Coordination of InternationalSUPPORT toSomalis

food security and economic development sectoral committee

Cash Based Response Working Group

Minutes

Cash Based Response Working Group

Tuesday9thAugust 201110:00am

Tamarind Conference Room, Ngecha Road

Participants:

C Marangu / COOPI (Chairing) / S Innocente / FAO
D Ali / Horn Relief / I A Ibrahim / SDIO
K Churchill- Smith / Horn Relief / A Iman / CARE
G Hughson / CaLP / C Mariani / UNICEF
E Warfa Baiow / SWRDA / S Hills / ILO
F Mohammad / UNICEF / T Warren / CRS
K Ursel / WFP / J Otuka / HDC
H Mannhardt / WFP / E Abdi Hashi / Safuk International
N Rilkoff / Save the Children / P Toselli / EU
S Robinson / Concern / H H Jimale / Kalsan Women Organization
A A Mohamed / BWDN / M Omengo / FAO
R Sheikh / BWDN / A Olvoch / SAF
Z Drvilhe / FAO / M Abdihamid / SDIO
E Ngugi / FAO / A Okao / DRC
D O’Reilly / IRC / P Isabirye / Horn Relief
C Opaskornkul / FAO / F Vigwoud / CaLP
M Abdi Maalim / APD / L Amuduki / HARDO

Agenda:

  1. Review of June 2011 Meeting Minutes, and follow up of Action Points
  2. CaLP Brief: Regional mapping of cash transfers and viability in Somalia
  3. Brief Discussion: Coordination of drought response (size of cash transfers, areas of intervention etc.)
  4. Brief Discussion: M&E (with emphasis on inaccessible areas) and risk mitigation
  5. AOB

Documents distributed:

  1. June 2011 draft meeting minutes
  2. Proposed Agenda
  1. Review of June 2011 Meeting Minutes, and follow up of Action Points
  • The chair welcomed participants and conducted a round of introductions
  • June 2011 minutes were reviewed and endorsed

Review of Previous Action Points:

  1. SCUK and Horn Relief to discuss using control groups with Oxfam GB. Horn Relief has taken a different approach to M&E (presented later this meeting.)
  2. Horn Relief to update CBRWG on HCT meeting, and find out when HCT meeting is scheduled.Horn Relief presented at HCT meeting; endorsement sidelined as agencies work on emergency.
  3. CBRWG to consider holding cash presentations to other clusters (WASH, Livelihoods), possibly in advance of CAP 2012 planning. Amend to ‘CBRWG to e-mail other clusters about interest.’
  4. Make M&E (with emphasis on inaccessible areas) and risk mitigation an agenda item for August CBRWG meeting. Members to come prepared to share on their best practices. Done.
  5. If possible, ILO to share a brief on their Employment for Peace initiative. Not yet done.
  6. Revisit the idea of a regional learning event at August’s CBRWG meeting. Done.

Action Point:

  • CBRWG to e-mail cluster heads to assess interest in a cash presentation prior to CAP 2012.
  1. CaLP Brief: Regional Mapping of Cash Transfers in Somalia

CaLP’s Glenn Hughson presented a crowd sourcing map using a program called Ushahidi, the same software he presented at Aug. 3rd’s Kenya Cash Working Group. The working group discussed the viability of such a coordination mechanism. Several concerns were raised about security (specifically the risk to staff and beneficiaries), and skewing beneficiary selection. The tentative consensus was that Ushahidi could work in the North, but not the South. Sharing information about projects after they were finished was discussed as an option.

Action Point:

  • CBRWG Chairs to circulate link for Ushahidi to the working group.

CaLP also explained they would be holding a regional learning event on Nov. 17-18, 2011 in Nairobi. Though the agenda has not yet been confirmed, the main themes will likely be technology, needs analysis and markets.

Action Point:

  • CBRWG Chairs to circulate information to working group about the regional learning event (and CaLP to inform CBRWG Chairs.)
  • CBRWG Chairs to circulate information about CaLP Level II Cash training (Sept. 5-9, 2011).
  1. Brief Discussion: Coordination of drought response (size of cash transfers, areas of intervention etc.)

South Central Cash Consortium: Nik Rilkoff briefly described the consortium and its plan to deliver cash transfers in SC Somalia. Consortium members are Horn Relief, DRC, Save the Children and ACF, all of whom use joint monitoring, reporting, methodology and some financial coordination as well through an external grant manager.

Details: Providing full MEB (food and non-food); targeting 40,000 HH; 6 months of unconditional cash transfers; market analysis will complement FSNAU data; looking at scaling up in famine areas; regions are Hiran, Lower Juba, Gedo, Bay, Bakool and Mogadishu (with perhaps Afgoie Corridor)

The consortium will target three groups, with the first priority being HHs with children at risk of malnutrition identified through OTP centres or a MUAC baseline.

A discussion ensued about the size of cash grants, as well as the need for greater coordination and information sharing. FAO volunteered to act as a coordination body alongside a technical advisory group, suggested to be the CBRWG. FAO can also dedicate staff, as needed, to the advisory group. It is not clear within the Cluster system who has the mandate to coordinate cash. The coordination body could report back to the cluster leads.

Action Point:

  • CBRWG and FAO to attend 8 am Cluster meeting on Friday, Aug. 12. Working group to lobby for an inter-cluster working group.

Another discussion arose about transitioning objectives from emergency relief to social protection in coming months, as well as the need to focus on returnee regions. UNICEF also discussed the possibility of organizing a centralized database for mapping agency activities.

  1. Brief Discussion: M&E (with emphasis on inaccessible areas) and risk mitigation

Horn Relief delivered a brief presentation on the M&E tools to be used by the South Central Consortium. External M&E will be performed using two external consultants and ODI. The tools can be broken down into three categories:

  1. Process and Beneficiary Monitoring: PDM, beneficiary profile, ghost monitoring, community complaints mechanism using telephone hotlines
  2. Impact Monitoring: PDM, case studies, peer monitoring, MUAC baseline, diet diversity, external evaluation
  3. Traders and Local Economy Monitoring: retailer questionnaire, market monitoring

Beneficiaries can collect their transfers anywhere in Somalia. The first cash dispersal is planned for late August/early September.

Action Point:

  • Horn Relief to share budget implications of the M&E system with Concern.
  1. AOB

CaLP will hold a technical forum – perhaps Aug. 23? – looking at cash transfers and specifically grant size and needs analysis.

Action Point:

  • CBRWG Chairs to share information about CaLP technical forum with working group (and CaLP to inform CBRWG chairs.)

It was also suggested that the next CBRWG meeting be scheduled for September (rather than October) given the current crisis and the need to coordinate.

Action Points arising from this meeting

  1. CBRWG Chairs to e-mail clusters to assess interest in cash presentations prior to CAP 2012.
  2. CBRWG Chairs to circulate link for Ushahidi to the working group
  3. CBRWG Chairs to circulate information to working group about the regional learning event (and CaLP to inform CBRWG Chairs.)
  4. CBRWG Chairs to circulate information about CaLP Level II Cash training (Sept. 5-9, 2011).
  5. CBRWG and FAO to attend 8 am Cluster meeting on Friday, Aug. 12. Working group to lobby for an inter-cluster working group.
  6. Horn Relief to share budget implications of the M&E system with Concern.
  7. CBRWG Chairs to share information about CaLP technical forum with working group (and CaLP to inform CBRWG Chairs.)

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Coordination of International Support to Somalis–Cash Based Response Working Group Minutes