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Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Monitoring and benchmarking frameworks

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.

  • 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 the latest SPC Annual Report)
  • Assessment of Key Social Challenges and Good Social Outcomes (see SPPM Country profiles annex (Annex 1) of the 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:

  • quantitative assessment based on indicators
  • qualitative assessment that qualifies and complements the findings from step 1
  • 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.

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 consisted 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.
  • The first version of the monitoring framework was updated and further improved in 2024-2025 to produce a second version.

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

Monitoring framework for the Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality long-term care

On 8 December 2022 the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) adopted the Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality long-term care (LTC Recommendation). The LTC Recommendation calls on Member States to improve access to affordable, high-quality LTC for all people who need it. It concerns all people in need of LTC and all formal and informal carers, and applies to LTC provided across all care settings.

The Commission and the ISG worked over 2023 and 2024 to develop the monitoring framework for the LTC Recommendation. The monitoring framework translates the different dimensions of the 2022 LTC Recommendation into measurable and actionable indicators and policy levers, and will be updated on a regular basis. A first version ('version 0') was adopted by the Social Protection Committee in May 2025. It contains a theoretical framework and three types of indicators (performance indicators, policy levers and context information ) and constitutes the baseline against which progress can be evaluated.

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

Pensions adequacy benchmarking

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.