Policy Brief on Digital Technologies Bridging Social Protection and Employment Systems

The consultant will: • Align framing with DCI SP&E standards. Use the “employment support systems” terminology and position the standards as a foundation for a wider set of country contexts and use cases, not only interoperability. • Develop case studies from Pakistan. Include 3 short cases covering diverse sector and contexts in Pakistan. • Formulate practical recommendations for broader and more systematic use of digital technology for policymakers, social protection and labour institutions, and development partners. • Draft the brief in accessible, policy-oriented language, and revise based on two rounds of consolidated feedback. The consultant should cover: • Role of an operational IBR in supporting data and information flows, reducing duplication, easing staff workload, and lowering the burden on beneficiaries throughout the assistance cycle. • Lessons for bridging SP and employment: how the same interoperability logic can be extended to connect beneficiaries with training, livelihood support, and labour market programmes. Complementary short cases (in other international contexts of low income countries) may be drawn on to illustrate two-way data exchange between social assistance administrations and employment services — such as real-time eligibility verification, automatic referrals, and shared case management — but the Pakistan cases should remain the central narrative.