Promoting Equity and Social Cohesion through Czechia's National Social Inclusion Strategy (2008–present)

The National Social Inclusion Strategy (NSIS), launched in 2008 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) and the Agency for Social Inclusion, addresses poverty, social exclusion, and inequality. It promotes social cohesion by enhancing access to education, employment, healthcare, housing, and social services, and fostering integration and participation of marginalized communities including Roma, people with disabilities, and the long-term unemployed. The strategy employs collaboration between government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society, focusing on evidence-based policy making, data collection, and monitoring to track progress.

Implementation

Social exclusion remains a persistent issue in Czechia, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as the Roma minority, a historically marginalized ethnic group, facing widespread discrimination and social exclusion across Europe.¹ In 2018, the at-risk-of-income poverty rate in Czechia was 9.6 percent, with 996,000 individuals living below the poverty line of CZK 11,963 (USD 514.40) per month. This figure included 218,800 children under 17, as well as 495,100 individuals aged 18–64, and 282,400 seniors over 65, highlighting the widespread nature of economic insecurity and social marginalization² across various age groups, and the widespread nature of economic insecurity and social marginalization. In response, the Czech government introduced the National Strategy for Social Inclusion, designed as a holistic, area-based approach to address socially excluded localities and marginalized groups such as Roma, disabled persons, the homeless, single mothers, seniors, and children. By emphasizing systemic measures, fostering local partnerships, integrating service provision, and adopting a preventive approach, the NSIS aims to create sustainable pathways out of poverty and reduce social exclusion across the country following three main strategic objectives:³

1. Preventing the emergence and deepening of poverty and social exclusion;
2. Eliminating persisting manifestations of social exclusion; and
3. Developing social housing

The current NSIS builds on previous strategies from 2008 and 2014 and aims to address the multidimensional factors behind social exclusion comprehensively. The 2021–2030 strategic document outlines targeted interventions that include:

Social Housing: Construction and maintenance of affordable housing units, support for homelessness prevention programs, and development of social housing projects for marginalized groups. A family homelessness registry week conducted in Brno in April 2016 registered 421 families living in private hostels, shelters, or other forms of homelessness. Two-thirds of these families are Roma, with 92 percent experiencing long-term homelessness.⁴ The “Housing First” program provides permanent housing solutions coupled with case management and support services like employment assistance and addiction treatment. Targeted measures include support for inclusive education initiatives, vocational training, and employment services, development of affordable housing, and crime prevention programs involving Roma assistants.

Education Programs: Improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged groups through special scholarships, after- school programs, targeted support, and inclusive educational initiatives. For children from disadvantaged backgrounds, early childhood education and care programs, inclusive education measures (teaching assistants, tutoring), after-school activities, and family support services are prioritized to break intergenerational cycles of exclusion.

Employment Programs: Enhancing employment opportunities involves job training and placement services, active labor market policies, subsidies for employers who hire individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and entrepreneurship support for marginalized groups. For persons with disabilities, who numbered around 1.2 million in 2019,⁵ key interventions focus on improving physical accessibility, providing personal assistance services, and offering supported employment programs to facilitate their integration into the workforce.

Healthcare Access: Ensuring access to quality healthcare services through mobile health clinics, free preventive health screenings, and programs addressing specific health issues prevalent among marginalized communities, with a focus on preventive care and addressing health disparities.

Social Services: Strengthening social services infrastructure to provide comprehensive support for vulnerable populations, including mental health services and social care. For single mothers, key services include access to affordable housing, childcare services, employment training, and job placement assistance. For seniors, home care and community-based services, accessibility improvements, and programs to prevent social isolation are emphasized.

The NSIS states that, “The implementation of the Strategy is ensured through two-year Action Plans developed by the Agency for Social Inclusion in cooperation with ministries, regions, municipalities, NGOs and other partners.”

The two-year action plans outline specific legislative, financial, and non-legislative measures aimed at achieving the strategic objectives of the NSIS. For example:

• The 2020–2021 Action Plan included measures to support inclusive education, such as developing methodologies for teaching assistants working with socially disadvantaged pupils.
• It also proposed legislative changes to improve housing support and access to affordable housing.

Regarding evaluation, the document mentions that “the implementation of the Action Plans is evaluated on a yearly basis and their results are used for updating the follow-up Action Plan.” However, comprehensive evaluations assessing whether all deliverables of each action plan have been fully met are not included in this publicly available strategy document.

The Agency for Social Inclusion plays a key coordinating role, providing “methodological guidance for addressing social exclusion at national, regional and local levels.” For Roma communities specifically, the strategy outlines using “Roma assistants and advisers” who can facilitate outreach, build trust, and deliver services in a culturally sensitive manner. For persons with disabilities, the focus is on “increasing the availability and quality of services provided in a natural environment” such as personal assistance, respite care, and supported living services.

The strategy also emphasizes local partnerships and community planning processes that involve stakeholders such as:⁶

• Non-profit organizations (e.g. Slovo 21, IQ Roma Servis).
• Regional/municipal coordinators for Roma affairs.
• Advocacy groups (e.g. Czechoslovak Romany Union, Life Together).
• Service providers (e.g. Diaconia CCE).

These local partnerships aim to tailor interventions to the specific needs of marginalized groups in different localities. While using centralized coordination and methodologies, the implementation involves decentralized community-based approaches, cultural mediators, local partnerships, and collaboration with civil society organizations representing and serving marginalized groups.

In terms of specific achievements, the document highlights that under previous action plans, methodological guidelines were developed for municipalities on community planning of social services. 

Cost

The 2021–2030 Strategy has an estimated budget of CZK 103.9 billion (approximately USD 4.8 billion) from national sources and European Union (EU) funds for 2021–2027. Funding covers investments in affordable housing, social services, employment, education, and training programs. The total estimated cost of implementing the 2021-2030 NSIS is CZK 103.9 billion (around EUR 4 billion). This will be financed from the state budget, EU funds—especially the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)—and other public sources.⁷

Key financing sources include:

• State budget chapters of ministries.
• EU funds for the 2021-2027 period, especially the ESF+.
• Funding from regions and municipalities.
• Public investment loans from the European Investment Bank.

Assessment

Outcomes and Impacts

The NSIS has led to the implementation of various targeted programs and initiatives to improve the living conditions and social inclusion of marginalized groups. For example, the “Housing First” program has provided permanent housing solutions for homeless individuals coupled with support services. The strategy has also facilitated the establishment of local partnerships and community planning processes to address social exclusion at the regional and municipal levels. Measurable outcomes and distributional impacts have not yet been comprehensively reported, making it challenging to quantify the overall reduction in inequality and exclusion achieved thus far. However, according to the 2022 Monitoring Report on the progress made by EU member states on SDG17 from the European Commission, from 2008 to 2020, Czechia reduced the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by approximately 300,000 individuals. This significant achievement has made Czechia a leader in Europe regarding poverty reduction, consistently maintaining the lowest rate within the EU over several years

Stakeholder Feedback

Civil society organizations and advocacy groups, such as Amnesty International, have praised the NSIS for its commitment to addressing the long-standing marginalization of the Roma community. However, they have also highlighted the need for more effective implementation and monitoring of initiatives targeted at Roma inclusion.⁸ At the same time, some stakeholders have criticized the strategy for not fully addressing systemic discrimination and prejudices faced by vulnerable groups, which can hinder the success of integration efforts.

Political Support and Sustainability

The NSIS enjoys political support across multiple administrations, with successive governments renewing and updating the strategy since its inception in 2008. The allocation of substantial funding from both national and EU sources demonstrates a long-term commitment to the policy’s objectives. However, the strategy’s sustainability may depend on continued political will, effective coordination among various stakeholders, and the ability to adapt to evolving societal challenges and needs.⁹

Resource and Cost-Effectiveness

The NSIS aims to leverage and coordinate funding from various public budget sources, including EU funds, to maximize resource efficiency and impact. The strategy emphasizes preventive measures and integrated service provision, seeking to achieve long-term cost savings by addressing the root causes of social exclusion. However, comprehensive evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of specific initiatives under the NSIS are not publicly available, making it difficult to assess the policy’s overall resource efficiency.

“Church & distant colourful apartment buildings in Prague, the Czech Republic,” © Flickr/Josefine S.

Tags

• Care Economy
• Czechia
• Education
• Europe
• Health
• High-Income Country
• Housing
• Social Protection