Government of the Republic of Serbia
The Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia published the publication “Innovative Practices in the Field of Social Protection at the Local Level in the Republic of Serbia – Response to the State of Emergency due to the Covid-19 Pandemic”, which is the result of a survey conducted by the Centre for Social Policy for the purpose of identification, detailed description, and promotion of innovative practices in the field of social protection at the local level during the state of emergency in Serbia.
The role of local communities in the period of crisis is significant, primarily because of the possibility of quick reaction, direct insight and access to the most vulnerable, however, this role is also more challenging to understand and monitor. This survey provides an insight into how municipalities and cities dealt with the crisis and how social protection functioned at the local level. Furthermore, the survey indicates solutions that may be useful for future waves of the pandemic or that may become part of standard procedures and services. In this survey, innovative practices include new policies, new modalities of service provision, and new ways of communication and/or user registration, connecting with other sectors, organisational and institutional changes…
The survey refers to the period during the state of emergency in the Republic of Serbia (15 March – 6 May 2020). The publication presents a detailed description of practices that affected a large number of users in that period, which can be applied by other local self-government units (LSGs) or introduced into the regular procedure, as well as innovations that may be important for different crises, for example, in the case of natural disasters.
The publication presents the process of collecting examples of innovative practices, as well as a brief overview of the situation in the field of social protection at the local level in municipalities and cities that have submitted their examples of innovative practices. The focus of the publication is on the presentation of innovative practices, both in the field of social protection services under the authority of LSGs and in the field of material support (cash benefits, in-kind assistance and food banks) and activities initiated due to the state of emergency (supply and call centres).
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