Participants will be officials with sound analytical skills and a strong commitment to advancing social protection who already have a number of years' work experience in this field. They should hold a bachelor or advanced degree and have a strong quantitative background in economics, business, public administration, political science, public policy, finance, actuarial studies, mathematics, statistics or a related field. Typical participants will be professionals working in ministries responsible for the development and monitoring of social protection systems, such as ministries of labour, finance and planning, health or social protection/social affairs; representatives of the social partners involved in the governance of social security institutions; officials of UN agencies working in the field of social protection; members of non-governmental organizations engaged in social protection.