Social Productivity Program (SPP) and the Enhanced Productivity Program (EPP) are two Government initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of the poor communities and individuals, and enhancing their economic opportunities.

His Majesty King Abdullah II has been providing his full support and guidance to these two initiatives, ensuring that they provide as much assistance as possible to communities and individuals living in unfortunate conditions, and that these groups are being identified. Since 1998, The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) has taken on board these two projects and has been providing financial and administrative support for them, hence, MOPIC is coordinating them to fit within the Government’s overall socio – economic framework of the country, which includes poverty alleviation and reduction of unemployment.

The two projects SPP and EPP are concentrating on improving the living conditions of the poor communities and individuals. This objective is being achieved by upgrading and providing essential infrastructure to poor communities, and enhancing the economic opportunities to them, by providing targeted training to meet the needs of the market. The projects are also focusing on providing the foundation for microfinance and related advisory services for small and medium entrepreneurs.

The direct involvement of the beneficiaries within the projects is fundamental as the targeted groups are involved in the process of implementing developmental and income generating projects which concluded into enhancing their productivity.

His Majesty's vision is to empower the communities and enable them to contribute in national development. Thus, the government embarked on a rigorous process that will pay high attention to the decentralization of service delivery management by enabling local governments, and increasing their role in development on both, local and national levels.      

The focus of our local development efforts is the creation of an enabled environment to attract investment, foster development and enhance economic growth by providing financial and non-financial services, supporting job training in local communities, directing public and private investment in social infrastructure, and financing local community development.

Attention is also being directed to the competitive advantages of each governorate emphasizing, in particular, on projects of tourism, agriculture support industries, and services. The long term vision is to increase the role of the private sector in developing and directing investment, especially in poorer areas.

In 2003 both programs, SPP and EPP, were merged together under the Economic and Social Productivity Program (ESPP) adopting a comprehensive developmental approach to improve the standard of living of all Jordanians.

Economic reforms and tangible sustainable development are complimentary with long term planning and many sub-programs, projects and activities. It is important to recognize that many of the adopted necessary measures tackle underlying causes and confront powerful and entrenched traditions and interests. They can not be adopted without years of sustained and demanding advocacy, and further years will pass before their full benefits are felt. If a quick and easy fix was possible, it would have been achieved already. But that is all the more reason to uphold these programs, to redouble the efforts and to safeguard them from emerging setbacks and sometimes agonizing slow progress.

One of ESPP's most important contributions is to recognize the importance of creating and maintaining environments, which support national and community socio-economic development efforts. It also focuses on ways through which these environments can achieve self-reliance, the inclusion of stakeholders and communities at large and the creation of socio- economic basis that will foster and advance the existing and future efforts of all parties.

ESPP offers an integrated approach to poverty alleviation and reduction of unemployment through the implementation of the various programs aiming at community mobilization and social development, within its different components.