C ommunity study on Cash Assistance - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Community study on Cash Assistance

August 2017

Slide2

Community study ToT

Starts

Ends

Module

08:30

09:00

Overview

of joint

cash study and

community

study, research questions

09:00

09:30

Focus

group discussion, role of facilitator and note-taker

09:30

10:30

Review focus group discussion questions and probes

10:30

10:45

BREAK

10:45

11:15

Review focus group discussion

questions and probes

(continuation)

11:15

12:00

Lessons learned from community study pilot

12:00

12:45

LUNCH

12:45

13:30

Role-play

exercise

13:30

13:45

Exercise de-brief

(review exercise, identify

issues and

ways to mitigate, review questions/probes)

13:45

14:15

Roles and responsibilities of Team Leaders

(during training, during data collection, after data collection)

14:15

15:00

Data collection

planning, Questions

Slide3

Joint cash study: 3 componentsMarket studyPrice and stock information of basic itemsTraders’ supply capacity and constraintCommunity study

Access to

markets

Familiarity

and acceptance of cash-based assistance

Preference for cash-based modalities

Risks and safety issues

Financial service provider study

Overview of existing financial service providers

Capacity and coverage

Types of cash-based modalities

offered, e.g. voucher, e-cash

Slide4

Community studyFocus Group Discussions

Slide5

Research QuestionsWhat are the factors influencing population access to local markets?What are the barriers for beneficiaries to access assistance through financial service providers? What is the community familiarity and acceptance for cash-based modalities?

What are the community preferences for cash-based modalities and delivery mechanisms

?

Slide6

Research QuestionsWhat are the negative/positive impacts of cash-based assistance on household and community relations?What are the potential risks associated with cash-based assistance on the safety and security of recipients ?

What is the likelihood and severity of identified risks or negative impact?

Can the identified risks/negative impacts be mitigated

?

Slide7

Community study districts

Governorate

Low Access to Markets

High

Access to Markets

Agency

Abyan

 

Khanfir (ACF)

Zingibar (ACF)

ACF

Aden

?

?

UNHCR(INTERSOS)

Al Bayda

Rada' (NFDHR)

At Taffah (NFDHR)

NFDHR

Al Dhale'e

Al Azariq (ACTED)

Al Husha (ACTED)

ACTED

Al Hudaydah

Al Garrahi (NRC)

Ad

Durayhimi

(UNICEF) /

As

Sukhnah

(UNICEF) /

Al

Munirah

(ACF)

UNICEF / NRC / SCI / ACF

Al Jawf

Al Humaydat (ACTED)

Bart Al Anan (ACTED)

ACTED

Al Mahwit

 

Bani Sa'd (Mercy)

Mercy

Amanat Al Asimah

Bani Al Harith (UNHCR/ADRA)

At Tahrir (UNHCR/ADRA)

UNHCR(ADRA)

Amran

Dhaifan (UNHCR/YRCS)

Amran (UNHCR/YRCS)

UNHCR(YRCS)

Dhamar

Wusab As Safil (YFCA)

Mayfa'at Anss (NFDHR)

NFDHR / YFCA

Hajjah

Ku'aydinah (SCI) /

Hayran (Oxfam)

Abs (Oxfam)

Oxfam / SCI

Ibb

Ba'dan (ACTED)

Ibb (ACTED)

ACTED

Lahj

Al

Madaribah

Wa

Al

Arah

(NRC)

Tur Al Bahah (ACF)

NRC / SCI / UNHCR(INTERSOS) / ACF

Marib

Medghal

(ADRA)

 

ADRA

Raymah

Mazhar (ACTED)

As Salafiyah (ACTED)

ACTED

Sa'ada

Al Dhaher (ACTED)

Saqayn (ACTED)

ACTED

Sana'a

Bani Hushaysh (ADRA)

Manakhah (Mercy)

Mercy / ADRA / UNICEF

Taizz

Al

Ma'afer

(SCI)

Al Mawasit (NRC) /

Al Mudhaffar (Mercy)

SCI / NRC / Mercy /Oxfam

Slide8

Focus group discussionWhat is a FGD? Roles of facilitator and note-taker

Slide9

What is a focus group discussion?A focus group discussion (FGD) is a qualitative data collection method in which several participants meet as a group to discuss a given topic, in order to explore their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards it

Slide10

What is a focus group discussion?FGDs are structured around a set of carefully predefined questions but the discussion is free-flowingSmall group of 4 to10 people

Discussion is led by a

facilitator

Note-taker

records discussion in detail, including non-verbal/body language

The ideal amount of time for a FGD is 45 to 90 minutes.

Slide11

Why FGDs?Answer open ended questionsEstablish detailed context-specific

information

G

ive a broad

range of

different views on

a specific

topic

Data is collected in

a dynamic way as participants influence each other during the discussion

Slide12

Role of a facilitatorIntroduces, moderates and closes the FGD sessionFacilitate discussion

Ensures

the FGD debriefing

form is filled

Provides debrief to the team leader

Slide13

Role of a facilitatorIntroduce the FGD:

W

elcome participants

and thanking them for their availability and time

Introduce yourselves

Explain the

purpose of the focus group

Provide

information on how long the FGD will last

Assure

that the focus group is confidential

Slide14

Role of a facilitatorGround rules they should respect during the discussion:

O

nly

one person speaks at a time

There

are no right or wrong answers

When

participants have something to say, they may speak

Participants

do not have to agree with the views of others in the group

Slide15

Role of a facilitatorFacilitate a discussion using:

Questions

:

Start

the discussion on a particular

topic

Sometimes

general to collect initial opinions on a given

topic

These questions should be

read to

participants

Probes / Follow-up Questions

:

M

ore

specific and help to dig deeper into a given

topic

Do not

read probing questions

,

facilitator

adapts them as necessary

Make sure though that all of them are covered by the

discussion

Slide16

Role of a facilitator

Leading the discussion:

Slide17

Role of a facilitatorClose the session:

Thank

participants for their time and availability, as they are all volunteers

Inform participants that their

opinions will be very valuable for the research

Ask

for participants’ comments on the FGD process

Communicate contact

details for

participants

to get in touch to provide feedback/complaints on the discussion

Slide18

Role of a facilitatorA good facilitator . . .

Practices active listening (eye contact, questioning, remembering, reflecting)

Shows

flexibility

Shows

sensitivity

Has

a sense of

humour

Links

ideas together

Makes

participants feel at ease

Encourages

participation from everyone

Slide19

Role of a Note-takerNote down:

Key answers participants

give

Disagreements

between participants

Specific discussions

Body

language

Details that may cause big change and lead to more probing

If there is a template, ensure it is properly filled

Notes need to be clear with reference to questions –

so

translator can understand and

know which notes belongs to which

questions

Slide20

Role of a Note-takerComplete the debrief form: a short half page form for demographic

information

of participants to be administered before the FGD begins

G

iving

numbers to the participant

(e.g. “Participant 1”) can help to

identify who said what

during note-taking

Slide21

Review of Questions and ProbesLinking FGD questions, probes and note-taker template

Slide22

What is cash-based assistance?Cash-based assistance is the form of humanitarian assistance where families are provided with money instead of the items or food itself and are able to choose what the money is spent

on

Slide23

Cash modalities, delivery mechanisms

Cash

Physical cash handed out directly to recipients by humanitarian agency

Physical cash handed out directly to recipients by a formal or informal intermediary

E-cash

Mobile money or a SMS code that can be cashed out at retail or other outlets

Deposit in personal bank account

Pre-paid card usable at cash machines

Smart card or a plastic card with a chip usable at retailers with point-of-sale devices

Voucher

Paper voucher, a paper token which can be cashed at designated outlets

Mobile or e-voucher, SMS with voucher code or plastic card used at retailers with point-of-sale devices

Slide24

Question route

Slide25

Question Route2. Tell me about the local market you usually go to and how you travel there. (Try to involve every participant in the discussion

)

Probe

/ Follow-up question

:

Which local market do you usually go to?

Is it a village market / district market / governorate capital market?

What type of market it is? What are the main items sold in the market?

Do you go to another market to buy other basic items (such as hygiene or houseware items)?

How far is it (in kilometre)?

How long does it take to travel there (in minutes)?

By which mode of transport

?

Slide26

Note-taker template

Slide27

Question Route3. Since the conflict started, what changes have you experienced in your ability to travel to the local market and buy basic items?

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

Were there any specific issues before?

Are there any specific issues now that had not existed before?

Do you go to the local market as often as you used to go before the conflict? If no, why?

Did any of you change your mode of transport (e.g. walking instead of taking the bus) since the conflict? If yes, why?

Did you have to rely on others to buy basic items for you? If yes, why?

Did any of you go to different or other markets since the conflict? If yes, why?

Slide28

Question RouteProbe / Follow-up question:

Are

basic items that you normally find in the local market still regularly available since the conflict? Please give me some examples of items that are no longer available as regularly as they are used to and the substitute items that you have used instead.

Have prices in basic items changed a lot since the conflict? If yes, in what way?

Can you still find items of the same type / quality like before in the local market?

If you still find items of the same type / quality like before in the local market, are you still buying them? Or do you buy items of a different type / quality because of higher prices?

Can you give some examples of items where you have had to change item type or quality because of lack of availability or higher prices

?

Slide29

Question Route4. What are the available cash providers or places to access cash that you can think of?

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

Banks?

Post offices?

Local shops providing credit?

(Formal) Money transfer offices?

Informal money transfer agencies?

Microfinance offices (e.g. Al-

Kuraimi

)?

Mobile phone companies (providing mobile money)?

Others?

Slide30

Question Route5. What are the types of documents required to access cash through these cash providers?

(Go through each of the cash delivery mechanism that have been mentioned)

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

National identity card?

Family book?

Birth certificate?

Marriage certificate?

Passport?

Election card / Voter identity card?

Driver’s license?

Do you have at least one form of documentation? If no, please explain why.

Slide31

Question Route6. Let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the cash provider that you have mentioned.

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

Familiar and easy-to-use?

More confidential?

What do you think about the safety of the site for accessing cash?

Are you concerned about someone intimidating or physically hurting you because you have received money?

Are there risks of leaving home and traveling to and from the cash provider

?

Slide32

Question RouteProbe / Follow-up question:Travel

time or transportation cost?

Fees?

Need for documentation?

Cash provider office or site is hard to access (for persons with disabilities)?

Sufficient information or assistance from cash providers?

Has access to any of these cash providers changed since the start of the conflict? If yes, how and why

?

Slide33

Question Route7. Since the start of the conflict, what changes have there been in the ways that families can get support when they are in a sudden difficult financial situation, e.g. flood, loss of job, hospitalization of a family member?

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

What were the sources and types of support families were receiving before?

Family remittance? Other types of financial support from

family?

Community support? If yes, please give us some examples, e.g. providing cash or food support

?

Store credit?

Other forms of formal or informal ways of getting credit or a loan?

Is it still possible to receive all the types of support identified since the conflict started? If no, why?

Slide34

Question Route8. Let’s talk about humanitarian or charitable cash-based assistance. What is the first thing that comes to mind?

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

The Social Welfare Fund?

(Food) Vouchers?

Physical cash?

Mobile money?

Livelihood assistance?

Assistance for education-based activities?

Anything else that comes to mind?

Slide35

Question Route9. Since the conflict started, food prices have increased significantly. Poor families receive food vouchers

from a humanitarian agency. The vouchers can be used to buy food in selected shops. Is this form of assistance acceptable to you and most people in your community? If yes, why is that the case? If not, why is that the case?

 

Slide36

Question RouteProbe / Follow-up question:Have you heard of this or a similar form of assistance? If yes, please tell us more.

How is this different from receiving

food items

? Do you prefer food vouchers to food packages of the same monetary value? Can you explain your preference?

Until you spend it, is it difficult to keep it safely?

What are the main risks of receiving cash assistance on the safety and security of each family?

Until you spend it, is it difficult to keep it safely?

Are you concerned about not enough shops accepting these vouchers

?

Slide37

Question Route10. Another humanitarian agency has started giving each poor family cash to buy food. Is this form of assistance acceptable to you and most people in your community? If yes, why is that the case? If not, why is that the case?

 

Probe / Follow-up question

:

Do you know of this or a similar form of assistance? If yes, please tell us more.

Do you prefer

cash

to

food items

of the same monetary value? Can you explain your preference?

Do you prefer

cash

to

food vouchers

of the same monetary value? Please help me understand your preference.

Slide38

Question RouteProbe / Follow-up question:Would most people in your community prefer the same option? If no, can you explain why?

Is there a difference between cash given to a family directly by humanitarian agencies and physical cash given indirectly by an intermediary (e.g. post office or money transfer office)? If yes, what do you think are the differences?

Until you spend it, is it difficult to keep it safely?

What are the main risks of receiving cash assistance on the safety and security of each family?

Are you concerned about someone intimidating or physically hurting you because you have received money

?

Slide39

Question Route 11. Let’s imagine that there are five families given 10,000 YER worth of cash assistance in these different ways:

Family 1: Physical cash only

Family 2: Mobile money only

Family 3: Deposit in bank account only

Family 4: Prepaid / smart card only

Family 5: Voucher only

 

What would be the advantages or disadvantages for each family?

(Go through each family scenarios)

 

Slide40

Question RouteProbe / Follow-up question:Easy and safe to receive?

Who will have to collect it and will this interfere with their other responsibilities (e.g. childcare, work)?

Easy and safe to keep before you spend it?

Are there risks of leaving home and traveling to and from the cash provider? Is there a need for companion?

Travel time or transportation cost?

Fees?

Need for documentation?

Number of service provider outlets?

Number of retail outlets (to cash out or buy items)?

Slide41

Question Route12. Let’s think about the five families we have discussed earlier, they have all received 10,000 YER in cash assistance from a humanitarian agency. What could be the impact of cash assistance on the family and its relationship with the rest of the community?

 

Probe / Follow-up question:

Who is likely to decide how the cash assistance will be spent?

Would the cash assistance affect relationship between the head of family and the spouse? If yes, in what ways?

What about relationship with other family members? (e.g. children, parents) If yes, please give an example of how cash assistance can affect the relationship.

What about relationship with friends? Neighbours?

Slide42

Question RouteProbe / Follow-up question:

With

other people in your community?

With people from other community (e.g. IDP and host community)?

Among all these relationships, how likely is cash assistance going to affect one relationship compared to the others? (e.g. is the impact on relationships within the family more likely than impact on relationships with community members?)

Among all these relationships, what is the relative size of the impact of cash assistance (e.g. is the impact on relationship with family members larger than the impact on relationship with community members?)

Slide43

Lessons learned from community study pilotCommon responses, group differences, mistakes

Slide44

Community study pilotUNHCR/YRCS (Amran), ACTED (Ibb)

Data collection: mid-June

Per governorate: 1 district “high access” to market, 1 district with “low access” to market

FGD groups (mixed age): Women IDPs, Men IDPs, Women Host Community, Men Host Community

Slide45

Market access barriersLack of security High prices

Lack of basic item availability

Liquidity crisis

High transportation costs as barrier

1 participant above age 60 cited age (“too

old to go to the market”)

Some

female participants

mentioned

harassment by bus

owners and need

for male companion

Slide46

Item availability and substitutionUse of firewood instead of cooking gasLack of (drinking) water

 substitute by

carrying

water (with donkey) from

wells

For those living far from big markets, nearby small markets lack basic items

Slide47

Familiarity with cash assistanceGeneral association between cash-based assistance and “physical cash” Some association with voucher due to prior experience (e.g. WFP in Ibb) Some association with social welfare transfer, money exchange and bank transfer

Many discussed the usefulness of cash assistance to pay for rent, medicine and clothes

Slide48

Preferences Money transfer office most familiar and preferred, described as “safe”, “fast”, “has many branches”, “easy”, “confidential”Some acceptance/preference for microfinance office, post office

Some acceptance/preference for mobile money

after explanation/probing

, participants preferred it because it is “more secure” and “confidential”

Conventional banks mentioned once: “money

transfer office are better than banks because banks suffer from lack of

liquidity”

Slide49

PreferencesNegative:Overcrowding at money transfer officesConfusion over the term “intermediary

”,

e.g. “The participants prefer… physical cash handed out directly to recipients, or through money transfer offices and not through an intermediary or person because the amount would be manipulated

”

IDPs and Women more likely not to have

documentation



prefer

direct cash due to lack of documentation

Slide50

Safety risks (Amran)Safety/security risks for themselves (and their children) more commonly expressed by women Insecurity appears to be a prevalent in

Raydah

, a district where most communities travel for at least 45 min to the nearest market (and most likely FSPs)

 

violence

robbery

harassment

child safety

Female Host Community

1

1

1

2

Male Host Community

0

0

0

0

Female IDP

0

1

2

1

Male IDP

0

1

0

0

District =

Amran (High Access)

1

0

1

1

District =

Raydah

(Low Access)

0

3

2

2

Slide51

ImpactOverall positive impact on relationships with partner and other members of the familyRelationships with neighbours, friends, other members of community considered less relevantSome discussed the issue of envy

(Note: lack of FGD data, probes to be revised)

Slide52

Common/Potential mistakes“High/Low Access” from agency’s perspective not communitiesMixed gender groups, Mixed IDP-Host

Community

Ineffective questions, insufficient probes

Not enough probing during discussion by facilitator

Facilitator did not correct participants and provide further explanation, e.g. confusion over “intermediary”

For specific quotes, note-taker did not indicate which participant

Unclear notes or handwriting by note-taker

Phone contact details of facilitator and note-taker not provided to REACH for clarification on data

Slide53

Role-play exerciseConducting focus group discussions

Slide54

FGD exerciseSplit into groups of 5-6 people

Assume that you are all part of a FGD, take turns to play the role of Facilitator and Note-taker

Use the following:

Facilitator Guidelines

Question Route

Note-taker template

The facilitator will use the probes provided for each question in the Question Route

The note-taker will fill in the Note-taker template

Slide55

FGD exerciseThe note-taker will act as time-keeper



not

more than

15

minutes

per FGD session



after that others will play the roles of facilitator and note-taker

Try to cover different questions in each FGD session

Slide56

Exercise de-briefIdentify issues/problems faced during discussion and suggest solutions to mitigate themReview questions:

Were

the questions easy to understand?

Did each facilitator explain the question adequately?

Which

probes did you use? Were they helpful?

Did each facilitator use the probes properly

?

Do you have any suggestions on revising the questions and probes

?

Check each other’s note-taker templates. As note-takers, did all of you fill in the template properly? Explain your answer.

Slide57

Responsibilities of Team LeadersDuring training, during data collection, and after data collection

Slide58

During trainingUse training materials and facilitator/note-taker guidelines/templates prepared in Arabic for facilitator/note-taker

training

Familiarize yourself again with today’s training and all guidance materials

If you have important questions during the training,

please contact

REACH

as soon as possible

Slide59

During data collectionSupervise the data collection processEnsure daily/frequent

data entry and data submission to

reduce risk of data loss

Conduct a daily debriefing with

facilitators

(face/face, phone)

Discuss

strengths and weaknesses of data collection

Compare

findings, views and impressions

Gather

observations or concerns not captured in data

collection

Consider

reliability of

participants, facilitators and note-takers, include

information in debriefing with

REACH staff (phone / email)

Slide60

After data collectionSupervise data entry (in Arabic) electronically to

debrief form and note-taker template provided (Microsoft Word document)

Ensure correct submission of

completed

debrief form and note-taker template to REACH (

paper form

and

electronic form

)

Provide REACH with the correct phone numbers of facilitators and note-takers (in note-taker template)

Report

back to

REACH

on all issues raised during data collection

Slide61

Data submissionSend electronic debrief form and note-taker template (Word Document) and scanned copies or photos of completed

note-taker template (

all pages

) and debrief form to REACH:

yemen@reach-initiative.org

(Email)

+

967711200331

(

Whatsapp

)

REACH is responsible for

Translation

from Arabic to English

Data entry (in English) electronically to template provided

Data analysis

Slide62

Data collection planningSelection of districts, groups and participants

Slide63

Selection of districtsPer governorate, select 1 district where most communities have

“high access”

to markets and where there are significant number of

IDPs

Per governorate, select 1 district where most

communities

have

“low

access”

to

markets

and where there are significant number of

IDPs

“High access”:

< 45 minutes

travel time to market

“Low access”:

> 1 hour

travel time to market

*might differ depending on district

Slide64

Selection of participantsIn an ideal focus group, all the participants are very comfortable with each other but none of them know each otherHomogeneity is key to maximizing disclosure among

participants, e.g. all-women group, teachers-only group

Participant

inclusion/exclusion criteria should be established upfront and based on the purpose of the study. Use the criteria as a basis to screen all potential applicants

.

Slide65

Selection of groups4 focus groups per district2 districts per governorate: 1 “high access”, 1 “low access”

High/low access determined

by

most

communities in the district’s travel

time to market, e.g.

“High access”: < 45 minutes travel time to market

“Low access”: > 1 hour travel time to market

 

 

IDP

Host

Community

High

Access or

Low Access

District

Male

1

3

Female

2

4

Slide66

Selection of groupsOther possible focus groups: Muhamasheen Men/Women, IDP Returnees Men/Women

Groups should be of mixed age:

at least 1 above age 60

 

 

IDP

Host

Community

Muhamasheen

IDP

Returnee

High

Access or

Low Access

District

Male

1

3

5

7

Female

2

4

6

8

Slide67

Selection of participantsKey individuals nominate people they think would make good participants Nominees

are familiar with the topic, known for their ability to respectfully share their opinions, and willing to volunteer about 2 hours of their

time

If

participants will come from a large but defined group (e.g. an entire

camp

) with many eager participants, names can be randomly drawn from a hat until the desired number of verified participants is

achieved

Slide68

Selection of participantsOnce a group of viable recruits has been established, call each one to confirm interest and availability Give them times and locations of the focus groups and secure verbal

confirmation

Over-invite

in anticipation of a no-show rate of 10 to 20

percent, e.g. invite 9 or 10 participants if you want 8 participants in a group