cgdev.org (Sept 2020) Many countries have launched unprecedented relief packages to cushion the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This short review considers some initial lessons emerging from selected countries around the use of digital technology to implement these government-to-people (G2P) social transfer programs. Information is still limited on how well the programs have functioned; in particular, there is a dearth of rapid demand-side survey evidence on the experience of beneficiaries receiving transfers and the likely magnitudes of inclusion and exclusion errors.

ilo.org (26.08.2020) A new ILO policy brief shows how public employment services are using technology to increase the help available to people whose jobs have been affected by COVID-19.

sciencedirect.com (05.05.2020) One of the most effective ways that the Korean government rapidly dispersed these daily updates is emergency SMS messages. All citizens receive daily alert messages through their mobile phones from their local authorities. The alert message arrives with a 40–60 db alarm sound, and contains information from KCDC about newly confirmed patients and their recent trajectories if available.

Public Pension Agency (28.04.2020) The call center is fully prepared and staffed (remotely) throughout the month of Ramadan to receive all incoming calls, and to deal with them as determined by the nature of the required service throughout the week from Sunday to Thursday from ten in the morning until four in the evening, and from nine in the evening until one in the morning, and on Friday from one in the evening until five in the evening and from nine in the evening until one in the morning.

Government of Georgia (16.08.2020) Registration to receive assistance in the amount of 200 GEL for children through the age of 17 is taking place on a special portal at http://daxmareba.moh.gov.ge/. Registration will be open until 1 December. The disbursement of financial assistance will begin in September this year. The provision of assistance in the amount of 200 GEL for each child through the age of 17 became possible as a result of the mobilization of finances in the StopCoV Fund with the help of Georgian citizens, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and businesses.

Suve is already working on the webpages of Government of Estonia, Estonia’s Health Board, Ministry of Social Affairs, Work in Estonia, International House of Estonia and Invest in Estonia – with other sites soon to follow. During the emergency situation in Estonia, Suve focuses on questions related to the crisis situation. Her main goals are to find official information during the crisis situation, keep various emergency phone lines free for those in need of information that she cannot provide and help prevent the spread of fake news.

Suve  is an automated chatbot, whose main task is to make sure that you and everyone living in or visiting Estonia get their questions answered from official sources. Suve has been integrated into several public websites. During the emergency situation related to COVID-19, she helps to provide accurate and trustworthy information in English, Estonian and Russian.

bps.gub.uy (21.05.2020) Debido a que continúa la situación de emergencia sanitaria, BPS vuelve a dar la posibilidad a quienes tengan 65 años o más y cobren sus prestaciones en redes de cobranza descentralizada o en locales de pago del BPS, que puedan autorizar a otra persona a cobrar sus prestaciones en junio, a través de un sencillo trámite telefónico o por Whatsapp.

bps.gub.uy (24.07.2020) BPS lanza tres nuevos canales que facilitan el acceso a las consultas de Subsidio por Desempleo: web, WhatsApp y app móvil BPS Personas.

nib-bahamas.com (16.07.2020) The National Insurance Board (NIB) will launch a new online portal for eligible individuals to register for the Government-Funded Unemployment Benefit Extension Programme (GovUEBex). Individuals who were unemployed due to the COVID-19 shutdown between March 23 – June 30, and continue to be unemployed, are eligible for the extension programme if they fall under one of four categories: 1. They have exhausted their 13 weeks of NIB’s unemployment benefit (UEB) payments which became payable because of layoffs/termination due to COVID 19. 2.