Cash Transfer Learning Name of the Project: “Providing recovery assistance to waterlogged affected people of South West Bangladesh” Project Location: Union: Labsa, Upazila: Satkhira Sadar, District: Satkhira, Bangladesh 1

Number of beneficiaries & Amount of cash distributed: Upazila Cash (in taka) distributed Programme Participants MaleFemaleTotal TargetAchievementTargetAchievementTargetAchievementTargetAchievement Satkhira Sadar (Labsa) (CFW) BDT 27,000, (LCG) BDT 27,000, Total BDT 54,000,

Mobile Cash Transfer Cost Associated with MMT Cost during registration - 1. Passport size photograph: BDT 40 (4 photograph for each beneficiaries) 2. Photocopy of national ID: BDT 4 (2 copies) 3. Mobile phone SIM card: BDT 100 Cost for cash transfer - 3. Cash in charges at agent :.9% or BDT 5 whichever is higher 4. Cash out charges at agent :.9% or BDT 5 whichever is higher Cost of Staff involved: 18 staff had to work intensively for 3 weeks

Advantages of MMT: “Your mobile phone will become your wallet” 1. Beneficiaries’ introduction in digital technology and e-wallet 2. Reduce the risk of carrying big cash to the distribution points 3. Secured, protected, easy and safe cash transfer 4. Reduce the chance of corruption by means of direct cash distribution. 5. Reduce the anxiety, allocating extra time to collect cash from bank, hassle during the hand cash disbursement. 6. Freedom of the beneficiaries to withdraw required amount of money and to keep rest amount of money for future use. 7. Ensure more firm financial controlling and monitoring

Major Challenges Faced 1. Time consuming and complex registration process especially for the beneficiaries who cannot read or write 2. Miss-match of name of the beneficiaries, take additional time for correction and it is really a painstaking process) 3. Lengthy processes 4. Not available agent in the remote area 5. SIM blockage and error during money transfer

Challenges Faced (Cont.) 6. Theft or missing of SIM card 7. Maintain secrecy of the PIN and to recall it by the beneficiaries’ 8. Documentation like signature at muster roll and beneficiary cards as they collected money from different agent. 9. Extra charge during cash withdraw in case of withdraw cash from other mobile banking agent. 10. Most of the beneficiaries do not have own phone set. 11. Chance of taking the SIM by the other member of the family to withdraw the money

Beneficiaries Perception on MMT

Recommendation 1. Need more coordinate approach from very banging of the project to ensure the registration and other compliances 2. Need orientation on online cash handling 3. Before go for contract need to go for feasibility study or ensure the network coverage by Telco partner and available agent by online banking partner. 4. Collection of national ID card from the beneficiaries during final list preparation to avoid mismatches with name. 5. Registration for SIM card and bank account can be done easily by field staffs 6. To give full freedom to enjoy the benefit of MMT, project can keep provision of handset distribution to the beneficiaries.

Experience of Cash Transfer Satkhira Project FSL-WASH Workshop Nairobi 2014

Cash for Work and Livelihoods Cash Grant General Information: Total Number of Beneficiaries: 3000 (Male:1180, Female: 1820) CFW: Total person days: 45 days = 135,000 Total cash distributed: BDT 27,000,000 Number of Schemes: Canal Re-excavation: 4 (Volume of earthwork – 92,974 cubic meter) Road Repairing: 9 ( Volume of earthwork – 19,451 cubic meter Ground Raising: 3 (Volume of earthwork – 1,115 cubic meter) Pipe culvert Installation: 15 Livelihoods Cash Grant: BDT 27,000,000

Achievement of the Project A. Cash for Work (CFW): 1. Community Participation in beneficiaries targeting– community consultation, complaint mechanism etc. 2. Schemes selection based on RRAP of the union 3. Active involvement of the community during implementation 4. Involvement of local authorities - BWDB, LGED, PIO, UNO, DC 5. Cash transferred through mobile banking 6. Improved drainage system of labsa union reduced risk of water logging. 7. Community initiative for maintenance of the roads and canal banks B. Livelihoods Cash Grant: % of the beneficiaries started IGA as per business plan beneficiaries selected 2 different IGAs 2. Beneficiaries’ own contribution for investment in IGA. (additional 5,001,975 mainly for livestock) 3. Beneficiaries have started to get profit from IGAs. (313 HH earned more than BDT 2000, 550 HH earned between BDT , and 469 earned below BDT 1000)

Major Challenges faced during project implementation 1. Too many stakeholders (UP, PIO, BWDB, LGED, UNO, DRRO, DC) to manage. 2. Beneficiaries targeting was most challenging due to the political pressure. 3. Rainfall made the CFW difficult (culvert installation, soil compaction, turfing) 4. Baseline survey conducted after 4 months of the flood. 5. Very limited time for IGA business plan development 6. Follow-up and technical assistance for proper utilization of livelihoods grant. 7. Capacity building of PIC, UDMC and community groups.

Findings from Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM)

Overall Lesson Learnt 1. Joint initiative by UDMC & implementing partners can enhance quality of work 2. Contacting Meteorological Department to plan the CFW activities (rain forecast) 3. PIC members have to be chosen carefully. 4. Capacity building of PIC regarding their responsibility, scheme operation (soil availability/water drainage) and future maintenance is important. 5. Baseline should be on time along with guideline on questionnaire. 6. There should be some provision for snacks for minor children coming with mothers (CFW).

Overall lessons Learnt (Cont.) 1. Guideline on dealing with local authority and complaint mechanism will be fruitful. 2. Motivating the community to take self-initiative to fight with water- logging/flood through own contribution (materials and free labour) should be encouraged and proven feasible. 3. Dam to resist rain water and band system was a beneficial action to boost up the excavation of canals during the rainy period. 4. To avoid hot and humid situation to start CFW at early in the morning (6.30 am). 5. Joint field monitoring (donor, partner and others/such as Blue Gold, FAO, DC) ensured better result. 6. To ensure proper time for better orientation, business plan development and IGA monitoring.

Thank you all