Moldova, Czech Republic strengthen cooperation in social assistance; RESTART reform supported through new partnership

Moldova and Czechia are strengthening their partnership in the field of social assistance. In Prague, the sides signed an Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Czech Development Agency, the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry of the Czech Republic, and the Labour and Social Protection Ministry of Moldova on the implementation of the project, Support for the Implementation of the RESTART Reform in Moldova.

The event took place during a bilateral meeting between Labour and Social Protection Minister Natalia Plugaru and her Czech counterpart, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Aleš Juchelka. The signing of the amendment reconfirms the parties’ commitment to continuing bilateral cooperation and supporting Moldova’s efforts to modernize and strengthen its social assistance system.

Within the project, the cooperation will focus on five priority areas: training specialists in the application of case management; purchasing the IT equipment necessary for the operation of the social assistance system; conducting a campaign to promote careers in the field of social assistance; facilitating the exchange of best practices on implementing the European Child Guarantee and the ESSI initiative; and developing a methodology for mapping social needs, which will contribute to better planning of social services, as well as training specialists to apply it.

“The partnership between Moldova and the Czech Republic is important for the development of social services in our country. We appreciate the support and openness of our Czech partners in sharing their experience and expertise, as well as their willingness to continue this cooperation,” Natalia Plugaru said.

The visit to the Czech Republic aimed to familiarize the delegation with the Czech social assistance system, exchange experience and adopt best practices regarding the organization, financing, delivery and monitoring of social services, as well as strengthen institutional capacities in the context of reforming the social assistance system of Moldova.

The programme included meetings and working sessions at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (MoLSA), where the delegation had the opportunity to learn about the particularities of the Czech social assistance system, the mechanisms for financing and registering social services, as well as the tools used to supervise and monitor their quality.

An important topic of the discussions was the qualification requirements for social workers and personnel providing social services, as well as the accreditation of vocational training programmes. In addition, during a visit to Charles University in Prague, the delegation addressed education policies, professional competency standards and the role of educational institutions in ensuring the quality of training for specialists in the field of social assistance.

Another important item on the agenda was a visit to the Vysočina Region Social Centre, where experiences were presented regarding the planning and development of the regional social services network, the assessment of the population’s social needs, the monitoring of service quality and the coordination of providers. The participants also discussed mechanisms for financing services at the local level and ways of cooperating with local public authorities, non-governmental organizations, religious organizations and private providers.

The delegation also visited Charita Vlašim, where models for delivering community-based social services were presented, including day services for people with disabilities and older people, home care services, home healthcare and hospice services.

The visit’s agenda also included meetings at the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament with members of the Committee on Social Policy, as well as sessions devoted to social assistance practices for various categories of beneficiaries: informal caregivers, people in detention and those undergoing reintegration after release, military veterans and older people.

On the final day of the visit, the participants learned about the work of the Domov Háje residential centre, which is intended for older people and provides specialized care, as well as the experience of the Neposeda organization, which develops innovative social services and addresses sensitive social issues that are insufficiently discussed in society.

The study visit and bilateral cooperation are carried out within the project, Support for the Implementation of the RESTART Reform in Moldova, with the participation of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic and the Czech Development Agency.