The Cash and Voucher Monitoring Group was established in August 2011 as a mechanism for monitoring the efficiency and impact of cash and voucher transfers distributed by international NGOs1 and their respective local partners in response to the 2011 famine and severe food insecurity in Southern Somalia.
At the height of the intervention the agencies distributed $50.6 million worth of cash and vouchers to a total of 136,673 beneficiary households, across nine regions of South Central Somalia. It is estimated that by December 2011, the cash and voucher transfers distributed by the group were reaching over 20% of the households in ‘crisis’ according to the IPC system.
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Somali Agriculture Technical Group (SATG) and NorthLink were contracted to establish an external monitoring system during Phase 1. ODI designed the monitoring system and then trained agencies on its use. As well as providing information about project implementation, the monitoring system included specific variable to measure donors’2 concerns about possible diversion of resources. The monitoring system was also designed to provide up-to-date information on market behavior, the ease with which cash and vouchers were received by beneficiaries, how resources were used, and the overall viability of a largescale cash and voucher distribution programme operating in insecure areas through a range of NGO and private sector partners.
A sizable quantitative data collection system – managed by the implementing partners themselves – was supplemented by independent qualitative surveys (facilitated by SATG and NorthLink). All data was collated and analysed by ODI, giving project stakeholders access to a wide range of information on a range of programme issues from targeting to impact.
Phase 1 was implemented from August 2011 to March 2012, with monitoring data available for all months and all agencies from October 2011. In March 2012 additional funding was made available for a second phase (Phase 2), and the same cohort of NGOs as well as two new agencies embarked on a second round of transfers, with ODI and SATG providing independent monitoring support.
This report describes the findings of monitoring carried out over Phase 2 of the programme. Monitoring findings for Phase 1 ACF, Adeso, Concern, Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam and Save the Children. 1 are presented in a separate report.
