Masters of Science in Social Protection Financing (1 Year Full-Time) UMT609

Transcription

1 Masters of Science in Social Protection Financing (1 Year Full-Time) UMT Background and Objectives Social security is a fundamental human right recognized in numerous international instruments, in particular the Declaration of Philadelphia (1944) which is an integral part of the Constitution of the International Labour Organization, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (2008) adopted by the International Labour Conference. However, the exercise of the right to social security and social protection is denied to vast numbers of citizens of Africa because they do not have access to the existing schemes in most countries of the continent. The enhancement of the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all is one of the four strategic objectives of the Decent Work Agenda that guides the programme of the International Labour Office (ILO). The effective governance of social protection schemes in particular their effective financial governance is an essential prerequisite for the enhancement of the coverage and effectiveness of social protection. To strengthen the financial governance of social protection schemes in Africa, the ILO, with financing from the Federal Republic of Germany, has implemented the project QUATRAIN AFRICA. The project focuses on improving the capacities of national policymakers, administrators, and financial specialists responsible for the financial planning and management of social protection schemes. The expected outcomes are the strengthening of the sustainability of the social protection schemes already in place, their improvement in the future, the development of financially sustainable and well-managed new schemes where gaps now exist, and, as a consequence, the long-term reduction of poverty and the enhancement of welfare in African countries. QUATRAIN AFRICA encompasses several interventions, directed to different target groups (policymakers and tripartite partners, managers, financial specialists). The most significant of the interventions in terms of achieving the expected outcomes just described is the establishment of an Executive Masters of Science in Social Protection Financing (Executive Masters Programme) in Africa through a partnership between the ILO and the University of Mauritius. The Executive Masters Programme will be patterned after similar successful programmes at Maastricht University in the Netherlands (Maastricht Graduate School of Governance) and the Université de Lausanne in Switzerland (Hautes Etudes Commerciales) with which the ILO is already partnered. This course outline summarizes the curriculum of the Executive Masters Programme. Its main purpose is to describe the contents of the Programme for perspective candidates and to provide guidance to teachers for the development of teaching material for each of the Programme s ten modules. This document also serves as the main information source for the formal accreditation of the Executive Masters Programme, as required under the rules and procedures prescribed by the University of Mauritius and the Tertiary Education Commission of Mauritius. 2. General Entry Requirements At least a Second Class Honours Degree from a recognised University, GPA not less than 2.50, or alternative qualifications acceptable to the University of Mauritius. 3. Programme Requirements A Bachelor s Degree (Honours) with at least Second Class in economics, statistics, social science, actuarial science, mathematics, finance or a related field or an acceptable equivalent. Applicants not holding one of those degrees may be asked to pass an entry test. Preference will be given to candidates serving in government ministries, social protection institutions, and organizations representing employers and workers.

2 Other applicants will be accepted according to the availability of places. In the case of applicants from government ministries, social protection organizations and workers and employers organizations, the applicants will be expected to give a written undertaking that, if admitted to the Programme, they will return to their sending ministry, institution or organization for a period after graduation to be mutually agreed between the applicant and her/his employer. 4. General and Programme Requirements Special Cases The following may be deemed to have satisfied the General and Programme requirements for admission: (i) (ii) (iii) Applicants who do not satisfy any of the requirements as per Regulations 2 and 3 above but who submit satisfactory evidence of having passed examinations which are deemed by the Senate to be equivalent to any of those listed. Applicants who do not satisfy any of the requirements as per Regulations 2 and 3 above but who in the opinion of Senate submit satisfactory evidence of the capacity and attainments requisite to enable them to pursue the programme proposed. Applicants who hold a full practising professional qualification obtained by examination. 5. Programme Duration Normal (Years) Maximum (Years) Master s Degree: 1 2 Postgraduate Diploma: 1 2 The Executive Masters Programme is designed for social protection financial specialists and managers. The Programme, which will be one academic year in length, will be composed of two semesters, each consisting of four modules of four weeks each. 6. Credits per Year: Minimum 6 credits, Maximum 42 credits subject to regulation Minimum Credits Required for the Awards Master s Degree: 42 credits Postgraduate Diploma: 36 credits (without dissertation) 8. Assessment Each module will carry 100 marks and will be assessed as follows (unless otherwise specified): Assessment will be based on written examination (of 2 to 3-hour duration, as specified) and continuous assessment carrying a range of 10% to 40% of total marks except for the following module: Continuous assessment will be based on assignment(s), and/or seminar presentations, and/or lab based test (where applicable). A minimum of at least 30% should be attained in each of Continuous Assessment and Written Examination, with an overall total of 40% for a candidate to pass a module. Each module of 60 hours carries 4 credits and each module of 90 hours carries 6 credits. The written Examination for each module will be carried out immediately after the completion of the module. 2

3 9. Specific Regulations If CPA < 40, the student will have to repeat the entire academic year, and retake the modules as and when offered. However, s/he will not be required, if s/he wishes, to retake module(s) for which Grade C or above has been obtained. Students are allowed to repeat only once over the entire duration of the Programme of Studies. 10. Important Note The rules as stipulated in this Programme Structure and Outline Syllabus will replace all other rules and regulations. 11. List of Modules CORE MODULES Code Module Name Total Credits Hrs UMT80151 Foundations of empirical analysis 60 4 UMT78351 Public economics 60 4 UMT81151 The socio-economics of social protection 60 4 UMT20851 Social protection financing 60 4 UMT22151 Risk management 60 4 UMT25251 Quantitative social protection analysis 60 4 UMT26451 Modeling and social budgeting 60 4 UMT82151 Social protection administration and policy implementation 60 4 UMT83151 Comparative analysis of social protection 60 4 UMT Applied Project in social protection 6 3

4 12. Programme Plan Executive Masters of Science in Social Protection Financing (1 Year Full-Time) SEMESTER ONE Code Module Name Total Hrs Credits CORE UMT80151 Foundations of empirical analysis 60 4 UMT78351 Public economics 60 4 UMT81151 The socio-economics of social protection 60 4 UMT20851 Social protection financing 60 4 UMT22151 Risk management 60 4 SEMESTER TWO Code Module Name Hrs/Wk Credits UMT22251 Quantitative social protection analysis 60 4 UMT26451 Modeling and social budgeting 60 4 UMT82151 Social protection administration and policy implementation 60 4 UMT83151 Comparative analysis of social protection 60 4 UMT Applied Project in social protection 6 4

5 13. Outline Syllabus UMT80151 Foundations of Empirical Analysis Part A: Mathematics and Statistical Methods Partial differentiation; Financial mathematics: practical application of compound interest, discounting and accumulating ; Introduction to index theory; Elements of probability theory; the law of large numbers, the central limit theorem; sampling; Distribution of variables; parameter estimation; confidence intervals; Regression analysis; Introduction to hypothesis testing; Interpolation and graduation (Sprague, etc.); Part B: Introduction to Excel and VBA Introduction to the Excel environment; Basic Excel formulas and functions; Analysing and processing data with Excel (database, pivot tables, etc.); Interactions between Excel and VBA; Introducing the Visual Basic Editor; Essential VBA language elements; Using VBA and Worksheet functions; VBA program procedures that perform actuarial calculations; Modifying code in programs written by other people; Error-handling techniques;vba programmes applied to the social protection field. UMT78351 Public Economics Part A: Basic Public Economics Core concepts of micro- and macro-economics; Issues of market failure, collective decision making; Equity issues; Public goods, external effects, collective choice; Winner-looser analysis, second-best theory, and others. Part B: Public Economics applied to the Social Protection Sector Behaviour and interaction of different sectors (state, private households, enterprises and rest of the world) in social protection; Determinants of private household behaviour; Role of the State (government); Public revenues and expenditures; Position of Social Protection spending (expenditures) in overall government spending (revenues); Public Budgets, Social Budgets; Fiscal space. UMT81151 The Socio-Economics of Social Protection Part A: Introduction to Social Protection Functions and institutions of social protection; Architecture and political, economic, ethical and other origins of social protection; Responsibilities and roles of governments, private households and enterprises in social protection; Core elements of social protection legislation; Policy instruments of social protection (contributory, non-contributory, tax credits and tax incentives, in cash/kind, public goods, etc); Principal interdependencies of social protection and the economy; Costs and benefits of social protection functions and institutions; Social protection as a development strategy; Social protection and the Millennium Development Goals; International comparisons of social protection systems; Fiscal resources assigned to social protection systems international and intra-african comparisons; Current core issues of social protection policy. Part B: Demographic and Economic Context Demographic information bases; Population Censuses and Demographic databases; Household, Labour Force and Enterprise Surveys; Mortality, migration and fertility trends; Population projections: Cohortbased and other methodologies; Assumption setting in population projections; Labour force participation rates; Employment and Unemployment: projection methods (the labour market balance); Macro-economic variables as input to social protection system analyses and projections: Measuring and Projecting employment; Productivity, GDP, primary income distribution and wage growth, inflation and interest rate. 5

6 UMT20851 Social Protection Financing Part A: Social Protection Financing Size of the welfare state: trends, patterns and determinants of social expenditures; International and Intra- African (regional) perspectives; Public finance nexus and resource mobilization strategies; Financing techniques; Investing social security reserves. Part B: Policy Design, Implementation and Management of social cash transfers Definition, design; Social cash-transfers parameters: eligibility and conditionality; Unconditional cash transfers versus conditional cash transfers; Relevance of cash transfers for household incomes: examples; Cash transfers, fiscal space and public budgets: setting priorities, short-term needs versus long-term fiscal stability, do strategies exist for cash transfers?; Regional disparities and the impact of cash transfers; Financial impact on demand: consumption, investment, imports, exports, exchange rates; the Dutch disease; Planning and institutional implementation; Administration of cash benefits: special issues. UMT22151 Risk Management Part A: Risk management Financial markets and institutions; Financial instruments; Asset-liability and cash-flow management; Risk management (financial, non-financial) and underwriting issues; Strategies for addressing risks. Part B: Accounting, Auditing and Actuarial reports Accounting instruments; Accounting cycles; Financial statements, cash flow and annual reports; Analysis of financial statements; Cash flow estimation and risk analysis; International accounting standards and practices; Tasks and techniques of auditing; Objectives and methods of controlling; Principles and interpretation of actuarial reports. UMT25251 Quantitative Social Protection Analysis Part A: Social protection data and information system Management Information Systems in social protection institutions; Data generation and validation; quality control, consistency, reliability and credibility of data; Use of management information systems in social protection institutions; Analysis of past and current experience: revenue collection rates; Benefit payment rates; Timeliness of collection and payment; Periodical administrative, operational and investment performance reporting; Reconciliation of administrative data and financial reports; Use of data output for accounting and statistics; Costs of a Management Information System: investment; Recurrent costs; Compatibility with other national Management Information Systems. Part B Social Protection Performance Review Living conditions and vulnerability; Patterns of informality/formality; Income distribution and the impact of social protection on income distribution; Measurement of performance in social protection; Indicators: benchmark against policy targets, past and national experience, national and international standards, international average and best practice indicators; Social protection and fiscal space; Interrelation of social protection financing and general government revenues and expenditures. UMT26451 Modelling and Social Budgeting Part A: Social Protection Modelling Demographic, economic and labour market modelling; Modeling selected non-contributory and contributory schemes; Projecting scheme specific revenues and expenditures; Model calibration and validation; Understanding and interpreting model outputs; Modeling and understanding reform scenarios. 6

7 Part B: Social Budgeting History of social accounting and social budgeting; Budgeting: the social sector versus social budgeting; Compilation of the statistical basis of social budgeting; Social accounting system; Standard classifications of revenues and expenditures; Linkages with other national and international accounting systems; Social budgeting in the context of fiscal space and public finance. UMT82151 Social Protection Administration and Policy Implementation Part A Social Protection Administration Standard scheme operations: registration, contribution collection, claims processing and management; Client-centered social protection services; Administration of social protection benefits; Administration of finance and contribution collection; Relations and payments to service providers and procurement; Institutional arrangements, national coordination, international relations; Communication and information; Summing up: Integrated Financial Management and Monitoring units (INFIMOs): monitoring, planning, policy studies and policy advice; international relations. Part B Social Protection Policy Implementation Political economy of social protection; Political implications of designing and maintaining social protection schemes; Latin American reforms of the 1990s/2000s: from hope to failure and back to muddling through; Bulgaria: a poor country maintains its social protection; Ukraine: a potentially rich country misses the chance; The case of Mauritius and other examples. UMT83151 Comparative Analysis of Social Protection Part A Development of Social Protection Perspectives Historical background; African and developing countries social protection in numbers; Approaches to social protection policies; Different situations of social protection in African countries; Overall fiscal resources assigned to social protection systems: an international and regional African comparison; International comparative analysis of social protection system; International databases and information bases (ISSA, EU, ILO, UNDP, WHO, OECD, etc); Major gaps in social protection in emerging and developing countries; Examples of successful implementation of social protection instruments;challenges and perspectives. Part B Comparative Instruments at the International Level Quantitative versus qualitative information bases; ISSA database; EU MISSOC; ILO database; World Bank; UNDP; WHO; OEC; How to use the databases. UMT84151 Applied Project in Social Protection Analysis of an existing social protection system of a given country; Analysis of the demographic and economic environment; Social protection expenditure and performance reviews of a given country; Analysis of past experience; Policy analysis and design of a new social protection benefit; Risk analysis and strategy for addressing risks; Financing options; Administrative options; Accounting and actuarial controlling; Monitoring and performance evaluation; Link between monitoring and evaluation and management decision; Interpretations and recommendations. 7