Several monitoring and benchmarking frameworks for use in analytical assessments have been developed jointly by the SPC and the Commission, and, for some, also with the Employment Committee. Further details on the frameworks and links to the related documentation and results are available below.

Monitoring frameworks

Social Protection Performance Monitor (SPPM)

• The SPC developed in 2012 a monitoring tool, which identifies annual key social trends to watch across the EU and key social challenges and good social outcomes within individual Member States.
• About the Social Protection Performance Monitor (for the latest version of the methodological description and indicator lists see the sections "SPPM dashboard methodology" and "SPPM methodology used for the identification of Member States' key social challenges and good social outcomes" of the latest SPC Annual Report)
• SPPM dashboard results (see main body of latest SPC Annual Report)
• Assessment of Key Social Challenges and Good Social Outcomes (see SPPM Country profiles annex (Annex 1) of latest SPC Annual Report)

Joint Assessment Framework (JAF)

• Developed jointly by the European Commission, SPC and the Employment Committee (EMCO), the JAF is an analytical tool to underpin evidence-based policy making based on a three-step approach:
  1. quantitative assessment based on indicators
  2. qualitative assessment that qualifies and complements the findings from step 1
  3. prioritising challenges and identifying key challenges

• It is used as an analytical tool in the dialogue between the Commission and the Member States to support the identification of key employment and social challenges and help Member States establish their priorities.
• Its added-value is its EU cross-country comparative dimension, which can, for instance, help MS evaluate the relative magnitude of their challenges.
• The JAF results should also be seen as a tool to promote multilateral surveillance and support an overall assessment of the situation at EU level.
• Check the results from the latest update of the Joint Assessment Framework dataset (i.e. assessment charts and indicators corresponding to the quantitative step 1 of the JAF).

Background documentation

Joint Assessment Framework for Health

• The SPC has developed a module focused on the health policy area within the Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) in order to strengthen the assessment of health systems in the EU.
• The objective of the framework is to strengthen the use of the evidence-base by the Social Protection Committee (SPC) in its activities related to health policy in the context of the Open Method of Co-ordination (OMC).
• The latest published update of the results of the Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) for Health were included in the 2018 Annual Report of the Social Protection Committee (see Annex 3. JAF Health Country Analyses).

Background documentation

Monitoring framework to assess access to social protection for workers and the self-employed

• The Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed adopted in November 2019  provided that: by 15 November 2020, the Commission should, jointly with the Social Protection Committee, establish a monitoring framework and develop agreed common quantitative and qualitative indicators to assess the implementation of this Recommendation, enabling its review.
• The Commission and the ISG worked throughout 2020 to develop this monitoring framework. A first version (‘version 0’) was endorsed by the Social Protection Committee at the end of October 2020.
• It contains a theoretical framework and three types of indicators (performance indicators, context indicators, policy levers) and constitutes the baseline against which further progress can be evaluated on an annual basis.
• In 2021, the Commission prepared, jointly with the Social Protection Committee, an update of performance indicators on coverage and adequacy and on the rules governing contributions and entitlements.
• In 2022, the performance indicators on coverage and adequacy were updated, as well as the labour market context indicators.
•  In 2023, the performance indicators on coverage and adequacy were updated, as well as the rules governing contributions and entitlements – and the recent reforms at national level.

Monitoring framework for the Council Recommendation on a European Child Guarantee

• In line with the Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee, the Indicators’ Sub-Group jointly prepared with the European Commission a first version of a monitoring framework to assess the implementation of this Recommendation, which was then endorsed by the Social Protection Committee in November 2023.
• This first version consists of a set of EU indicators, complemented by indicators relying on other sources, and covers key aspects of the Recommendation: the monitoring of the size of the target group (children in need) and of this group’s effective and free access to early childhood education and care, education (and school-based activities), at least one healthy meal per school day and healthcare, and its effective access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing.
• This first version of the monitoring framework will be updated and further improved in the near future.

Work-life balance indicator framework

• In the autumn of 2020, an indicator framework and a related guidance manual were developed to support the collection of comparative data on the take up of care related leaves: paternity, parental and carers’, as well as flexible working arrangements.
• The framework aims to support the proper monitoring and assessment of the Directive of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers, in particular with regard to gender equality.

Background documentation

LTC monitoring framework

• The SPC-ISG together with the European Commission has been developing a monitoring framework in the field of long-term care since 2018. It thereby supports the collection of comparative data as part of the OMC long-term care work stream regarding access, quality and sustainability and works closely with EUROSTAT to develop and harmonise European data collections.
• The framework aims to support the monitoring and assessment of the implementation of principle 18 of the European Pillar of Social Rights on long-term care.

Benchmarking frameworks

The Communication of 26 April 2017 establishing the European Pillar of Social Rights identified benchmarking as a key tool to support structural reforms and foster upward convergence in the employment and social fields within the European Semester. Since then, benchmarking frameworks have been developed and discussed with Member States in several areas.

In particular, the Employment Committee (EMCO) and the Social Protection Committee (SPC) have agreed on a common approach in three steps:

1. identification of key challenges and a set of high level outcome indicators relevant for the policy area under consideration;
2.  identification of policy related performance indicators which allow for benchmarking performance;
3.  the identification of policy levers, which are accompanied by general principles for policy guidance and, when available, by specific indicators.

Benchmarking frameworks have been developed, or are under development, in the following areas:

Minimum income benchmarking

• As a multilateral exercise, the benchmarking framework on minimum income for the working age population has been established,  combining quantitative indicators (on performance and outcomes) with the qualitative analysis of policy design features and policy levers that affect the quality and results of policy making. The three key policy levers that most likely to affect the performance are:
  • (1) adequacy of benefits
  • (2) eligibility rules and take-up of benefits
  • (3) activation and access to services
• The benchmarking framework was used as a basis for the first joint SPC EC report focusing on common challenges. The report relied in particular on the selected outcome, performance and policy lever indicators from the framework, complemented with other data and qualitative information to support the analysis, to cover the full implementation of active inclusion.

Background documentation

• 2023 update
• 2021 update

Pensions adequacy benchmarking

• A benchmarking framework on pension adequacy supports the implementation of principle 15 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. It is to be applied against the background of the more complete analysis in the pension adequacy report.        

 Background document  (2022 version)

Benchmarking childcare and support to children

• A benchmarking framework on childcare and support to children has been established which aims to monitor two key aspects of the principle 11 of the European Pillar of Social Rights – children’s right to affordable early childhood education and care of good quality (principle 11a) and children’s right to protection from poverty (principle 11b). More specifically, it aims to monitor children’s i) adequate access to resources, and ii) access to quality services.
  • Background document (2021 version)
  • 2024 update