensuring accessibility even in remote areas.

Adaptive Social Protection Programs: 

Rights-based and adaptive social protection programs and mechanisms are being prototyped to address intersecting vulnerabilities through an integrated and human-centered approach. More specifically, the new structure and operational model of Unified Social Services will be piloted in conflict-affected and impoverished areas promoting evidence-based change management in social protection.

Supporting Vulnerable Families:

We are creating a supportive environment for socially vulnerable families, including displaced and marginalized populations. A renovated social housing facility will provide safe and stable housing for those in need and will serve a piloting of the new social housing management model.

Innovative Poverty Graduation Mechanisms:

Our initiative includes pioneering mechanisms to help families escape poverty. By piloting employment-boosting programs grounded in innovative mechanisms of result-based financing, we aim to develop sustainable solutions for employment and labor market growth, opening new horizons for poverty reduction.

This project is funded by the European Union.