From Social Assistance to Economic Inclusion

                            

From Social Assistance to Economic Inclusion: Are Tunisia’s Poverty-Reduction Programmes Helping Families Break Out of the Cycle of Poverty?

A Documentary Investigation into Tunisia’s “AMEN” Social Protection System and the Transition from Cash Assistance to Sustainable Livelihoods

Prepared and Published by: Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi

ATEP MED – Arab Digital Center for Media & Development

Investigation Areas: Poverty | Social Protection | Economic Inclusion | Employment | Women | Children | Regional Inequality | Public Policy

---

1. The Central Question

For years, Tunisia’s social protection system has represented an essential safety net for poor and vulnerable groups and for families facing economic and social difficulties. The “AMEN” programme has become one of the main mechanisms used by the state to protect families from poverty and economic shocks through cash transfers, social assistance, healthcare, family allowances and other forms of support.

But social protection raises a more difficult question: What happens after assistance begins?

Does a family remain dependent on social transfers for many years, or can social assistance become a bridge toward employment, self-employment, the creation of sustainable livelihoods and greater economic independence?

This is the question this investigation seeks to explore.

The objective is not to question the importance of social assistance, as official evidence confirms that the “AMEN” system plays an important role in protecting vulnerable families. Rather, the journalistic question is whether, alongside protecting families, the social protection system succeeds in moving a significant number of beneficiaries who are able to work from a cycle of assistance into economic activity and sustainable income.

2. The Scale of the “AMEN” System

The “AMEN” system has significant social and financial importance in Tunisia. According to data published by the World Bank, permanent cash transfers have expanded to reach more than 386,000 beneficiary households.

The broader social protection system also includes healthcare support for low-income groups and family allowances for children in poor and vulnerable households.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, exceptional cash transfers reached more than 895,000 households, demonstrating the ability of the social protection system to reach large numbers of citizens during periods of crisis.

Under the new phase of World Bank support, family allowances are expected to expand to cover approximately 450,000 children aged between 6 and 18 from poor and low-income households, alongside support for a national disability fund, the digitalisation of the social protection system and the development of a unified beneficiary registry.

But the most important point for this investigation is the growing focus on economic inclusion through pathways combining self-employment and wage employment.

Here, the direction of social policy appears to be gradually changing:

from protecting families from poverty to helping them build sustainable sources of income.

3. Assistance Is Not the Same as Economic Independence

A monthly cash transfer can protect a family from hunger and extreme poverty, help meet basic needs, and contribute to keeping children in school and ensuring access to healthcare.

Social assistance can also prevent a temporary economic shock from becoming a long-term crisis.

But a cash transfer does not, by itself, create a job.

This is one of the most important points from which the investigation should begin.

A family may receive social assistance while continuing to face unemployment, informal work, low agricultural income, a lack of productive assets, difficulty accessing finance, skills shortages or limited access to markets.

Therefore, the fundamental question cannot simply be:

How many households receive assistance?

The more difficult question should be:

How many households have experienced sustainable economic improvement as a result of the interventions directed towards them?

4. From Beneficiary to Economic Actor

The new economic inclusion policy is particularly important because it seeks to address the causes that keep some families trapped in poverty rather than simply providing financial support.

Official documents refer to a range of tools that may form part of economic inclusion pathways, including productive assets, training, individual support, employment and self-employment pathways, and connecting beneficiaries with economic opportunities.

This represents an important shift in the philosophy of intervention.

A person living in poverty may need money, but money alone may not be enough.

Someone seeking to establish a small economic activity may need, at the same time:

Training + equipment + finance + support + market access + follow-up.

The investigative question therefore becomes:

Do economic inclusion programmes provide this complete chain, or do some interventions remain fragmented?

5. The Missing Question: What Happens After the Grant?

One of the most important issues the investigation should focus on is what happens after a beneficiary receives economic support.

If a beneficiary receives a grant or equipment to establish a small business, what happens six months later?

What happens after one year?

What happens after two years?

Does the activity survive?

Does it generate regular income?

Does it provide employment for its owner or for other people?

Does the activity become capable of withstanding crises?

Does the household become less dependent on social assistance?

Or does the activity stop after a short period and the household return to the same economic situation?

These questions are more important than simply announcing the number of grants or projects launched.

The number of activities created measures reach or outputs, but it is not sufficient on its own to measure impact and sustainability.

6. What Does It Cost to Move a Family Out of Vulnerability?

A serious development investigation should also raise the financial question.

When public money or international funding is used to finance economic inclusion programmes, it becomes important to know the cost of achieving a sustainable economic outcome.

When official data are available, the investigation can compare:

Total expenditure on economic inclusion ÷ number of households that achieved sustainable economic improvement.

This differs from calculating:

Total expenditure ÷ number of beneficiaries.

The second calculation measures the scale of the programme.

The first attempts to estimate the cost of achieving an outcome.

For this reason, it is important to seek official data on total expenditure, the number of beneficiaries who received economic support, the number of activities created, the number of activities that remained operational after one year and after two years, the average income generated by them, and the number of jobs created.

If such data are not available, their absence itself becomes an important question in terms of monitoring, evaluation and transparency.

7. Women: Social Protection or Economic Empowerment?

Women occupy an important position within the “AMEN” system, and data published by the World Bank indicate that women head a significant proportion of households benefiting from permanent cash transfers.

This raises another investigative question:

Does social protection contribute to strengthening women’s economic independence, or does it primarily protect households from poverty without changing women’s position in the labour market?

The investigation should examine the number of women who have moved from receiving assistance into economic activity, the number who have launched businesses, the number who have obtained paid employment, the income generated by these activities, their sustainability, and women’s ability to control income and productive assets.

There is a major difference between:

A woman receiving financial assistance

and

A woman who has a sustainable source of income.

8. Children and Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

The social protection system is not limited to helping families in the present; it is also connected to the future of children.

Family allowances aim to help vulnerable households provide better conditions for their children and improve access to education, healthcare and essential services.

This raises a long-term question:

Can social protection today prevent poverty from being transmitted from one generation to the next?

Answering this question requires monitoring indicators such as school attendance, dropout rates, healthcare, nutrition, transition to secondary or higher education, vocational training and, eventually, integration into the labour market.

The real impact of social assistance may not become visible in the first or second year. It may emerge years later, when a child becomes a young adult capable of working and generating an independent income.

9. Poverty Is Not the Same Across All Regions

It cannot be assumed that the results of a national social programme will be identical in all regions.

The economic opportunities available to a family in Greater Tunis or in a coastal area are not necessarily the same as those available to a family living in an inland or rural region.

Families in less-developed areas may face additional difficulties, including limited employment opportunities, weak transportation, distance from markets, low private investment, water scarcity, agricultural risks, limited training opportunities and poor access to digital services.

The investigation should therefore include a regional dimension.

The question is:

Do economic inclusion programmes operate with the same level of effectiveness in areas where economic opportunities are already limited?

10. Digitalisation: Better Targeting or a New Barrier?

Social protection reforms in Tunisia are moving towards greater use of digital tools and the creation of a unified beneficiary registry.

Digitalisation can help improve targeting, reduce errors and duplication, accelerate services and improve information management.

But digitalisation also raises a social question:

Can the most vulnerable citizens actually access the digital system?

The investigation should therefore examine the ease of registration, data updating, access to information, internet connectivity in rural areas, administrative assistance, grievance mechanisms and the possibility that some beneficiaries may be excluded because of administrative or technical difficulties.

Digitalisation can improve efficiency, but it must not become a barrier for the most vulnerable people.

11. Who Leaves the Assistance System?

This may be one of the most important questions the investigation can raise.

A strong social protection system must protect people who are unable to work or who face severe vulnerability.

But for people who are economically able to work, there is growing interest in transforming social protection into a bridge towards economic participation.

The investigation therefore proposes focusing on the concept of:

Economic Transition Rate

This indicator could initially be defined as:

The proportion of beneficiary households with working capacity that move from long-term dependence on transfers to sustainable economic activity or stable paid employment.

This indicator may provide a more meaningful measure of economic mobility than simply knowing the number of people receiving assistance.

12. A Proposed Scorecard for the “AMEN” System

The programme can be analysed through five main dimensions:

Coverage: How many vulnerable households does the system reach?

Adequacy of assistance: Does the support provide genuine protection against poverty and deprivation?

Economic transition: How many beneficiaries move towards sustainable income?

Sustainability: How many economic activities remain operational after one or two years?

Regional equity: Do people in poor and rural areas receive comparable opportunities for economic inclusion?

This approach shifts the investigation from the question:

How much did we spend and how many beneficiaries did we reach?

to the question:

What has actually changed in the lives of beneficiaries?

13. What Do the Official Documents Establish?

The available World Bank documents establish several important facts.

First, the “AMEN” system has become a major component of Tunisia’s social protection system.

Second, the system has expanded significantly in terms of the number of beneficiary households.

Third, exceptional transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the system’s capacity to reach large numbers of households during a crisis.

Fourth, current reforms are moving towards digitalisation, improved targeting and the development of economic inclusion mechanisms.

Fifth, official documents place economic inclusion among the tools that can help beneficiaries who are able to work develop sustainable livelihoods and reduce dependence on transfers.

However, these facts alone do not prove that a large number of households have permanently escaped poverty.

Proving this requires additional data and field-based follow-up.

This is where the role of investigative journalism begins.

14. What Still Needs to Be Investigated?

Through administrative data, interviews and fieldwork, the investigation should seek precise answers to the following questions:

How many “AMEN” beneficiaries have joined economic inclusion programmes?

How many have received productive assets, grants or equipment?

How many projects remained active after one year?

And how many remained active after two years?

What is the average income generated by these activities?

How many beneficiaries obtained paid employment?

How many reduced their dependence on assistance?

How many left the assistance system because their economic situation improved?

What proportion of economic inclusion beneficiaries are women?

What proportion are young people?

Do beneficiaries in rural and inland areas receive the same opportunities?

How are failed projects recorded?

Are discontinued activities evaluated to understand the reasons for failure?

What happens to a beneficiary when a project fails?

Is there a second support mechanism to help the beneficiary start again?

These are the questions that transform a description of a programme into a genuine journalistic investigation.

15. From Numbers to People

The investigation should not remain confined to documents and statistics.

The next stage should be field-based, through the selection of cases representing different outcomes.

Case One: A beneficiary who successfully moved from assistance to sustainable economic activity.

Case Two: A beneficiary who established an economic activity but was forced to close it.

Case Three: A beneficiary who received economic assistance but still has no stable employment.

Case Four: A woman who succeeded in transforming support into a sustainable source of income.

Case Five: A rural household that attempted to establish an economic activity but faced problems related to water, transportation, markets or infrastructure.

These cases are not intended to generalise the experiences of five people to all beneficiaries.

Rather, they aim to connect official figures with the human and social reality behind them.

16. The Accountability Question

Development and social protection programmes are often evaluated through the number of beneficiaries, the number of grants, the number of activities launched and the amount of funding.

But journalism should ask a more difficult question:

What changed?

If 1,000 economic activities are created but only a limited number remain operational after two years, the number of activities launched does not provide the full picture.

If thousands of people receive training but only a limited proportion obtain employment, the number of trainees alone cannot be considered evidence of the success of an employment policy.

If thousands of households receive social transfers but remain in the same economic circumstances for many years, the number of beneficiaries is not enough to demonstrate economic mobility.

This is where the difference between:

Outputs

and

Impact

becomes clear.

17. The Bigger Question for Social Policy in Tunisia

Tunisia faces a difficult equation.

The state is required to protect families that cannot overcome poverty on their own, while at the same time developing mechanisms that help those who are able to work build more sustainable sources of income.

The answer cannot simply be to reduce social assistance.

Nor can it be to maintain permanent assistance without measuring economic mobility.

The real challenge is to build a reliable bridge between:

Social Protection → Skills → Economic Activity → Employment → Sustainable Income → Reduced Vulnerability.

This is the essence of the transition that development journalism should monitor.

18. Proposal for a Field Investigation

ATEP MED proposes developing this documentary investigation into a field investigation combining several tools.

Official documents: World Bank documents, project implementation reports, government data, social protection statistics and documents relating to economic inclusion programmes.

Beneficiary interviews: Listening to beneficiary households from different regions, with a focus on differences in outcomes and experiences.

Institutional interviews: Interviews with social affairs officials, employment services, local authorities, civil society organisations and officials responsible for economic inclusion programmes.

Data analysis: Comparing the number of beneficiaries, the amount of assistance, the number of people receiving economic support, the number of activities created, the number that remained operational, the jobs they generated and the income they produced.

Longitudinal follow-up: Following selected cases for 12 to 24 months whenever access to data and beneficiaries makes this possible.

19. Investigation Hypothesis

This study does not begin with the assumption that the “AMEN” system has failed.

Available evidence confirms that the system has become an important element in protecting vulnerable groups in Tunisia.

The investigation hypothesis is more precise:

The success of social protection should be measured not only by the number of households receiving assistance, but also by the extent to which beneficiaries who are able to work succeed in moving towards sustainable livelihoods.

This is the process that the investigation seeks to document.

20. Conclusion

The “AMEN” system has demonstrated that social protection can provide an important safety net for poor and vulnerable households.

But the next challenge is more complex.

It is to determine whether social protection can be transformed from simply a means of survival into a bridge towards economic independence.

The new focus on economic inclusion, employment, digitalisation and improved management of the social protection system represents an important opportunity.

But an opportunity is not an outcome.

The real evidence will not be found only in the size of funding, the number of beneficiaries or the number of grants distributed.

It will be found in what happens afterwards.

Has household income increased?

Has employment become more stable?

Has the economic activity survived?

Has dependence on assistance declined?

Has the household become more capable of coping with crises?

And have children been able to build a better future than that of their parents?

Ultimately, the central journalistic question remains:

Does social protection help Tunisian families break out of the cycle of poverty, or does it mainly help them remain within it with greater security?

This is the question that Investigative Report No. 3 places before policymakers and social programme managers, development journalism, and society as a whole.

Methodological Note

This investigation is a documentary investigative framework and does not accuse the “AMEN” system, the World Bank or any implementing institution of wrongdoing.

The investigation distinguishes between officially published data, findings that require independent verification, and questions requiring administrative data and field interviews.

No finding should be considered final before it has been verified through original documents, statistical data, beneficiary testimonies and field follow-up.

Key Documentary Sources

World Bank — New Support to Strengthen Social Protection for Vulnerable Families in Tunisia, 27 March 2026.

World Bank — Tunisia’s Social Protection System and the “AMEN” Programme.

World Bank — Tunisia Social Development Support Project and Additional Financing.

World Bank — Social Protection and Economic Inclusion Programmes in Tunisia.

Ministry of Social Affairs — Official data and documents relating to the “AMEN” Programme and social protection.

Investigative Methodology & Accountability Focus

This investigation examines whether Tunisia’s social protection system is effectively helping vulnerable households move from social assistance toward sustainable economic inclusion.

The reporting focuses on the transition from social assistance to employment, self-employment, income generation and greater economic independence.

Rather than measuring success only by the number of beneficiaries or the amount of assistance provided, the investigation examines what happens after support is received.

The key questions are:

Do beneficiaries obtain employment?

Do they create sustainable income-generating activities?

Does household income increase?

Do economic activities survive after 12–24 months?

Does dependence on social assistance decrease?

Are women and young people benefiting from genuine economic opportunities?

Are disadvantaged rural and regional communities receiving comparable opportunities?

The investigation follows the chain:

Assistance → Support → Economic Activity → Income → Sustainability → Economic Inclusion.

Using official programme documents, available statistics, implementation information and documentary cross-checking, the reporting distinguishes between announced targets, reported outputs, measured outcomes and independently verified impact.

The investigation also proposes following real beneficiaries over time in order to compare official programme objectives with their actual economic situation.

The central accountability question is:

How many people are actually moving from social assistance toward sustainable employment, income and greater economic independence?

This reporting approach combines document-based investigation, data analysis, beneficiary-level evidence, field reporting and accountability-focused development journalism.

A document- and data-based investigative report
Prepared and published by: Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi
ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development

 

                       

VOCATIONAL TRAINING UNDER SCRUTINY: DOES TRAINING MATCH THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE?

Skills, Employment and the Changing Labour Market

ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development
Prepared and Published by Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi
Research, Reporting and Development Analysis
September 2026

Introduction

Vocational training has traditionally been presented as one of the most practical pathways from education to employment. By providing young people and adults with technical and professional skills, vocational education can help individuals enter the labour market, respond to economic demand and build more independent livelihoods.

Yet the world of work is changing faster than many training systems.

Digital technologies, artificial intelligence, automation, renewable energy, climate adaptation, advanced manufacturing, e-commerce and remote work are transforming the skills required by employers. Some traditional occupations are disappearing or changing, while new professions are emerging.

This creates a fundamental question:

Are vocational training systems preparing people for the jobs that exist today, or for the jobs that will exist tomorrow?

The answer matters enormously for countries facing high youth unemployment and skills mismatches. Training thousands of young people is not enough if the skills they acquire do not correspond to real employment opportunities.

The real measure of a successful vocational training system should therefore not be the number of trainees enrolled or certificates issued.

It should be the ability of graduates to obtain decent, sustainable and productive employment.

From Certificates to Employability

A vocational certificate can be valuable, but a certificate alone does not guarantee employment.

The labour market evaluates what people can actually do.

Employers increasingly look for a combination of technical knowledge, practical experience, digital literacy, communication skills, problem-solving ability and adaptability.

This means that vocational training must move beyond a model based primarily on classroom instruction.

Young people need opportunities to learn through:

• practical workshops;
• apprenticeships;
• internships;
• workplace experience;
• real projects;
• simulations;
• digital platforms;
• interaction with employers.

The transition from training to employment becomes much easier when students have already experienced the realities of the workplace.

A training programme should therefore answer a simple question:

What job can this skill lead to?

If there is no clear answer, the programme needs to be reconsidered.

The Skills Mismatch Problem

One of the most persistent challenges in labour markets is the gap between the skills people possess and the skills employers need.

This is known as the skills mismatch.

A country can simultaneously experience high unemployment and shortages of workers in specific sectors.

This apparent contradiction occurs when education and training systems are not sufficiently connected to economic demand.

For example, employers may need technicians in renewable energy, industrial maintenance, digital services, logistics or information technology, while many jobseekers possess qualifications in areas where demand is limited.

The problem is not necessarily that young people lack qualifications.

It may be that their qualifications are not sufficiently aligned with economic opportunities.

Preparing for Jobs That Do Not Yet Exist

The future labour market cannot be predicted perfectly.

Some occupations that will become important in the coming years may not even have familiar names today.

Artificial intelligence is already changing administrative, communication, analytical and creative tasks.

Automation is changing manufacturing.

Digital platforms are changing commerce.

Renewable energy is creating new technical requirements.

Climate change is increasing demand for skills related to water management, environmental protection, sustainable agriculture and energy efficiency.

Vocational training systems therefore need the ability to update programmes continuously.

A curriculum designed ten or fifteen years ago may no longer provide all the skills required by today's economy.

The question is not simply:

What jobs exist now?

It is:

What skills will remain valuable as technology and economic structures change?

Digital Skills Are Becoming Basic Skills

Digital literacy is no longer limited to computer specialists.

A growing number of occupations require workers to use digital tools.

A technician may need digital diagnostic systems.

A salesperson may need e-commerce platforms.

A journalist may need data and digital publishing skills.

An agricultural worker may use digital information about weather, markets and irrigation.

A logistics worker may operate digital tracking systems.

A small entrepreneur may depend on social media and online payment systems.

For this reason, digital competence should increasingly become part of vocational education across many sectors.

The objective is not to turn every trainee into a software developer.

It is to ensure that every worker has enough digital competence to remain productive in a changing workplace.

Artificial Intelligence and Vocational Training

Artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant changes facing the labour market.

AI can automate certain routine tasks while increasing demand for other skills.

Vocational education therefore needs to teach people how to work with new technologies rather than simply compete against them.

Future workers may need to understand:

• AI-assisted tools;
• digital information management;
• automated systems;
• data interpretation;
• cybersecurity awareness;
• digital communication;
• human-machine collaboration.

At the same time, human skills will remain important.

Critical thinking, creativity, responsibility, communication, teamwork and ethical judgment cannot simply be replaced by technical automation.

The strongest vocational programmes will therefore combine technical skills with human capabilities.

The Green Economy and New Skills

The transition toward a greener economy is another major source of employment opportunities.

Solar energy, energy efficiency, sustainable construction, waste management, water conservation, ecological agriculture and environmental monitoring all require specialized skills.

For rural and disadvantaged regions, green skills can also support local economic development.

Young people can be trained in areas such as:

• solar installation and maintenance;
• water-saving technologies;
• sustainable irrigation;
• ecological agriculture;
• recycling;
• energy-efficient construction;
• environmental services;
• climate adaptation.

This creates an opportunity to connect vocational training with both employment policy and climate policy.

Training for the green economy should not be considered a separate issue.

It can become part of a broader strategy for economic transformation.

The Importance of Apprenticeships

One of the strongest links between vocational training and employment is the apprenticeship model.

Apprenticeships allow trainees to learn while experiencing a real working environment.

They help young people understand professional expectations and give employers an opportunity to identify potential employees.

They can also reduce the problem of employers demanding previous experience from entry-level candidates.

A young person who has completed an apprenticeship may already have practical experience, professional contacts and knowledge of workplace procedures.

For this reason, vocational systems should build stronger partnerships with private companies, local businesses and professional organizations.

What Employers Need

Training institutions cannot determine future skills requirements alone.

Employers need to be part of the process.

Businesses can help identify:

• emerging occupations;
• technical skills shortages;
• outdated curricula;
• new technologies;
• practical training requirements;
• future recruitment needs.

Regular dialogue between training centres and employers can make curricula more responsive.

The objective should be to create a continuous feedback system:

Labour market → employers → training institutions → students → employment → feedback → curriculum improvement.

Without this feedback loop, training systems risk becoming disconnected from economic reality.

Rural Areas and Vocational Training

Vocational training is particularly important in rural and disadvantaged regions.

Young people outside major cities may have fewer opportunities to access universities, companies and professional networks.

Local vocational training can provide an alternative pathway toward employment.

However, rural training should respond to local economic realities.

Training young people for occupations that do not exist locally or regionally may simply transfer unemployment from one stage to another.

Instead, programmes should examine local opportunities in:

• agriculture;
• food processing;
• renewable energy;
• construction;
• water management;
• tourism;
• digital services;
• logistics;
• small manufacturing;
• social and solidarity economy.

Local economic mapping should therefore precede the creation or expansion of training programmes.

Women and Equal Access to Skills

Women must also have equal access to future-oriented vocational training.

Traditional gender patterns can sometimes concentrate women in a limited number of occupations while excluding them from technical and emerging sectors.

This can reduce women's employment opportunities.

Vocational systems should encourage women to participate in areas such as:

• digital technology;
• renewable energy;
• industrial maintenance;
• logistics;
• technical services;
• entrepreneurship;
• environmental occupations.

Equal access to skills is an important component of economic inclusion.

Women should not be trained only for the jobs that society traditionally considers suitable for them.

They should have access to the full range of emerging economic opportunities.

Remote Work and International Opportunities

The expansion of remote work has changed the geographical meaning of employment.

A skilled person living in a small town or rural community may potentially work for an employer or client located in another city or country.

This creates opportunities for vocational training systems to include skills that can be delivered digitally.

Examples include:

• digital content production;
• translation;
• graphic design;
• digital marketing;
• customer support;
• online research;
• data-related services;
• administrative assistance;
• software-related work.

However, remote work requires more than technical skills.

Workers also need language abilities, communication skills, time management, online professionalism and knowledge of digital employment platforms.

Training systems can therefore play a role in preparing young people for both local and international labour markets.

Measuring the Success of Training

The success of vocational training should be measured through employment outcomes rather than enrolment numbers alone.

A comprehensive evaluation should ask:

How many trainees completed the programme?

But also:

How many found employment?

How many found employment related to their training?

How long did it take them to find a job?

How many remained employed after one year?

What are their wages and working conditions?

How many started businesses?

How many continued their professional development?

These indicators provide a much clearer picture of whether training is producing meaningful results.

A certificate should be the beginning of a professional pathway, not the end of an administrative process.

The Risk of Training for Training's Sake

There is a danger that vocational training programmes become focused on numbers.

Thousands of people may be enrolled.

Thousands may graduate.

Thousands may receive certificates.

But if employment does not follow, the programme has not solved the underlying problem.

Training should not become an end in itself.

It should be connected to a broader employment strategy.

The ultimate objective is not:

More certificates.

It is:

More decent work, better productivity and stronger economic inclusion.

Building a Future-Oriented Training System

A modern vocational training system should have several characteristics.

It should be:

Flexible, because skills requirements change.

Practical, because employers need people who can perform real tasks.

Digital, because technology is transforming almost every occupation.

Inclusive, because women, rural youth and disadvantaged groups need equal opportunities.

Connected to employers, because training must respond to economic demand.

Green, because climate change is transforming economic activities.

Adaptable, because workers will need lifelong learning.

This last point is particularly important.

Young people should not expect one qualification acquired at the age of eighteen or twenty to remain sufficient for an entire working life.

The future of employment will require continuous learning.

Conclusion

Vocational training stands at a critical crossroads.

The traditional model of providing a qualification for a specific occupation is increasingly challenged by technological change, economic transformation, artificial intelligence, climate change and new forms of employment.

The future of vocational education must therefore be built around adaptability.

Training systems should prepare people not only for today's occupations but also for changing workplaces and emerging sectors.

The most important question is not how many people enter training.

It is whether training creates a credible pathway toward decent work.

A successful vocational system should allow a young person to move from:

Education → Training → Practical Experience → Employment → Continuous Learning → Career Development.

When this pathway works, vocational education becomes a powerful instrument for reducing unemployment, strengthening productivity and promoting social inclusion.

When it fails, young people may simply move from school exclusion to training and then to unemployment.

The challenge is therefore to ensure that vocational training does not become another waiting room for young people searching for work.

Training must become a bridge.

A bridge between education and employment.

A bridge between rural communities and economic opportunities.

A bridge between women and emerging occupations.

A bridge between traditional skills and digital technologies.

A bridge between today's labour market and the jobs of tomorrow.

For governments, employers, training institutions and international development organizations, the priority should be clear:

Invest not only in training people, but in the relevance, quality and employability of the skills they acquire.

For development journalism and evidence-based research, the key task is to follow the entire journey.

Where does the funding go?

Who receives training?

What skills are taught?

Who designed the curriculum?

Are employers consulted?

How many graduates find jobs?

How many remain unemployed?

Which regions benefit?

Which groups remain excluded?

And most importantly:

Does vocational training actually lead to a better future?

The answer should be measured not by certificates, buildings or enrolment figures, but by what happens after training.

The ultimate test is simple:

When a young person leaves a training centre, does he or she leave with a certificate — or with a real pathway to decent work?

ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development

Research Focus: Vocational Training | Youth Employment | Skills Development | Future of Work | Digital Transformation | Artificial Intelligence | Green Jobs | Women | Rural Development | Apprenticeships | Labour Markets | Economic Inclusion | Decent Work | Evidence-Based Development Journalism

                            

From Diploma to Migration: Why Do Graduates Seek Opportunities Outside Their Regions?

Introduction: When Education Becomes a Pathway to Departure

For generations, education has been considered one of the strongest instruments for social progress and personal success. A university degree represents years of learning, effort, and family investment. For many young people and their communities, obtaining a diploma is associated with the promise of professional integration, economic independence, and a more secure future.

However, this traditional relationship between education and employment has become increasingly uncertain in many regions. A growing number of graduates discover that completing their studies does not necessarily guarantee access to decent work or professional recognition. Instead of becoming a means to strengthen local development, education often becomes a factor that encourages young people to leave their hometowns in search of opportunities elsewhere.

The journey from diploma to migration reflects a complex reality shaped by economic inequalities, unemployment, regional disparities, and the inability of local economies to absorb qualified human resources. Graduates are not simply moving because they desire a different lifestyle; many are responding to limited choices and searching for environments where their skills can be valued.

Understanding this phenomenon requires examining the relationship between education systems, labour markets, regional development, and the aspirations of a new generation seeking dignity and stability.

Regional Inequality: Where a Person Is Born Can Influence Their Future

One of the main factors encouraging graduate migration is the unequal distribution of opportunities between regions. In many countries, economic activities, private companies, research institutions, cultural centres, and international organisations are concentrated in major cities.

Capital regions and large urban centres often provide a wider range of professional possibilities, while rural and disadvantaged areas struggle with limited investment, weak infrastructure, and fewer employment opportunities.

As a result, many young graduates face a difficult reality after completing their studies: their qualifications exist, but the local environment does not offer positions matching their skills. A graduate in engineering, communication, agriculture, technology, education, or social sciences may find that opportunities related to their field are rare or completely absent in their region.

This creates a form of territorial inequality where talent is produced everywhere, but opportunities are concentrated in specific areas. Peripheral regions educate young people but often lose them when they become qualified professionals.

Migration in this context is not only an individual decision. It is also the consequence of development models that fail to distribute opportunities fairly across territories.

The Disconnect Between Education and Employment

Another major reason behind graduate migration is the growing gap between academic education and labour market requirements.

Universities play a fundamental role in producing knowledge, critical thinking, and professional skills. However, many graduates experience difficulties when entering the employment market because their academic training does not always correspond to the practical needs of employers.

Modern economies increasingly require digital skills, foreign languages, communication abilities, problem-solving capacity, entrepreneurship, and professional experience. When educational programmes remain disconnected from economic transformation, graduates may find themselves qualified on paper but insufficiently prepared for available jobs.

This situation creates frustration among young people who have invested years in education but do not see a clear professional pathway afterward.

The solution is not to reduce the importance of university education, but to strengthen the connection between universities, companies, public institutions, and development organisations. Education must prepare young people not only to obtain diplomas but also to create value, innovate, and participate actively in economic life.

Unemployment and the Search for Recognition

Graduate unemployment represents one of the strongest pressures pushing young people toward migration.

After years of study, many graduates expect to contribute to society and build independent lives. However, repeated unsuccessful job applications, temporary employment, and limited career prospects can create a sense of disappointment and uncertainty.

Unemployment affects more than income. It influences social identity, personal confidence, and future expectations. A young person who feels unable to use their knowledge and abilities may gradually lose confidence in local opportunities.

For many graduates, migration becomes a symbol of hope. Leaving the region or the country appears as a possibility to escape professional stagnation and obtain recognition that they could not find at home.

The decision to migrate is therefore often connected to a search for respect, stability, and the possibility of building a meaningful career.

Internal Migration: From Rural Areas to Major Cities

Migration does not always mean leaving the country. Many graduates first move from rural areas and small towns toward large urban centres.

Internal migration reflects the same challenges: unequal development, concentration of services, and limited professional opportunities outside major cities.

While urban migration can provide access to employment, it may also create new social and economic pressures. Young graduates may face high living costs, housing difficulties, transportation problems, and competition in crowded labour markets.

At the same time, the departure of educated youth can weaken local communities. Regions lose potential entrepreneurs, teachers, researchers, professionals, and future leaders who could contribute to local transformation.

Creating balanced regional development is therefore essential to reduce forced mobility and allow young people to build successful careers where they live.

International Migration and the Challenge of Brain Drain

For many graduates, international migration represents a search for better salaries, stronger professional environments, and greater career opportunities.

Countries with developed economies often attract qualified professionals because their labour markets need skilled workers. Doctors, engineers, researchers, IT specialists, journalists, educators, and many other professionals may find abroad the conditions necessary to develop their careers.

However, large-scale migration of qualified people creates challenges for countries of origin. This phenomenon, commonly known as "brain drain," can reduce the availability of expertise needed for national development.

The challenge is not to prevent migration. Human mobility can generate positive outcomes through knowledge exchange, international networks, and financial contributions to families and communities.

The real challenge is to ensure that migration becomes a choice rather than an obligation. Young people should have the freedom to explore international opportunities while also having realistic possibilities to succeed in their own regions.

The Impact on Families and Local Communities

Graduate migration has significant social consequences. Families often invest considerable resources in the education of their children, hoping that they will contribute to household stability and community progress.

When graduates leave permanently, communities may lose valuable human capital. The absence of educated youth can slow local innovation and reduce the capacity of regions to develop new initiatives.

Nevertheless, migration can also create opportunities. Migrants may support their families financially, transfer knowledge, build partnerships, and contribute to development projects in their home regions.

The objective should therefore be to transform migration from a sign of exclusion into a possible engine of cooperation and development.

Building Opportunities Through Local Development

Reducing graduate migration requires long-term strategies focused on creating opportunities within regions.

Governments, universities, private companies, and civil society organisations need to work together to promote inclusive regional development. This includes supporting entrepreneurship, encouraging local investment, improving infrastructure, and developing economic sectors adapted to regional strengths.

Digital transformation offers important new possibilities. Remote work, online businesses, digital communication, and international collaboration can allow graduates to participate in global markets without necessarily leaving their communities.

Strengthening professional training, supporting innovation, and encouraging young entrepreneurs can also help create a new relationship between education and employment.

The future of regions depends not only on attracting investments but also on empowering the people who were educated there.

Conclusion: From Forced Departure to Real Choice

The movement of graduates from their regions is one of the major development challenges of our time. It reflects deeper issues related to inequality, employment, education systems, and regional planning.

Young graduates do not leave simply because they reject their communities. Many leave because they are searching for opportunities that remain unavailable locally.

A successful development strategy should ensure that a diploma represents a pathway toward contribution, creativity, and professional achievement rather than only a preparation for departure.

The goal is not to stop migration, because mobility is part of human development. The goal is to create societies where every graduate has genuine choices: the possibility to stay, to return, or to move abroad by opportunity rather than necessity.

When regions invest in their youth and create conditions for innovation and employment, they do not only retain workers. They preserve knowledge, creativity, and the ability to build a more balanced and sustainable future.

 

                       

Who Signed? Who Implemented? Who Monitored? Tracking the Full Cycle of Development Projects

Introduction: Following the Journey of a Development Project

Prepared and published by: Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi
ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development

Development projects are often presented as instruments of progress and social transformation. Whether they focus on reducing poverty, improving infrastructure, supporting agriculture, strengthening education, protecting the environment, or creating employment opportunities, these projects are designed to respond to real needs within communities.

However, between the official announcement of a project and its impact on people's lives, there is a long and complex process involving many actors, decisions, financial commitments, and implementation steps.

A fundamental question emerges: Who made the decision? Who signed the agreement? Who managed the funds? Who carried out the activities? Who verified the results? And most importantly, did the project actually achieve its original objectives?

Tracking the complete cycle of a development project is essential for transparency, accountability, and public trust. A project should not be evaluated only by the amount of money allocated or the number of documents produced, but by its real contribution to improving people's living conditions.

The Beginning of the Cycle: Identifying Needs and Setting Priorities

Every development project begins with the identification of a problem or a development need. This first stage should be based on reliable information, field studies, consultations with local communities, and analysis of social and economic conditions.

A project designed without a clear understanding of local realities risks failing before implementation even begins. For example, a rural development programme may provide equipment or infrastructure, but if it does not consider local economic conditions, community participation, maintenance capacity, or environmental factors, its long-term impact may remain limited.

At this stage, different actors participate: government institutions, international organisations, local authorities, civil society organisations, experts, and sometimes community representatives.

The quality of this initial diagnosis determines the relevance of the project and its ability to respond effectively to people's needs.

Who Signed? The Decision-Making and Financing Stage

The signature of a development agreement represents a major moment in the project cycle. It transforms an idea or proposal into an official commitment.

Those who sign development agreements usually include government representatives, international donors, development agencies, financial institutions, or partner organisations.

The signature defines important elements:

• The objectives of the project;
• The financial resources allocated;
• The responsibilities of each partner;
• The implementation period;
• The expected results;
• The mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation.

However, signing an agreement is only the beginning. A signed document does not automatically guarantee success. The real challenge begins with implementation.

Transparency at this stage requires that information about agreements, budgets, objectives, and responsible institutions be accessible to the public.

Citizens have the right to know how public resources are used and what commitments have been made in their name.

Who Implemented? The Reality Behind the Documents

Implementation is the stage where plans become concrete actions. It involves managing funds, organising activities, recruiting specialists, purchasing equipment, building infrastructure, and delivering services.

The organisation responsible for implementation may be a government department, local authority, international organisation, non-governmental organisation, private company, or a partnership between several actors.

The success of implementation depends on several factors:

• Professional management;
• Adequate financial control;
• Coordination between partners;
• Respect for deadlines;
• Understanding of local conditions;
• Participation of beneficiaries.

A common challenge in development projects is the difference between official plans and field realities. A project document may contain ambitious objectives, but implementation may face administrative obstacles, delays, insufficient resources, or weak coordination.

This is why monitoring during implementation is as important as planning.

Who Monitored? The Importance of Independent Oversight

Monitoring is the mechanism that ensures that a project is progressing according to its objectives and that resources are used effectively.

A strong monitoring system asks essential questions:

• Are activities being carried out as planned?
• Are funds being used appropriately?
• Are beneficiaries actually receiving the expected support?
• Are there delays or obstacles?
• Are adjustments necessary?

Monitoring can be conducted by project managers, funding institutions, government bodies, independent experts, auditors, or community representatives.

However, effective monitoring requires independence and transparency. When the same actors design, implement, and evaluate a project without external review, there is a risk that problems remain invisible.

Independent evaluation helps identify weaknesses, measure real impact, and improve future development programmes.

The Gap Between Spending Money and Creating Impact

One of the most important issues in development is the difference between financial execution and social impact.

A project may spend its entire budget and complete all planned activities but still fail to create meaningful change.

For example, building a facility does not automatically improve people's lives unless the facility is functional, accessible, maintained, and connected to community needs.

Development success should therefore be measured through results:

• Did employment opportunities increase?
• Did poverty decrease?
• Did access to services improve?
• Did local communities gain new capacities?
• Did vulnerable groups benefit?

The real value of a project is not only in what was delivered but in what changed.

Beneficiaries: The Missing Voice in Many Projects

Local communities are often described as beneficiaries, but they should also be considered active partners.

When communities participate in project design, implementation, and evaluation, projects are more likely to succeed.

Local knowledge is essential because residents understand their own challenges, priorities, and opportunities.

A participatory approach strengthens ownership and increases the sustainability of development actions.

Without community involvement, projects may respond to administrative priorities rather than real local needs.

Following the Money: Financial Transparency and Accountability

Financial transparency is one of the central pillars of successful development.

Every project involves public or international resources that must be managed responsibly. Clear information about budgets, contracts, expenditures, and results is necessary to prevent waste and strengthen confidence.

Accountability means that institutions and individuals responsible for decisions must explain their choices and accept evaluation of their performance.

Effective accountability mechanisms include:

• Financial audits;
• Public reporting;
• Independent evaluations;
• Community feedback systems;
• Open access to project information.

Transparency is not only an administrative requirement; it is a condition for sustainable development.

From Documents to Reality: The Role of Investigative Development Journalism

Development journalism has an important role in following the complete cycle of projects.

Journalists and researchers can investigate whether development promises correspond to reality. They can compare official announcements with field evidence and give communities a voice.

Questions such as "Who signed?", "Who implemented?", and "Who monitored?" are not accusations. They are essential questions for understanding how development works.

Independent reporting can reveal successful experiences, identify weaknesses, and encourage better governance.

Conclusion: A Development Project Must Be Followed From Beginning to End

A development project is not only a budget, a contract, or an official announcement. It is a long process involving decisions, responsibilities, resources, and human lives.

Knowing who signed, who implemented, and who monitored allows society to understand whether a project achieved its mission or remained only an administrative exercise.

The true measure of development is not the number of projects launched but the quality of their impact on communities.

Transparency, accountability, participation, and independent monitoring are the foundations that transform development projects from simple plans into real instruments of social progress.

Following the complete project cycle means ensuring that every decision, every resource, and every action contributes effectively to building a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Investigative Methodology & Accountability Focus

This investigation examines the full cycle of development projects, from the identification of needs and financing to implementation, monitoring, results and long-term impact.

The central objective is to establish who made the decisions, who signed the agreements, who received responsibility for implementation, who monitored progress and what measurable results were ultimately produced.

The investigation follows the chain:

Needs Assessment → Financing → Contract → Implementation → Monitoring → Results → Impact.

Rather than focusing only on the announcement of a project or the amount of financing committed, the reporting examines whether financial resources are translated into concrete outputs and measurable benefits for the communities and people targeted by development interventions.

The investigation focuses on several accountability questions:

Who approved the project?

Who signed the financing or implementation agreements?

Which institution or contractor was responsible for implementation?

What was the allocated budget?

What was actually completed?

Who monitored implementation?

What evidence exists to verify reported progress?

Who benefited from the project?

What measurable change did the project produce?

Documentary research should include official project documents, financing agreements, procurement and contract information, implementation reports, monitoring indicators, budgets and available evaluation data.

Where possible, documentary evidence should be compared with field observations, interviews, beneficiary testimony and independent verification.

A key distinction is maintained between:

planned objectives,

financial commitments,

reported implementation,

completed outputs,

and

independently verified results and impact.

The investigation therefore asks a fundamental accountability question:

When development money is committed, can the entire chain from decision-making to implementation and final impact be independently traced and verified?

The reporting combines document-based investigation, financial analysis, project tracking, data examination, source verification and accountability-focused development journalism.

A document- and data-based investigative report
Prepared and published by: Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi
ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development

                         

SOCIAL SAFETY NETS UNDER PRESSURE: DOES ASSISTANCE REACH THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST?

From Eligibility to Real Impact: Examining Access, Targeting and Effectiveness of Social Protection in Tunisia

ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development
Prepared and Published by: Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi
Research, Reporting and Development Analysis
Updated: September 2026

---

Introduction

Social protection is one of the most important instruments available to governments to protect vulnerable households from poverty, unemployment, economic shocks and social exclusion. Cash transfers, child benefits, subsidized healthcare, education assistance and income-generation programmes can help families survive periods of economic hardship and, when properly designed, create pathways toward greater resilience and economic inclusion.

But the existence of a social protection programme does not automatically mean that every person who needs assistance can access it.

The central question is therefore not simply how much money is allocated to social protection or how many households are officially registered as beneficiaries.

The more important question is:

Does assistance actually reach the people who need it most, at the right time, in an adequate form, and with a measurable impact on their lives?

This question is particularly relevant in Tunisia, where the AMEN Social programme has become the country's principal social assistance mechanism. According to the World Bank, AMEN Social provides monthly cash transfers to more than 333,000 poor households and combines financial assistance with healthcare support and other forms of social protection.

In March 2026, the World Bank approved an additional US$90 million to strengthen Tunisia's social protection system. The new financing is intended to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the system while expanding family allowances and support for vulnerable children and persons with disabilities.

These developments demonstrate the scale and importance of the system.

They also raise a fundamental development question:

How effectively does the social protection system transform public resources into real improvements in people's lives?

---

1. Beyond the Number of Beneficiaries

One of the easiest ways to measure a social protection programme is to count its beneficiaries.

The number of registered households is important, but it tells only part of the story.

A programme can have hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries and still face problems related to:

• exclusion of eligible households;
• delays in registration;
• incomplete information;
• administrative barriers;
• geographic inequalities;
• difficulties accessing services;
• insufficient awareness of available benefits;
• irregular payments;
• weak coordination between social services;
• inadequate monitoring of outcomes.

For this reason, social protection should be evaluated not only through coverage, but also through access, adequacy, equity and impact.

The World Bank has identified the improvement of targeting and regional equity as continuing priorities for Tunisia's social protection system.

The difference is important.

Coverage asks: How many people receive assistance?

Equity asks: Are the people receiving assistance those who need it most?

Access asks: Can vulnerable people actually enter the system?

Adequacy asks: Is the support sufficient to respond to basic needs?

Impact asks: Does the intervention improve household welfare?

A serious assessment needs to examine all five dimensions.

---

2. Who Is Considered Vulnerable?

The first test begins with identification.

Governments need mechanisms to determine which households are poor or vulnerable. Tunisia's AMEN Social programme uses a proxy-means testing approach that considers different household characteristics associated with living standards and multidimensional poverty.

Such systems are necessary because governments have limited resources and need transparent methods to target assistance.

However, poverty is not static.

A household that was relatively stable yesterday may suddenly become vulnerable because of:

• loss of employment;
• illness or disability;
• death of a household breadwinner;
• rising household expenses;
• drought or agricultural losses;
• family separation;
• loss of informal income;
• housing problems;
• a major economic shock.

This creates an important policy challenge.

Can social protection systems respond quickly enough when household circumstances change?

A targeting system that relies heavily on existing administrative information may face difficulties identifying newly vulnerable families.

This is why dynamic updating of beneficiary information is essential.

---

3. The Administrative Access Gap

A person can be legally eligible for assistance but still face practical barriers to receiving it.

This is what can be described as the administrative access gap.

The Ministry of Social Affairs lists several requirements for applications to the AMEN Social programme, including application documents, birth certificates and identity documents for family members, among other requirements.

Such procedures are understandable from an administrative perspective.

However, the most vulnerable households may also be the households least able to navigate complicated administrative procedures.

Some may have:

• limited access to information;
• difficulty travelling to administrative offices;
• limited digital skills;
• incomplete documentation;
• difficulties understanding administrative procedures;
• limited ability to challenge a decision;
• insufficient knowledge of their social rights.

This creates an important research question:

Does administrative capacity influence access to social protection?

If two households have similar levels of poverty but one has better information, documentation and administrative capacity, they may not experience the social protection system in the same way.

---

4. Geographic Inequality

Social protection is national in scope, but access to services can vary significantly between territories.

Urban households may live closer to administrative offices, healthcare facilities, schools and transport networks.

Rural households may face longer distances and higher costs to access services.

This is particularly important in regions where poverty, unemployment and weak infrastructure overlap.

A strong assessment should therefore examine differences between:

Urban areas → peri-urban areas → rural communities → remote rural communities.

The objective is not simply to determine how many beneficiaries exist in each governorate.

The deeper question is:

Are vulnerable households receiving comparable access to social protection regardless of where they live?

This is where local development journalism can contribute important evidence.

A national programme can appear successful in national statistics while some communities remain poorly connected to the delivery system.

---

5. Children and Social Protection

Children are one of the most important dimensions of the social protection system.

UNICEF reported that, by October 2025, Tunisia had institutionalized a monthly child benefit of 30 Tunisian dinars for more than 420,000 vulnerable children aged 6–18. Combined with support for younger children, nearly 600,000 children aged 0–18 from vulnerable families were covered. UNICEF described this as a 443% increase in child-benefit coverage since 2020.

These figures represent a major expansion.

But coverage is only the first part of the story.

The next questions are:

• Does the benefit improve children's nutrition?
• Does it help families keep children in school?
• Does it improve access to healthcare?
• Does it reduce household financial pressure?
• Does it prevent school dropout?
• Does it contribute to better long-term opportunities?

Evidence cited by UNICEF indicates that child benefits supported through AMEN Social have contributed to improvements in diet diversity, school retention, access to health services and household well-being.

This demonstrates why monitoring outcomes is as important as monitoring expenditure.

---

6. Women and Social Protection

Women can face particular economic vulnerabilities.

Women may be responsible for unpaid care work, depend on unstable household income or face barriers to employment and productive assets.

A social transfer can provide immediate relief, but long-term social protection should also consider economic empowerment.

The question therefore becomes:

Can social protection help women move from dependency toward greater economic security?

This requires connecting social assistance with:

• vocational training;
• employment opportunities;
• entrepreneurship;
• access to finance;
• market opportunities;
• childcare;
• transport;
• digital skills;
• social insurance.

The ultimate objective should not be simply to maintain households at a minimum survival level.

Where possible, social protection should help people build greater resilience and income security.

---

7. From Assistance to Economic Inclusion

Cash transfers can protect households from immediate hardship.

But sustainable development requires more.

A strong social protection system should ideally create connections between:

Social assistance → skills → employment → income → economic independence.

The World Bank has emphasized the importance of connecting social protection and labour policies, particularly by strengthening pathways toward employment and livelihoods.

This creates an important opportunity for Tunisia.

Some vulnerable households may require permanent income support.

Others may need temporary assistance combined with:

• training;
• employment services;
• small-business support;
• agricultural activities;
• local economic opportunities;
• digital work;
• cooperatives;
• social and solidarity economy initiatives.

The policy challenge is to distinguish between these different situations rather than treating all vulnerable households in exactly the same way.

---

8. Are the Benefits Adequate?

Another critical question is the adequacy of assistance.

Receiving a transfer does not necessarily mean that the household's needs are adequately covered.

The value of a benefit must be considered in relation to:

• food prices;
• housing costs;
• transportation;
• education expenses;
• healthcare;
• energy;
• household size;
• inflation;
• regional differences in living costs.

A transfer that provides meaningful support to one household may have a very different effect on another.

Therefore, evaluation should consider the real purchasing power of assistance rather than simply its nominal value.

This is particularly important during periods of inflation and economic pressure.

---

9. From Funding to Impact

Development programmes increasingly emphasize the importance of measuring results rather than simply measuring spending.

For social protection, the chain can be represented as:

Public resources → programme → targeting → registration → transfer → household use → immediate outcome → long-term impact.

At every stage, problems can occur.

Money can be allocated without reaching the intended population.

Eligible families can remain outside the system.

Beneficiaries can receive assistance without obtaining complementary services.

And a household can receive support without escaping long-term vulnerability.

Therefore, the real measure of success should be the distance between resources invested and lives improved.

---

10. Accountability and the Right to Complain

An effective social protection system also requires mechanisms through which citizens can question decisions.

A household that is rejected should know:

• why it was rejected;
• whether it can appeal;
• where it can submit a complaint;
• how long the process should take;
• whether its information can be reviewed;
• what happens after a complaint is filed.

The World Bank has highlighted efforts to strengthen communication channels with beneficiaries, improve information systems and digitize and simplify procedures within the AMEN delivery system.

This is important because accountability is not simply an administrative principle.

It is a development instrument.

People who receive social assistance are citizens with rights, not merely recipients of charity.

---

11. A Field-Based Research Method

A strong investigation into social protection should combine official data with field evidence.

ATEP MED could structure the research around four levels.

Level 1 – National data

Collect:

• number of beneficiaries;
• number of vulnerable households;
• annual expenditure;
• value of transfers;
• child-benefit coverage;
• healthcare coverage;
• geographic distribution;
• evolution over time.

Level 2 – Administrative pathway

Document:

Application → assessment → decision → payment → complaint/appeal.

Level 3 – Community evidence

Interview, without publishing unnecessary personal information:

• beneficiaries;
• vulnerable households not receiving assistance;
• social workers;
• local civil society organizations;
• local development actors.

Level 4 – Outcome analysis

Ask:

What changed after assistance was received?

This is the point at which journalism becomes development research.

---

12. The Social Protection Gap

Based on this framework, the investigation can introduce an analytical concept:

THE SOCIAL PROTECTION GAP

The gap can be represented as:

People in need

↓

People potentially eligible

↓

People who apply

↓

People accepted

↓

People who receive assistance

↓

People who receive assistance regularly

↓

People whose living conditions improve

The further we move down this chain, the more important it becomes to measure actual outcomes.

A successful social protection system should aim to reduce the gap at every stage.

---

Conclusion

Tunisia has made significant progress in developing a more comprehensive social protection system. The expansion of AMEN Social, child benefits and other forms of assistance demonstrates a growing institutional commitment to protecting vulnerable households. The World Bank's additional US$90 million financing approved in 2026 further underlines the strategic importance of strengthening social protection in Tunisia.

But the success of social protection cannot be measured only by the amount of money allocated or the number of people registered.

The real test is whether the system identifies vulnerable households accurately, reaches them without unnecessary barriers, provides adequate and timely support, protects children and vulnerable adults, and creates pathways toward greater resilience and economic inclusion.

The central question therefore remains:

Does assistance reach those who need it most?

Answering that question requires more than statistics.

It requires listening to communities, examining administrative processes, comparing regions, analysing public data, following the path of resources and measuring what changes in people's lives.

For development institutions, the objective should be clear:

No vulnerable household should be invisible simply because it cannot navigate the system.

And for development journalism, the responsibility is equally clear:

Do not only count beneficiaries. Follow the journey from vulnerability to assistance, and from assistance to impact.

---

ATEP MED Research Focus

Social Protection | Poverty | Children | Women | Vulnerability | Local Development | Public Policy | Evidence-Based Journalism | Monitoring & Evaluation

ATEP MED – Arabic Digital Center for Media & Development
Prepared and Published by Mohamed Chaieb Barhoumi
September 2026