2017 ICT4D Conference

Across developing countries, there is a growing recognition that building linkages between the Management Information Systems (MISs) of individual social protection programmes can bring about significant efficiency gains while also enabling governments to monitor national social protection systems more effectively. Information collected on applicants and beneficiaries that is shared between programmes and governments can build a comprehensive picture of the national profile of beneficiaries (and those denied access) as well as the performance of schemes and the national social protection system.

This presentation presents a potential model for integrated information management for a national social protection system and details the challenges and opportunities for developing countries when managing information of their citizens (beneficiaries). In doing so however, we must address the growing terminological confusion and, in particular, significant misunderstandings about two very different types of registries that countries may choose to pursue within social protection: Single Registries and what are increasingly becoming known as Social Registries.