Be the first to comment!Sociologists give feedback on Social Plan for the Family consultation
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The Malta Sociological Association has provided its feedback to the public consultation on the proposed ‘Social Plan for the Family‘
The public consultation was launched last month by the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights. The proposed Social Plan, the Ministry said, ”is a dedicated response to the diverse and evolving needs of our society, with a particular focus on families facing significant challenges. The overarching objective of the Plan is to empower families and elevate their overall quality of life.”
MSA said that it welcomes the work planned to be conducted on the proposed Plan and, importantly, the intention to develop a comprehensive implementation and monitoring framework towards this end.
In particular, the said it MSA notes the following declaration: “To ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of the Social Plan, a High-Level Group for Implementation and Monitoring will be established. This group will develop a comprehensive monitoring framework with quantitative indicators and timelines for each initiative, supplemented by qualitative assessments through surveys and stakeholder engagement feedback.” (PCD, p. 12).
The MSA in its feedback has recommended ”the application of methods as per standards and principles set out by the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), in particular those governing social impact assessments.”
It explained that the International Principles for Social Impact Assessment defines SIA as being “the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions.”
The MSA concluded y saying that the IAIA principles provide an effective and structured framework along which the High-Level Group for Implementation and Monitoring may operate. Importantly, adequate resources need to be invested in this High-Level Group and ongoing research if it is to be impactful.
File photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary
