The "Regional Observatory for Social Inclusion in the Region of Crete" was approved in the context of the Regional Strategy for Combating Poverty and Social Inclusion of Crete (PESKE Crete) and the National Strategy for Social Inclusion and Combating Poverty (ESKE). It was established by the Law 4445/2016 "National Mechanism (NM) for Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion Policies". The National Mechanism (NM) is coordinated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The Regional Observatory for Social Inclusion joined as an Independent Department in the Organization of the Region of Crete.
According to the Law 4445/2016 and the Organization of the Region of Crete:
"1. The responsibilities of the Independent Department of the Regional Social Inclusion Observatory include the responsibilities exercised by the Region in the context of fulfilling the purpose of the National Mechanism for Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion Policies. planning, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating horizontal multi-sectoral social inclusion and social cohesion policies.
2. The operation of the Observatory contributes to:
a. the effective monitoring and coordination of the objectives, which are specialized in the framework of the Regional Strategy for Social Inclusion (PESKE),
b. highlighting local needs for social protection, welfare and solidarity policies,
c. the transmission of data and information to the National Geoinformation System (GIS) of the National Mechanism,
d. capture and map the spatial dimensions of poverty and social exclusion.
3. As a pillar of social inclusion at the local level, the Observatory promotes in particular the following actions:
a. the preparation of an annual Regional Income and Living Conditions Survey to determine the impact of specific policies on improving the quality of life of the residents of the region concerned,
b. the development and implementation of tools and indicators for monitoring the social inclusion processes of the beneficiaries of PESKE, especially in issues related to the integration in the labor market and the development of economic activity,
c. monitoring and recording social phenomena, such as extreme poverty, over-indebted households and tackling social problems, especially of vulnerable populations,
d. the creation of a web portal for the recording of poverty and social exclusion, the collection, processing and analysis of aggregated statistical data and reports of social phenomena at regional and local level, as well as actions of the regional strategy ".
The Regional Observatory for Social Inclusion of the Region of Crete is in full operation since September 2020 con-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the O.P. "Crete 2014-2020" (NSRF 2014-2020), for the period 2020-2023.