Cash and Voucher Monitoring Group: Final monitoring report of the Somalia cash and voucher transfer programme

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.