The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy prepared the Law on the Methodology of Creating a Social (Social) Map and sent it to the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for further consideration and adoption.
The social map represents one of the most important systemic steps forward in the field of social policy in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it introduces a transition from a policy of estimates and assumptions to a policy based on facts and reliable data. It is a tool that enables the existing data, which the institutions already possess, to finally be connected and used to enact fairer, more efficient and financially responsible public policies.
The social card is neither a new database, nor does it introduce new rights or abolish existing ones. Its purpose is to unify scattered records and provide a clear insight into the real socio-economic needs of citizens and households, who is in need, why, what measures are used and what their actual effect is. This reduces overlaps in rights and measures, but also the risk of vulnerable categories remaining unrecognized and without adequate support.
The law defines the social map as an integrated information system that connects data from the fields of social protection, health, education, employment and housing policy, with a clearly prescribed division of responsibilities between the federal, cantonal and local levels of government. Special attention is paid to the protection of personal data, whereby the law stipulates that only data that the institutions already possess are used, with strict compliance with privacy regulations and limiting access only to authorized institutions and purposes.
The social map has a special significance in crisis situations, as it enables quick and precise identification of vulnerable groups and timely reaction of institutions. It is important not only for social policy, but also for the labor market, demographic policy, education and housing policies, because without reliable data it is not possible to plan serious reforms, nor to respond to the challenges of population departure and social inequality.
Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić pointed out that the social card is one of the most important projects launched by the Ministry.
“This is the most important project of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. We have done everything we could; we prepared the law, established a clear methodology and implemented strong data protection mechanisms. Now we expect that the social map will be recognized as a priority. The adoption of this law would create the conditions for us to finally begin its implementation and for social policy in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to stop being based on guesswork and start to rest on facts,” Minister Delić said.
The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy emphasizes that a society that wants to stay and survive must know where its real problems are because without reliable data there are no fair decisions, only good intentions that often miss the mark.
Photo: illustration
