The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $100 million concessional loan for Uzbekistan to implement the Innovative Social Protection System for Inclusion of Vulnerable People (INSON) Project. The initiative aims to enhance access to and the quality of social services for vulnerable populations in Uzbekistan.
Additionally, the project is co-financed by a $2 million grant from the Early Learning Partnership, a multi-donor trust fund at the World Bank focused on supporting vulnerable children’s development and learning. These funds will be allocated to evaluate the impact of community-level social services on vulnerable children's well-being and improve service quality.
“We welcome the efforts of the Government of Uzbekistan to enhance the capacity of the national social protection system to provide inclusive and effective support to vulnerable people,” stated Marco Mantovanelli, World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan. “This project will help build the legal and institutional foundations of the care economy. It will also expand access to quality on-demand social services that are currently underprovided to thousands of vulnerable people across the country, including older people, persons with disabilities, survivors of gender-based violence, and vulnerable children.”
The National Social Protection Agency (NASP), under the Office of the President of Uzbekistan, will implement this project in collaboration with various government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international development partners.
Expected outcomes include:
- Establishing over 50 community-based territorial social service centers (TSSCs) targeting vulnerable groups.
- Improving access for over 50,000 individuals—including older people, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable children—to quality social care and rehabilitation services provided by TSSCs.
- Supporting NASP in developing a legal framework to improve cost and quality standards for home-based, community center-based, and residential center-based social services.
- Creating conditions for a regulated market for private providers' social services.
- Establishing a social case management system offering personalized support.
- Equipping 1,200 persons with disabilities with professional skills and employment opportunities.
- Providing comprehensive services to women attending 29 Women Adaptation and Rehabilitation Centers across Uzbekistan.
- Laying foundations for shock-responsive social protection through policy development, emergency procedures, and piloting a climate adaptation program covering 100,000 poor rural residents.
These activities aim to expand economic opportunities for beneficiaries while ensuring their societal integration and improving overall well-being.