Social Contract
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In the social contract model a government funds CSOs to provide social services that the government is generally responsible for. These services may include direct health care, public sector health care worker training, supply chain related, and health care information systems. A social contract includes a legally binding agreement that stipulates the type and amount of health care services a CSO would need to provide and how the government will pay for the costs of providing those services. Social contracting allows a CSO to tap into different government agencies/departments and access funding tied to payment for services through competitive procurement, in addition to grants.
Financing through social contracting can happen in at least three different ways:
Results-based financing: The government pays money once the agreed-upon results of the service provision have been achieved.
Procurement and contracting: The government makes payments at certain times based on a contract outlining the level of service provision and timeline. Reimbursements from insurance schemes for services provided may also fall under this type.
Grants: The government provides funds to a CSO to deliver services and report back to the funder on activities undertaken.
Additionally, social contracting may occur at the national and subnational levels, depending on how authority for contracting has been decentralized within the country.
Guidance Note on Social Contracting from UNDP ‒ provides help developing factsheets and recommended actions for setting up or improving NGO social contracting mechanisms.
Report on Effective Social Contracting for HIV Service Delivery ‒ based on lessons from Thailand.
Social Contracting Capacity Building Needs Assessment (SCANA) Tool ‒ a self-assessment tool developed for community-based organizations and social enterprises in Vietnam to gauge their readiness and capacity for social contracting.
Government Readiness Checklist – a tool to assist provincial government health authorities in Vietnam to assess if they are ready to implement social contracting and identifying gaps.
Social Contracting Monitoring and Evaluation Framework – a tracking tool to measure the functional development and implementation of social contracting in Vietnam and monitoring social contracting’s contribution to epidemic control.
